I purchased a perpetual license for Microsoft Office 2021 (one-time purchase, not a subscription stoped working)

Question

I purchased a perpetual license for Microsoft Office 2021 (one-time purchase, not a subscription). The software was functioning normally until today. I followed the link to reinstall from Microsoft.com but it's not restoring my purchase. Instead it's forcing me to subscribe to Microsoft 365. Please advise on how to active the software I purchased without signing up for the subscription.

Thanks in advance,

Haylie Christensen

Answer 1

Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

Please use the Office License Removal tool to remove all the previous traces of the license on your MAC and then reactivate it using your Microsoft account. You can download and run the tool from the Official Microsoft website here:

How to remove Office license files on a Mac

This tool should help you to remove and reactivate the Office license on your device.

Answer 2

To activate your perpetual license for Microsoft Office 2021 without being prompted to subscribe to Microsoft 365, follow these steps:

1. Check Your License: Ensure that you are using the correct Microsoft account associated with your Office 2021 purchase. Sometimes, signing in with a different account can lead to issues.
2. Uninstall Previous Versions: If you have any previous versions of Office installed, it may cause conflicts. Uninstall any existing Office applications from your Mac. You can do this by going to Finder > Applications, selecting the Office applications, and moving them to Trash.
3. Reinstall Office 2021: After uninstalling, go to the Microsoft account dashboard and sign in with the account linked to your Office 2021 license. Look for the option to install Office and follow the prompts to reinstall it.
4. Activate Office: Once reinstalled, open any Office application (like Word or Excel). You should be prompted to activate your product. Enter your product key if prompted, or sign in with the account that has the license.
5. Check Background Permissions: If you encounter issues during activation, ensure that the necessary background services are allowed in your macOS settings. Go to System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions, and check that permissions for Microsoft services are enabled.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may need to contact Microsoft support for further assistance with your specific license problem.

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References:

• Office 2021 license does not work and ist not anymore in the portal listed - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft 365 Apps activation error: "You currently have not been assigned an office license that includes the Office desktop apps"