I need to talk to a human

Question

I uninstalled Office from my old laptop. Upon installing Office 2019 on my new laptop, I am informed that the key is in use on another device. I created a new account because I no longer had my old account information. I am requesting to manually reset and release the old activation so that I can activate Office 2019 on my new laptop.

Answer 1

Try phone activation. See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/-telephone-activation-is-no-longer-supported-for-your-product-error-when-activating-office-9b016cd2-0811-4cb3-b896-5a6a13177713 (even if you don't see the exact same error message as the one mentioned in the article).

Answer 2

To resolve the issue of your Office 2019 key being in use on another device, you can try the following steps:

1. Contact Microsoft Support: Since you are unable to activate Office on your new laptop due to the old activation still being in place, the best course of action is to contact Microsoft support directly. They can help you manually reset and release the old activation associated with your previous account.
2. Use the Support Hotline: If you want to talk to a human, you can call the Microsoft support hotline. When you call, you may need to navigate through automated prompts to reach a support agent. Be prepared to provide information about your account and the issue you're facing.
3. Check Your Microsoft Account: If you have access to your Microsoft account, log in to see if you can manage your devices and deactivate the old installation from there. However, since you mentioned you created a new account, this might not be applicable.
4. Consider Creating a Trial Account: If you are still unable to reach support, consider creating a trial Microsoft 365 tenant. This will allow you to access the Admin Center and potentially raise a support ticket from there.

Following these steps should help you in getting your Office 2019 activated on your new laptop.

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References:

• How to reinstall Office & Student 2019 - Microsoft Q&A
• I need to talk to someone!! - Microsoft Q&A