Limit of multiple activation key

Question

I already have windows 11 on my pc but never had the office suite of tools. I bought an office suite downloaded them entering the activation key I was given. 2 weeks later a microsoft activation wizard pops up telling me I need to add activation code or I wont be able to use the suite in 3 days. When I click next 'Your installation cannot be activated because you have activated up to the limit of your Multiple Activation Key' I dont even know what that is let alone where to find it or get around if possible?

Answer 1

I assume you bought the key from some third party seller?

You are using a volume license key, specially MAK key. This is a violation of licensing terms actually if you are not an organization user within the organization that purchased this MAK key. Volume license is sold to organizations and it is meant to be used by the users within the organization it is sold to only. It cannot be resold to general consumers, Unfortunately a lot of third party vendors are doing it because it is a lot cheaper than retail license.

MAK license comes with an installation limit, which means a single key can only be used for a set number of installations, such as 100. If the key is sold to more than 100 users, or if a user reinstalls or changes hardware, each new installation counts against this limit. Exceeding the limit could deactivate the license on another device. Regardless, you shouldn't be using that MAK key at all. I hope you are able to ask for your money back from whoever you bought it from.

Answer 2

The error message you are encountering indicates that you have reached the activation limit for your Multiple Activation Key (MAK). A MAK is a product key used for one-time activation of Microsoft products, and it has a predetermined number of allowed activations based on your volume licensing agreement. Once you reach that limit, you will not be able to activate the product again using the same MAK.

To resolve this issue, you can contact the Microsoft Licensing Activation Centers to request a new MAK or to increase the activation limit for your current key. They will be able to provide you with the necessary assistance to activate your Office suite again.

Additionally, if you have made significant hardware changes to your computer, that could also affect your activation status, and you might need to reactivate your Office suite after such changes.

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References:

• Multiple Activation Key (MAK) activation of Office
• Troubleshoot volume activation of Office
• Summary of error codes