I have had microsoft word and powerpoint on my computer for years, now it is saying i need to activate it

Question

I have had microsoft word and powerpoint on my computer for years, now it is saying i need to activate it when i go to use it. Its word 2016. I have had it for years and never had an issue.

Answer 1

Your Office installation may have updated to a newer version than the one which is supported by your Office 2016 license.

In Word, if you click Word > About Microsoft Word, which version number is shown?

Answer 2

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

If you see your Office 2016 license under the Services & Subscriptions page in your Microsoft account here: https://account.microsoft.com/services, you can use the Office License Removal Tool to remove all previous Office licenses installed on your device and then reactivate them.

You can download and run the Office License Removal Tool from the official Microsoft website here:

How to remove Office license files on a Mac

If you are still running into issues even after using the Microsoft Office License Removal Tool on your device, let us know.

Answer 3

If Microsoft Word 2016 is prompting you to activate it after years of use, it could be due to several reasons. Here are some steps you can take to resolve the activation issue:

1. Check Your License: Ensure that your license is still valid. Sometimes, licenses can expire or become unassigned.
2. Sign Out and Sign Back In: Open Word, go to your account settings, and sign out of your Microsoft account. Then, sign back in to see if that resolves the activation prompt.
3. Reinstall Office: If the above steps do not work, consider uninstalling and then reinstalling Microsoft Office. You can use the Microsoft 365 Uninstall troubleshooter to help with this process.
4. Check for Updates: Make sure your Office installation is up to date. Sometimes, updates can resolve activation issues.
5. Contact Support: If none of these steps work, you may need to contact Microsoft support for further assistance.

These steps should help you resolve the activation issue with Word 2016.