How to fix license problem with Microsoft Word, power point and excel.

Question

Every time i open up Microsoft word or any other micro soft office related application it says "We cant find your license for this application, A repair attempt was unsuccessful" what should i do ?

Answer 1

Hi @Alameen Kadi, 

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum. The message you’re seeing is a common Office activation or licensing error, and it usually points to an issue with the account or subscription that Office is trying to use. Most of the time, it can be resolved by checking the license tied to your account, then repairing or re‑activating Office. 

Since the post doesn’t mention the type of account you’re using, I’d love to clarify a couple of things so we can narrow down the root cause.  

• Are you using a Microsoft 365 Business account (provided by your organization or school), or a Personal Microsoft account?  
• Also, can you still use Word, Excel, or PowerPoint in the web version? This detail helps us understand whether the problem is with the license itself or the Office apps installed on your device.  

Once I have a bit more information, I’ll be able to better understand your situation, look into it more thoroughly, and suggest the most appropriate next steps. So, if you have any updates or additional details to share, please feel free to leave a comment under this post, I’ll be more than happy to continue assisting you. 

Thank you for taking the time, and I’m looking forward to your reply! 

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Answer 2

Follow these steps in order, testing Office after each major step:

1. Confirm the correct account and license
   • Open any Office app (Word, Excel, etc.).
   • Go to File > Account.
   • Under User Information, sign out of all accounts.
   • Close the app, reopen it, and sign in with the account that owns the Office license (the one used to buy or activate Office).
   • If activation still fails, go to the Microsoft account or organization portal and verify that the subscription or license is active and assigned to that account. If there is no valid license, contact the Microsoft 365 admin or purchase/assign the correct license.
2. Run a full Online Repair of Office (Windows)
   • Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
   • Select Microsoft 365 Apps or Office in the list.
   • Click Change.
   • Choose Online Repair (not Quick Repair) and complete the process.
   • Restart the computer and try opening Word/Excel/PowerPoint again.
3. If you see “Microsoft Office cannot verify the license for this product” This specific error can be caused by compatibility mode or a missing Software Protection Platform registry key. a) Stop running the app in compatibility mode
   • Close all Office apps.
   • In File Explorer, browse to the Office installation folder, for example:
     • Click-to-Run: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16 or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16
     • MSI: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16 or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16
   • Right‑click the app that shows the error (for example, WINWORD.EXE or POWERPNT.EXE) and select Properties.
   • On the Compatibility tab:
     • Clear Run this program in compatibility mode for.
     • Select Change settings for all users and again clear Run this program in compatibility mode for.
     • Click OK twice.
   • If there is no Compatibility tab, cancel, then:
     • Right‑click the app (for example, OUTLOOK.EXE) and select Troubleshoot compatibility.
     • Select Troubleshoot program.
     • Clear all options, select Next.
     • Choose No, I am done investigating the problem, then Next > Close.
   • Start the Office app again.
   b) Check the SoftwareProtectionPlatform registry entry (advanced) Only do this if comfortable editing the registry.
   • Press Start, type regedit, open Registry Editor.
   • Go to: HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion.
   • If SoftwareProtectionPlatform exists under CurrentVersion, skip to the permissions step below. If it does not exist:
     1. On another device where Office works, open Registry Editor.
     2. Browse to HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform.
     3. Right‑click SoftwareProtectionPlatform > Export, save as a .reg file.
     4. Copy that .reg file to the problem device, right‑click it, and choose Merge.
   • On the problem device, in Registry Editor, go to: HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform
   • Right‑click SoftwareProtectionPlatform > Permissions.
   • Under Group or user names, ensure NETWORK SERVICE exists. If not, click Add, type network service, click OK.
   • Select NETWORK SERVICE, check Allow for Full control, then Apply > OK.
   • Restart the device and test Office again.
4. Check for account mismatch when updating license (Error Code 44 / “Couldn’t update license”)
   • In any Office app, go to File > Account and check the account shown at the top right.
   • Make sure it is the account that actually has the Microsoft 365 license (for home: Microsoft 365 Personal/Family; for business: Business Basic/Standard/Premium, E3, E5, F1, F3, etc.).
   • If not, sign out and sign in with the correct account, then select Update License again.
5. Check network, antivirus, and proxy (if activation still fails)
   • Ensure the device has a stable internet connection.
   • Temporarily disable third‑party antivirus or firewall software and test activation.
   • If the device uses a proxy:
     • In Windows Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy, temporarily turn off manual proxy or automatic script and test again.
     • If on a work/school network, contact IT to ensure Microsoft 365 activation endpoints are allowed.
6. If there is no valid license on the account
   • If the subscription has expired or no license is assigned, contact the Microsoft 365 admin to:
     • Renew the subscription, or
     • Assign the correct license to the user account, or
     • Move the user to a plan that includes Office desktop apps.

If all steps above fail and the account definitely has a valid license, contact Microsoft Support for further investigation.

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References:

• "Microsoft Office cannot verify the license for this product" error when you start an Office app
• Unlicensed Product and activation errors in Office
• What Microsoft 365 business product or license do I have?
• I get a "Couldn't Update License" error in Microsoft 365
• how i can fix the microsoft app problem - Microsoft Q&A
• When opening Word or Excel, getting a 'subscription canceled' message but I have renewed my Office subscription - Microsoft Q&A