Microsoft Office cannot verify the license for this product.you should repair the office program by using control panel

Question

Microsoft Office cannot verify the license for this product.you should repair the office program by using control panel

Answer 1

Open Word.

At the top right of Word, log out of Office.

Restart (not shut down) your PC, then log back into Office, is your Office licence or subscription then recognised correctly

Answer 2

The error "Microsoft Office cannot verify the license for this product. You should repair the Office program by using Control Panel" is typically caused by either a missing/corrupted Software Protection Platform registry entry or by the Office app running in Windows compatibility mode. Use the following steps to fix it.

1. Check the SoftwareProtectionPlatform registry entry
2. Select Start, type regedit, and open Registry Editor.
3. Browse to: HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
4. Look for a key named SoftwareProtectionPlatform under CurrentVersion.
   • If SoftwareProtectionPlatform exists, skip to section 2. Stop running the app in compatibility mode.
   • If it does not exist, continue with the next steps.
5. On another device where Office is installed and working, open Registry Editor and go to: HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform
6. Right-click SoftwareProtectionPlatform and select Export. Save it as a .reg file to removable storage or another accessible location.
7. Copy this .reg file to the original device, right-click it, and select Merge to import the key.
8. On the original device, in Registry Editor, go to: HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform
9. Right-click SoftwareProtectionPlatform and select Permissions.
10. Under Group or user names, ensure NETWORK SERVICE exists:
    • If not present, select Add, type network service, and select OK.
11. Select NETWORK SERVICE and ensure Allow is checked for Full control, then select Apply > OK.
12. Restart the device and try opening an Office app again.
13. Stop running the Office app in compatibility mode
14. Close the Office app that shows the error.
15. Locate the app executable (for example, WINWORD.EXE, EXCEL.EXE, or OUTLOOK.EXE). By default this is in one of these folders, depending on installation type and bitness:
    • MSI-based installation:
      • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office1x
      • C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office1x
    • Click-to-Run installation:
      • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office1x
      • C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office1x Here, 1x is the Office version (16 = Office 2016, 15 = Office 2013).
16. Right-click the Office app executable that triggers the error and select Properties.
17. If the Compatibility tab is available:
    1. On the Compatibility tab, clear Run this program in compatibility mode for.
    2. Select Change settings for all users.
    3. On Compatibility for all users, clear Run this program in compatibility mode for.
    4. Select OK twice.
18. If the Compatibility tab is not available:
    1. Select Cancel to close Properties.
    2. Right-click the app (for example, Outlook.exe) and select Troubleshoot compatibility.
    3. Select Troubleshoot program.
    4. Clear all options and select Next.
    5. Select No, I am done investigating the problem, then Next.
    6. Select Close.
19. Start the Office app again and confirm the error no longer appears.
20. If activation still fails or shows Unlicensed Product

If Office still shows Unlicensed Product or activation errors after the above steps:

1. Check for multiple Office installations:
   1. Open Control Panel > Programs and Features.
   2. In Search Programs and Features, type office.
   3. If more than one Office version is listed, right-click the versions not in use and select Uninstall.
   4. Restart the computer.
2. Run an Online Repair of Office:
   1. In Control Panel > Programs and Features, select the Office product.
   2. Choose Change.
   3. Select Online Repair and then Repair, and follow the prompts.
3. After repair, open an Office app and sign in with the account or product key associated with the license if prompted.

These steps address the known causes of the "cannot verify the license" error: missing SoftwareProtectionPlatform configuration and compatibility mode, as well as common activation/installation conflicts.

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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
• Information about the error codes and corresponding descriptions of Microsoft Office activation process issues that can be repaired by using the Office Repair tool
• Error 30088-26 when updating Office