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Issue:
When opening an Office application, you may see the following error message:
"Microsoft Office cannot find your license for this application. A repair attempt was unsuccessful or cancelled. Microsoft Office will now close."
IMPORTANT: This error appears if you have this Office 2016 build: 16.0.7167.2040. If you don’t have this specific version and you’re getting this error, or you’re getting a different error, we recommend you create a new post. To check your Office version, choose the Uninstall a program option in the Windows Control Panel, find your Office program in the list and check the version number.
Status: Fixed
This licensing issue has been resolved in Office 2016 version 16.0.7167.2055 or later. To get the latest update, please run an online repair of Office 2016:
IMPORTANT: Please choose the Online Repair option instead of Quick Repair. If you run Quick Repair, the latest build version doesn’t get installed. 3. Restart the computer again and open the Office application. 4. Click File > Account, and verify the Office version under Office Updates in the Product Information section. It should be a newer version than 16.0.7167.2040.
If you’ve done the above step and you continue to get the same error message, please do the following:
Processes in Microsoft 365 for setting up Office apps, redeeming product keys, and activating licenses.
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
same thing happened to me.... 17 page essay on how mass media influences children... wasn't so bad when the work was only 10-20 minutes worth
If you are experiencing this licensing issue, please try following the steps below
- Reboot Windows (restart your computer).
- Open any Office application (Word, PowerPoint for example)
- Update to the latest Office version (16.0.7167.2060or later) by going to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
This worked for me, at least in getting to 16.0.7167.2060.
Oddly, I had tried such an update before experiencing the problem. I had noticed that my portable computer had a more recent version and tried to upgrade. However, the update hung. I had just restored the computer from a System Image because the transition from Office 365 Small Business Premium to Office 365 Business Premium had failed on the desktop computer, but succeeded on the portable. I spent hours on the phone with Microsoft Support ( +1 (800) 642-7676) and they just mucked up more and more each time, and a supervisor was also stumped and wanted me to uninstall Office and lose all my customizations. I told him that instead I'd restore from a System Image. I went to the vault and got a recent System Image, restored from that System Image, and it seemed like the license renewal/transition went fine, but then I was unable to upgrade to 16.0.7167.2060 and got the error message described here. But the workaround described here, involving rebooting, worked for upgrading to the current version, so hopefully all is fine now.
As the computer was being reset to the System Image I saw that there was a phone message. It was the Microsoft supervisor I'd spoken to earlier today telling me not to restore from the System Image because problems could occur. I imagine he was referring to the issue in this thread. But following the workaround in this thread was a lot better than spending hours re-creating settings, toolbars and email accounts. But I suppose that the customer assistance scripts assume that people have no System Image from which to restore.
I may have upgraded to 16.0.7167.2060 on the portable before being prompted to do the Small Business Premium to Business Premium upgrade, which may be why that worked, so perhaps Microsoft should give that advice before having people renew their Office 365 subscriptions. But life isn't that simple, because to deal with another bug, Microsoft is advising people to stay at an old Office version, as detailed at https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/msoffice\_outlook-mso\_win10/after-anniversary-update-outlook-cant-find-icloud/8f127bbd-35f1-49d8-a250-5835608090fa. And unfortunately one can't post a warning to that thread because Microsoft locked the thread after a post suggesting that the problem being discussed was so disruptive that it should be covered in the press.
Microsoft seems to be tying itself into knots.
Maybe the product should be called Office 364 so people understand that occasionally you will lose a day dealing with problems.
I've had this contraption for three weeks and I am SICK OF IT!! Its a bloody timewaster and I'm going to dig out my MacBook if it doesn't improve pretty soon. Am I right in thinking there may be grounds for full money-back compensation as the machine and OS are NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE? The VAG group lied about the performance of the emission system on their vehicles and have been taken to task - what's different with Microsoft? They are both guilty of making false claims about their respective products.
I paid good friggin AMERICAN hard earned dollars for this garbage and I am unable to use it for what it was intended. These goddam thieves have NO problem finding my bank account yet cannot be reached to help with what they sell us. Its total trash and I wish I would have purchased an apple. I hate microscum office 365
Wrong! Not working still!