Lenovo laptop came with lifetime Office 2024 but after reinstalling Windows I cannot reactivate it

For a preinstalled, one-time-purchase Office such as Home & Student 2024, activation and reactivation are handled through the Microsoft account that was used when Office was first set up. The key points from the scenario are:

• The license is associated with a Microsoft account, not directly with the hardware.
• After reinstalling Windows, Office must be signed in/activated again with that same Microsoft account.

1. Recover the Microsoft account

1. Go to the Microsoft account sign-in page and use the “Forgot password” or “Can’t access your account?” option.
2. Enter the Gmail address that was used as the Microsoft account sign-in.
3. Follow the steps to receive a verification code at that Gmail address and reset the password.
4. If unsure which Microsoft account was used with Office, use the guidance in I forgot the account I use with Microsoft 365 (linked from multiple articles in the context) to help identify the correct account.

If further help is needed with the Microsoft account itself (sign-in, recovery, or password issues), use the support options under Get help with your Microsoft account, including:

• Help with a work or school account password
• I need to talk to a customer support agent

These are available from the Get help with your Microsoft account articles in the context.

2. Reactivate Office 2024 on the same laptop

Once access to the correct Microsoft account is restored:

1. Open any Office app (for example, Word).
2. When prompted to sign in or activate, sign in with the same Microsoft account that was used when Office was first activated.
3. Office should activate automatically after sign-in. If an activation banner appears (for example, a notice that features are disabled until activation), follow the Activate Office guidance referenced in the context:
   • For Windows: see Activate Office (linked from the reactivation and product-key articles).

If activation still fails after signing in with the recovered account, use the guided support and troubleshooting paths provided in:

• Reactivate Microsoft 365 or Office
• Download, install, or reinstall Microsoft 365 or Office 2024 on a PC or Mac (includes sign-in/installation FAQ and a link to contact Microsoft support if needed).

3. Whether the license is linked to device or Microsoft account

From the provided context:

• For modern Office one-time purchases (Home & Student, Home & Business, Professional), the product is associated with a Microsoft account once redeemed. After that:
  • Installation and activation are done by signing in with that Microsoft account, not by re-entering the product key.
  • The Microsoft account, Services & subscriptions page is the place to manage and reinstall Office.
• The context explicitly states that after redeeming the product key at setup.office.com, the Office product is added to the Microsoft account and “you don't need a product key to install or activate Office”; instead, sign in with the correct Microsoft account.

So, for a genuine OEM Home & Student 2024 that has been redeemed, the practical binding is to the Microsoft account used during activation. The device (motherboard) alone is not sufficient to reactivate after a clean Windows reinstall; the same Microsoft account must be used.

If sign-in/activation problems persist even after account recovery, use the Contact Microsoft option from the Office 2024 install article to reach support and have them review the entitlement on that Microsoft account.

References:

• Reactivate Microsoft 365 or Office
• Download, install, or reinstall Microsoft 365 or Office 2024 on a PC or Mac
• Activate Office after reinstalling or installing on a different device
• "This product key has already been used" error in Office
• Get help with your Microsoft account
• Using product keys with Microsoft 365
• I have a subscription to Office 365 and want to install it on my new laptop - Microsoft Q&A
• Can't activate Office - Microsoft Q&A
• Activate Office 2024 - Microsoft Q&A
• problem with active office key - Professional Plus Office 2024 - Microsoft Q&A
• I have issue signing in to my microsoft office account. - Microsoft Q&A