microsoft asked for a key for the 365 i had used. i have never used it ever

paul oliver 20 Reputation points
2026-08-28T21:44:13.8833333+00:00

about a year and a half sgo, i got mewssages from microsoft asking for a multi digit key for the 365 i had used., [ersonally i would never use it, i dont need it. anyway i kept ignoring them thinking it was a mistake on there behalf then i got a bill from microsoft, and tthen they started deleting there programmes from my p.c.

anyway after my pc went kaputt 2y ago i bought a second hand one of ebay, thats about when this all .started.

the man from ebay said she used it for her business anyway .i havent a clue with computers i just do basic surfing,

Anyway i resolved myself to ring them , but getting through a real person is soul destroying.

any ideas anyone.

regards

Microsoft 365 and Office | Other
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Answer accepted by question author
Xavier-D 12,600 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-08-29T02:22:04.5733333+00:00

Hello paul oliver

Because the computer was previously used for business, the Microsoft 365 prompts may have come from an Office installation that belonged to the previous owner.

You should not enter any product key supplied by that person or pay for Microsoft 365 if you do not want it.

Please try the following:

  1. Sign in to your Microsoft Services and subscriptions page and check whether Microsoft 365 is listed under your account.
  2. If it is listed, select Manage and cancel it or turn off recurring billing.
  3. If you do not recognize the charge, use Microsoft’s Investigate a billing charge option. Microsoft also recommends contacting your bank or card provider if you believe the payment information was used without permission.
  4. If you do not need Office, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office, and select Uninstall.

Microsoft 365 normally uses the Microsoft account associated with the purchase for activation. A product key should not be necessary unless you personally bought an unused key or a qualifying version of Office.

Feel free reply back to this post if you need further assistance, I'll be happy to help.

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  1. Stefan Blom 351.3K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-08-29T11:48:26.4866667+00:00

    As Xavier already suggested, just install any Office version that is installed locally, since you are not using it anyway. Go to Installed Apps in Windows Settings (applies to Windows 11).

    If you want to try an open source alternative, LibreOffice is a reasonable choice. Its files have a good compatibility with their Microsoft Office counterparts.

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