Processes in Microsoft 365 for setting up Office apps, redeeming product keys, and activating licenses.
Use this order to fix the license verification error in Word:
- Sign in with the correct account
- Open Office and sign in with the account used to buy or activate Office.
- If more than one Microsoft account exists, try all personal accounts, and if this is a work or school copy, use the work or school account.
- Check whether the Office product or Microsoft 365 subscription appears under Services & subscriptions: https://account.microsoft.com/services
- Check for multiple Office installations
- Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
- Search for Office.
- If more than one version is installed, uninstall the version not being used.
- Restart the PC.
- Run Office as administrator
- Close all Office apps.
- Select Start, type Word.
- Right-click Word and select Run as administrator.
- Select Yes if prompted.
- Check date, time, and time zone
- Close all Office apps.
- Select the date/time in the lower-right corner.
- Open Date and time settings.
- Turn on Set time automatically and, if available, Set time zone automatically.
- Reopen Word.
- Update Office
- Install the latest Office updates, because updates can include activation fixes.
- Check connectivity settings
- Temporarily check whether firewall, antivirus, or proxy settings are blocking activation.
- For proxy in Windows: Start > Settings > Network & internet > Proxy.
- If a manual proxy is enabled and not required, turn it off and save the change.
- If antivirus or firewall is disabled for testing, turn it back on afterward.
- Repair or reinstall Office if the error continues
- If Office is stuck during update/repair/uninstall, restart the PC first.
- If needed, use the Microsoft uninstall troubleshooter to completely remove Office, then reinstall it.
- Important: the uninstall troubleshooter does not uninstall Office 2024, and it requires Windows 10 or higher.
- If Office was preinstalled on a new PC and keeps returning to setup
- Exit all Office apps.
- Go to Services & subscriptions.
- Find the Office product and select Install to reinstall from the account that owns the license.
- Unlicensed Product and activation errors in Office
- Unlicensed Product and activation errors in Office
- Unlicensed Product and activation errors in Office
- Unlicensed Product and activation errors in Office
- "Unable to start Office" or ”Office is busy” error message
- Cannot start Office apps after Office activation