Processes in Microsoft 365 for setting up Office apps, redeeming product keys, and activating licenses.
If Office was previously activated, the first place to check is the Microsoft account Services & subscriptions page. A prior Office purchase or Microsoft 365 subscription should appear there if the correct account is being used.
- Close all Office apps.
- Sign in to Services & subscriptions: https://account.microsoft.com/services
- Try all personal Microsoft accounts that may have been used before. If the device was ever used for work or school, also check that account.
- If the Office product appears there, reinstall Office from that page. Reinstalling is the supported way to restore activation after a factory reset.
- After reinstall completes, open Word or another Office app and sign in with the same account to activate.
If Word still shows Unlicensed Product, use these checks:
- Sign in with the right account If the wrong account is used, Office can show We couldn't find any Office products.
- Check for multiple copies of Office In Windows, open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, search for office, and uninstall versions that are not being used. Multiple installs can cause activation conflicts.
- Check subscription status On Services & subscriptions, review Subscriptions and Cancelled subscriptions. If a Microsoft 365 subscription expired, renew it and then restart Office apps.
- Run the activation troubleshooter On Windows 10 or later, run the Microsoft 365 activation troubleshooter from the support article.
- Check date, time, and time zone Incorrect Windows time settings can block activation.
- Run Office as administrator Right-click Word from Start and select Run as administrator.
For a factory-reset PC, Microsoft also states that reinstalling Office restores activation and any missing apps after the reset.
If no Office license appears under any Microsoft account, the available guidance only confirms that the license must be associated with the Microsoft account originally used to activate it. In that case, identifying the previous license depends on finding that original account.