Pre-installed Office Home & Student 2024 license missing after clean Windows reinstall and account change due to hacked device

Satyam Kunwar 0 Reputation points
2026-09-05T07:05:26.8033333+00:00

I recently bought a new Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 which came with a pre-installed lifetime Office Home & Student 2024 bundle. Before I could secure it properly, the device was compromised by an attacker who made themselves the local administrator. To secure the laptop, I performed a clean reinstall of Windows and moved to a new Microsoft account.

Because the clean installation wiped out the factory OEM setup files, the desktop Office applications are gone. I need assistance from a support agent to verify if my digital hardware license was permanently bound to the compromised old account during the initial breach, and how I can get the OEM entitlement restored or transferred to my safe new Microsoft account

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | Other
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  1. Lucus-V 12,525 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-05T16:35:29.3666667+00:00

    Hi Satyam Kunwar,

    I understand the concern, especially after having to perform a clean Windows reinstall following a security incident.

    For devices that include Office Home & Student 2024 as an OEM/preinstalled bundle, the license is typically associated with the Microsoft account that was used when Office was first activated. A clean Windows reinstall removes the preinstalled Office applications, but it does not automatically transfer the Office license to a different Microsoft account.

    To determine the available recovery options, please check whether you still have access to the Microsoft account that may have been used during the initial device setup or Office activation. If so, sign in to https://account.microsoft.com/services and verify whether the Office Home & Student 2024 license appears under Services & subscriptions.

    If the license does not appear, or if the original Microsoft account was compromised and is no longer accessible, we recommend contacting Microsoft Support directly. Because license ownership and entitlement records are account-specific, Microsoft Support is best positioned to review the activation history and advise whether any recovery options are available. Lenovo Support may also be able to assist in confirming the original OEM Office entitlement that came with the device.

    I hope this helps. Please let us know whether the original Microsoft account is still accessible and whether Office appears under the Services & subscriptions page.

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