EXCEL NOT WORKING NOR WORD IT IS SHOWING A ERROR

Lakshay Singh 0 Reputation points
2026-09-14T17:58:02.46+00:00

When i am using excel an error is occuring in it it is showing that Microsoft office can't find your license for this application what should i do

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | Windows
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  1. Kai-H 26,840 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-15T11:04:25.6666667+00:00

    Hi, Lakshay Singh

    This error usually means the Office licensing service or locally stored activation information is not working correctly. Since both Word and Excel are affected, the problem is likely with Office activation rather than either app.

    Solution: Here are some suggestions you can try:

    Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, and press Enter. Find Software Protection, double-click it, set Startup type to Automatic (Delayed Start), then select Start. Restart the computer and test Word again. This service is required to verify Microsoft product licenses.

    Run the official Microsoft 365 activation troubleshooter from the Unlicensed Product and activation errors page. It can reset damaged activation information that a normal Office repair may not fix.

    If the problem remains, completely uninstall Office using the uninstall troubleshooter, restart Windows, and reinstall Office directly from the Microsoft account that owns it. Reinstalling from the account helps ensure the correct product and license type are installed.

    For a work or school license, contact the organization’s Microsoft 365 administrator and ask them to remove and reassign the Office license to your account.

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-14T17:58:24.3866667+00:00

    If Excel or Word shows "Microsoft Office can't find your license for this application", use this order:

    1. Sign in with the correct Microsoft account
      • Open an Office app.
      • If prompted, sign in with the account used to buy Office or Microsoft 365.
      • Using the wrong account can cause "We couldn't find any Office products".
    2. Check for multiple Office installations
      • Having more than one copy of Office installed can cause activation conflicts.
      • If there are multiple versions, remove the extra Office installation and keep only the one tied to the license.
    3. Check subscription or license status
      • If the subscription expired, Office can become Unlicensed Product.
      • Confirm the license or subscription is still active.
    4. Use the Update License button
      • In Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, go to File > Account.
      • Under Product Information, select Update License.
      • This refreshes the device license.
      • If Couldn't update license with Error Code: 44 appears, the app is usually signed in with an account that does not have the license.
    5. Check date, time, and time zone
      • Close all Office apps.
      • Select the date/time in the bottom-right corner of Windows.
      • Open Date and time settings.
      • Turn on Set time automatically and, if available, Set time zone automatically.
      • Restart an Office app.
    6. Run Office as administrator
      • Close all Office apps.
      • Open Start, type Word or Excel.
      • Right-click the app and select Run as administrator.
      • Select Yes.
    7. Update Office
      • Open any Office app.
      • Go to File > Account.
      • Under Product Information, select Update Options > Update Now.
      • If needed, select Enable Updates first.
    8. If Office apps still fail, do an Online Repair
      • In Windows, open Settings > Apps.
      • Find Microsoft Office.
      • Select it, choose Modify, then run Online Repair.
      • This is more complete than the quick repair shown in the error dialog.

    If the problem started after installing another Office version, remove the extra version first because multiple installs can block activation.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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