Can't install Microsoft 365 Family

J b 0 Reputation points
2026-09-16T16:23:08.4933333+00:00

This morning I upgrade my subscription to Microsoft 365 family and after installing it on my PC I am trying to install it on my laptop. To do this I uninstalled the version of Microsoft 365 Personal from my laptop. However a message comes up stating We Cannot install - This product can't be installed on the selected update channel. Please contact your system administrator and try again.
Can you advise please?

Joseph L Brincat

Microsoft 365 and Office | Microsoft To Do | For home
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-16T16:23:26.2766667+00:00

    For this scenario, use this order:

    1. Verify the new Microsoft 365 Family subscription is active.
      • Go to Services & subscriptions and sign in with the Microsoft account that was upgraded.
      • Confirm Microsoft 365 Family appears as active.
    2. Make sure the laptop is using the same Microsoft account tied to the Family subscription.
      • If the wrong account is used, installation and activation can fail or continue to show the old subscription state.
    3. Restart the laptop, then try the install again.
      • Microsoft documents this as a first step for Office install errors.
    4. If it still fails, completely remove Office and reinstall.
      • Use the Microsoft uninstall troubleshooter to remove Microsoft 365, Office 2021, Office 2019, or Office 2016 from the same Windows PC.
      • Follow the prompts and restart when prompted.
      • Then sign in again and reinstall Microsoft 365 from the account associated with the subscription.
    5. If the laptop had the previous Personal installation linked to it, reinstalling is important.
      • When Office is linked to a previous plan, Microsoft notes that Account Notice or Unlicensed product issues can require uninstalling the old version and installing the version associated with the new plan.
    6. If the install error continues, try the offline installer.
      • Microsoft states the offline installer can help bypass proxy, firewall, antivirus, or Internet connection issues during installation.
    7. Also confirm the laptop is running a supported operating system and that the install is for the correct device type.
      • Unsupported operating systems or trying to install the wrong platform version can block installation.

    If the issue is specifically that the old Personal subscription state is still interfering, the most relevant fix is: confirm the Family subscription is active under the correct account, fully uninstall Office, restart, and then reinstall from that same account.

    References:

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

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  2. ApexNáV 365 Reputation points
    2026-09-16T16:54:43.94+00:00

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  3. EmilyS726 268.4K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-16T16:55:30.2833333+00:00

    Please type regedit in the search on the taskbar and press enter to launch Registry Editor, then go to this path.

    On the left, right click on the yellow folder 'OfficeUpdate", and delete it. Restart the computer after that, and it should allow you to install.

     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\OfficeUpdate

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