Microsoft Office Won't Activate — How to Fix It

Office activation problems are frustrating, but they almost always have a straightforward cause. Work through these checks from the top.

Make sure you are signed in to the right account

Microsoft 365 subscriptions are tied to a Microsoft account. Open any Office app, click File then Account. If the wrong account is shown — or none at all — click 'Sign out' then 'Sign in' and use the email address linked to your subscription.

Check your subscription is still active

Go to account.microsoft.com/services and sign in. Under Subscriptions you will see whether Microsoft 365 is active, expired, or needs a payment update. An expired payment method is one of the most common causes of activation failures.

Run the Office Activation troubleshooter

1. Open any Office app such as Word.
2. Click File, then Account.
3. Under Product Information, click 'Troubleshoot' if the option appears.

Alternatively, open Settings, System, Troubleshoot and search for Office-related troubleshooters.

Run the Support and Recovery Assistant

Microsoft provides a free tool called the Support and Recovery Assistant (SaRA) that diagnoses and fixes Office activation issues automatically. Search for Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant on Microsoft's support site to download it.

Repair Office

1. Go to Settings, Apps, Installed apps.
2. Find Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365.
3. Click the three-dot menu and choose 'Modify'.
4. Select 'Quick Repair' first. If that does not help, run 'Online Repair'.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, the licence may need to be reset by Microsoft Support. Do not enter your key on any third-party site — ask us and we will point you to the official channel.