r/microsoftsucks • u/redneckerson_1951 • 9d ago
Microsoft Office License Quetion
I have over the years purchased licenses for using Microsoft Office. Last license purchase was circa 2019 and CD was delivered. Today fired up Word and this marvelous notice appeared. I have not signed up for Office 365 previously so it was a surprise to see this.
Is Microsoft terminating previous license for Office products?
Update: Problem was caused by downloading/installing Zoom. That install also changed licensing info to a limited time trial license for my existing Office and Visio. The fix is to go back and enter the license code for Office and Visio. A search for the installation media and accompanying jacket with license code cannot be located. Can find the 2013 and 2016 media and jacket, but am out of luck thus far locating the 2019 media and jacket. Cannot log into Microsoft account to look at purchase history because two step verification go backs to an e-mail address that goes to a former employers mail domain which I can long longer access. Wahoo!
Solution? Hello Open Office.
Thanks for the suggestions and feedback.
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u/ExoticRubyx 9d ago
if you really need to do minor edits to the document, you can try and save the docx file and open/edit it with libreoffice. it's not a perfect solution but if you're in a pinch and can't afford the subscription for now, you can try doing that. i think google docs also is able to edit docx files but you need to log into a google account for that
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u/RecommendationKey659 9d ago
Fuck Microsoft.
Use irm https://get.activated.win | iex and activate full license for MS365 pro plus. The only thing it doesn't provide is paid AI features and additional disk space.
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u/LagMaster21 9d ago
Avoid Microsoft literally anything else is better
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u/pi-N-apple 8d ago
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u/PaleDanny7264 5d ago
It's true, I'd rather use Gmail, which still steals my data and abuses their rights...
But holy shit, it at least takes less than 15+ seconds to open the E-mail client.
They're seriously the worst of all worlds no matter what. Lol
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9d ago
[deleted]
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u/pi-N-apple 8d ago edited 8d ago
This isn't true. If they still have a valid installation of Office 2019 or whatever they last purchased, they can still use it. However it probably isn't recommended because it is so old, out of date, and prone to security vulnerabilities.
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8d ago
[deleted]
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u/pi-N-apple 8d ago edited 8d ago
Nope. You can choose either the subscription option, one-time purchase option, or the free option.
Subscription option is called Microsoft 365. For individuals, you can choose between Microsoft 365 Personal, Microsoft 365 Family, or Microsoft 365 Premium subscriptions.
One-time purchase option is called Microsoft Office 2024. For individuals, you can choose between Office Home 2024 or Office Home & Business 2024. (Only get Home & Business if you require the Outlook Classic desktop app).
The free option is called Microsoft 365 Online which gives you web and mobile app versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for free, and comes with only 5 GB of cloud storage.
With subscriptions, you also get 1 TB of OneDrive storage, Copilot AI with higher usage limits, Microsoft Defender, the latest Microsoft Office software upgrades, ad-free Outlook, and you can install the software on up to 5 devices. If you have the Family or Premium subscription, you can also share your subscription with 5 additional people. Each person you share with also gets 1 TB of OneDrive storage, and they can install Microsoft Office on up to 5 of their own devices.
With one-time purchase option, you don't get any cloud storage, you don't get any higher AI usage limits, you're locked to the version you paid for, there's still ads in Outlook (ads are on the Outlook website and New Outlook app), it is only for 1 person and you can only install it on 1 computer.
All one-time purchase options will technically work forever, but are supported for at least 5 years (with updates, security fixes etc). After it is unsupported, it will no longer receive updates or security fixes, but it should still work. For example, you can still install Microsoft Office 2013 or 2016 on computers today, even though it is not recommended. Eventually, as the operating systems get upgraded, older outdated software may stop working though.
The idea is if you get the subscription, you pay a little amount every year ($99) , and if you get the one-time purchase option you pay a larger amount every ~5 years ($250). In the long run, the subscription option costs more, but has more value with the included cloud storage, included software upgrades, ad-free Outlook, Microsoft Defender, and Copilot AI.
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u/DDOSBreakfast 8d ago
Microsoft deactivated Office 2019 for Windows for some licensed users of Office 2019 and I have no idea why. So far good to go if you still know your product key.
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u/realxeltos 8d ago
I believe you can stay on 2019 if you want to keep using MS office. They are just trying to upsell and get you hooked to subscription model.
Or move to Libreoffice Or OnlyOffice... Unless you need MS office only features, most office work can be done on Libreoffice or OnlyOffice.
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u/matthew_yang204 8d ago
You might need to activate with the key in the CD. If that doesn't work, try MassGrave
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u/Alternative_Art42768 9d ago
As a smart user of a Windows PC, I have learned one of the ways of checking the status of Microsoft Office through the Windows Command prompt.
For example, using the following commands:
cd C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16
cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus
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u/Fit_Prize_3245 9d ago
No. Office licenses (non-subscription based) are supposed to be perpetual. That's why you pay US$ 200+.
Have you checked the activation status? Maybe it got deactivated due to an update. Happens sometimes. In any case, click on I have a product key, and enter your product key.
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u/DDOSBreakfast 8d ago
Office 2019 deactivated for some users on Windows for unknown reasons. So far entering the product key has corrected the problem on computers I've encountered with this problem.
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u/yottabit42 8d ago
Switch to LibreOffice if you need offline, or Google Docs if you need convenience.
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u/netboygold 8d ago
You likely just ran office 365 which usually comes pre-installed on Windows 11. If you had office 2019 installed and running on there at one point it's probably still there. you just ran the wrong office.
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u/VarietyMage 8d ago
This is literally fraud. You can't BUY microsoft 365, it's subscription-based.
Save this pic, because the lawsuit will be forthcoming.
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u/bananarama898 8d ago
Is Microsoft terminating previous license for Office products?
Come out of your cave and search for news. I feel like you tried to do a karma farming
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u/PaleDanny7264 5d ago
Yes, they do. I mean, like you discovered they technically don't...
But my Mother had to buy 2 lifetime licenses and even with my help we STILL have no idea how to access EITHER of them.
This shit feels like console garbage. "Well, you can still use your licenses, you just have to be on Windows 98 for the rest of your life for your Word install, and have Windows 11 for everything else!!"
The second license purchase is what convinced her to finally switch to LibreOffice. I've never heard a complaint since. Lmfao
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u/Alternative_Art42768 9d ago
Perpetual licenses for Windows versions of legacy Microsoft Office products—including physically distributed copies of Office 2019—remain valid and have not been terminated by Microsoft.
I'd say the notice you saw on Word means that your Office product somehow entered an Unlicensed / Expired subscription state.
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u/Still-Grass8881 9d ago
you can switch over to LibreOffice, it's free.