Processes in Microsoft 365 for setting up Office apps, redeeming product keys, and activating licenses.
Hi @Laura Brittain,
Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum.
I understand you’ve added a new user and are trying to get Microsoft 365 set up on their PC. Because the device previously had another Microsoft account that’s now expiring, the Office apps may still be signed in with those old credentials - which can prevent the new user’s subscription from activating correctly.
Below are the steps you can try to fix this:
1/ Sign out of all Office apps
Open Word (or any Office app) > File > Account > Sign out. Repeat the same for Outlook if it’s signed in. Close all Office apps afterward: Sign out of Office - Microsoft Support
2/ Remove the old Work/School account from Windows
Go to Settings > Accounts > Access work or school > select the old account > Disconnect. This ensures the PC doesn’t auto‑sign Office back in with the previous tenant’s account.
3/ Clear cached credentials
This prevents Windows from repeatedly reusing the old account.
- Open Control Panel > Credential Manager > Windows Credentials
- Under Generic Credentials, remove entries related to:
- MicrosoftOffice
- ADAL / WAM
- Office / Outlook
- OneDrive
- Anything pointing to the previous organization
- Restart the PC.
4/ Seeing “Subscription expired” messages?
Make sure the new user’s Microsoft 365 subscription is active and the correct license is assigned. If needed, you can also reset the activation state on the PC and activate it again: Reset activation state for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.
If the issue continues:
Please ask IT admin to open a support ticket in the Microsoft 365 admin center so Microsoft Support can assist further.
I hope this information helps. Please try the steps and let me know whether they resolve the issue. If the problem persists, we can work together to find a solution.
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