Reactivation of Office Professional Plus 2021

Question

Reactivation of Office Professional Plus 2021

Timothy Rochford 0

Hello, my name is Tim.

I moved my hard drive to a brand new motherboard yesterday because for the second time in a year, my motherboard failed and now Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2021 says most features will be disabled on Saturday 28 of August 2026.

I am using only one instance of the software. It has only ever been installed on my current 37 GB Western Digital Velociraptor hard drive. I have never shared my license key with anyone else.

The telephone activation service has been discontinued and my attempt to activate the software via the suggested online service at aka.ms/aoh failed.

Can someone help me reactivate the software please.

Best wishes,

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Answer 1

Demi Nguyen 1,585 Independent Advisor

Hello Timothy Rochford,

Thank you for providing the detailed information and screenshots.

Before recommending the appropriate next step, could you please confirm how you obtained Office Professional Plus 2021? Was the license provided by your organization, or did you purchase it yourself from a third-party seller for personal use?

Office Professional Plus 2021 is primarily intended for organizations and is generally distributed through volume licensing. Volume editions of Office are usually activated using either a Multiple Activation Key (MAK) or a Key Management Service (KMS). A MAK permits activation on a specified number of devices, while KMS activation is managed through an organization’s KMS server: Activate volume editions of Office | Microsoft Support

Since the motherboard was replaced, Office has detected a significant hardware change and is requesting activation again. The appropriate reactivation process depends on how the license was originally obtained and whether it uses MAK or KMS.

If the license was provided by your organization, please contact the organization’s IT or licensing administrator. The administrator can confirm the activation method and assist with the MAK key or KMS activation.

If you purchased the license from a third-party reseller for personal use, please contact the reseller and provide your proof of purchase. Ask the reseller to verify that the product key originated from a legitimate licensing channel and remains valid for the product you purchased. If the key cannot be activated, the reseller would be the appropriate party to discuss a replacement or refund under its sales policy.

I hope this information helps point you in the right direction.

Kind regards,

Timothy Rochford 0 Reputation points

2026-08-26T17:01:09.4766667+00:00

Hello Demi,

I purchased the software in brand new and unopened retail packaging from an eBay seller on the 18 April, 2025 (Order number: [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]).

The seller has disappeared from the eBay, and their business name no longer appears online, but I can access the original sale record.

Is their any hope for me?

Kind regards

Timothy
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Demi Nguyen 1,585 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-27T10:49:43.3366667+00:00

Hi Timothy Rochford,

Since the software was purchased through an eBay seller, please try to locate and contact the original seller using the sale record available in your eBay account. The seller is the appropriate party to verify the product’s authenticity and licensing status or provide a replacement or refund if applicable.

You may also consider contacting eBay Customer Support and providing the original order number and sale record to check whether any buyer assistance remains available.

I understand that this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, but the original seller or marketplace is the appropriate support channel for this purchase.

Kind regards,
Timothy Rochford 0 Reputation points

2026-08-27T16:56:56.9633333+00:00

Hello Demi.

Thank you for taking the time and effort to reply to me.

Best wishes,

Timothy
Demi Nguyen 1,585 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-28T13:00:44.1066667+00:00

Hi Timothy Rochford,

Thank you very much for your kind words. I’m glad I could provide some helpful information.

If my answer helped clarify the situation, please consider clicking "Yes" under "Was this answer helpful?" This makes it easier for other community members experiencing a similar issue to find the guidance.

I really appreciate your support and contribution to the community.

Best wishes,