Expiring license

David Williams 0 Reputation points
2026-09-08T17:18:16.7866667+00:00

Hi, I have changed laptops & have signed in to microsoft but it says my license is expiring tomorrow! When I got in to word/excel - file & account, I have tried to update the license but it tells me something went wrong & contact support

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | Windows
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  1. Stefan Blom 351.1K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-09-08T19:33:37.1133333+00:00

    On the new laptop, did you also install the correct version of Office, meaning the one for which you have a license?

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  2. paulr0511 48,205 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-08T18:50:59.24+00:00

    Hello, good day and thanks for your question. Sorry to know about this and I understand that you have encountered an issue with your Microsoft 365 subscription.

    May I check and confirm on what is showing when you login to your account at account.microsoft.com/services?

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  3. AI answer

    2026-09-08T17:18:33.86+00:00

    On a new laptop, this usually means the app is signed in with the wrong account, the subscription is not active, or the license has not refreshed yet.

    Try this in order:

    1. In Word or Excel, go to File > Account and confirm the signed-in account is the Microsoft account that owns the Microsoft 365 subscription.
      • If the wrong account is shown, sign out and sign back in with the correct one.
    2. In File > Account, select Update License again.
      • The button is meant to refresh the license on the device after a new purchase, entitlement, or device change.
      • A license refresh can happen automatically in the background, but it can take up to 72 hours.
    3. If Update License fails, close all Microsoft 365 apps and reopen them.
      • Restarting the apps is required so they can use the current license.
    4. Check that the subscription is active.
      • Go to your Services & subscriptions page and review the Microsoft 365 subscription status.
      • If it has expired, renew it and then restart Word or Excel.
    5. If there is an Account Notice about a subscription problem, check the payment method on the Payment options page.
      • An expired or declined card can cause the subscription to become expired or suspended.
    6. If Office shows Unlicensed Product, use the activation troubleshooting steps:
      • Sign in with the account used to buy Office.
      • Check for multiple copies of Office installed, because more than one install can cause activation conflicts.

    If the issue started right after moving to the new laptop, waiting a short time and then using Update License again can help, since license changes are not always immediate.

    If it still says the license is expiring or the update continues to fail, use Microsoft support contact options:

    References:

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