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In this piece, we’ll show you how to fix “Product Activation Failed” Error on Microsoft Office. When you open Office desktop programs, do you get the message “Product Activation Failed”? Do you want to use Word, Excel, or other apps, but an error bar tells you that your product has been deactivated and you need to restart it first? This could be very frustrating for you, especially if you need to finish a job quickly.
Many users have said that when they open any MS Office program, the title bar is red and there is a message that says “Product Activation Failed.” Most of the time, these mistakes happen when MS Office is not licensed and there are problems with activation. Users see this error at the top of every MS Office product when MS Office can’t read the activation for its Office products.
There are many reasons why Microsoft software activation failed errors can happen. And if you don’t enable your Microsoft product, the program will still work as it should. So, it’s important to fix these errors as soon as possible by setting up the program properly. We mentioned below are the ways to fix “Product Activation Failed” Error. If you want to know more information about this Visit Official Microsoft Office Support site.
Remove Office Copies
- Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to launch the Run window
- Type Control and press Enter or click on OK
- In the Control Panel window, click on Uninstall a program, which can be found under the Programs section
- Type the name of the program you want to uninstall into the search bar located in the top-right-hand corner of the window
- If multiple versions of the program appear, right-click the version that you’re not using and select Uninstall
- Follow the on-screen prompts to uninstall the program
- Once the program has been uninstalled, press the Windows key + F4 on your keyboard to open the Windows Shut Down prompt
- Click on the drop-down menu and select Restart
- Click on OK to restart your computer
Update the Application
- Open the Microsoft Office app you want to update, such as Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel
- Navigate to the File tab at the top left of the app window
- In the menu that appears, click Account on the left sidebar
- Look for the Product Information section and check the Update Options dropdown
- Click on Update Now to check for and install any available updates
- Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the update process
- Once the update is complete, restart the app to ensure that the changes take effect
Check Subscription Status
fix “Product Activation Failed” Error: Check your email to see if Microsoft has sent you any recent emails to see if your Microsoft 365 subscription has run out. If you get an email telling you that your access is about to expire, sign in to your Microsoft 365 account to check the information.
If the subscription really has run out, you’ll need to renew it to fix the problem. But if you haven’t gotten this email and your subscription is still valid, you might be signed in to Microsoft apps with a different account.
Check Date and Time Settings
- Close all instances of the program
- Right-click on the time and date in the bottom right corner of your screen
- Click on Adjust date/time
- Ensure that the Set time automatically option is enabled
- If available, make sure the Set time zone automatically option is also enabled. If the option is grayed out, manually select your time zone from the drop-down menu under it.
- Click on Sync now to synchronize the time and date with the internet time server
- Once the synchronization is complete, restart the program that you want to use
Run the App as Administrator
- Open the Windows Search bar
- Type the name of the Office application you want to run as an administrator
- Once you see the app’s icon appear in the search results, right-click on it
- In the context menu that appears, click Run as administrator
- If prompted by Windows User Account Control, click Yes to allow the app to make changes to your device
- The Office application should now launch with administrative privileges
Sign In with the Correct Microsoft Account
- Open the Office application where you are experiencing the error
- Navigate to the File tab
- Select Account on the left sidebar
- Under User Information, you can find the account information
- If you see a different account there, click on Sign out
- Sign in again using the account that has an active subscription
Do not use Pirated Versions
In order to properly use Microsoft Office apps, you need to buy a subscription from Microsoft’s website or an authorized partner. If you use a crack or a third-party driver to turn these apps on, Microsoft may find out and stop it. In the same way, if you activate Windows without permission, Microsoft may block access to some apps and features.
Using a stolen copy of Windows could also mess up how your legal Office account works. So, if you’re using a copy of Windows that isn’t legal, you should think about buying a license to avoid problems.
What happens if Microsoft Office is not activated?
Let’s say someone uses Microsoft Office without a license. If you do that, you will slowly lose access to its features until you can’t even use the most important ones, like opening papers. Users have wanted to know how to get rid of the terrible “product activation failed” error in MS Office 2016, 2013, and 2010. This error shows up in many apps. Users have also grumbled about a product activation failed error that shows up in both Excel and Outlook in online forums.