Move Office 365 License to New Computer

Approved By Anuraag Singh

Published On October 9th, 2024

Reading Time 5 Minutes Reading

Category Office 365

The public release of the Office 2024 edition on 1st October triggered a wave of users who all have the same query i.e. how to move the Office 365 license to a new computer. This is because they dont want to mix up the old versions of PowerPoint, Excel, Word, or Outlook with their newer counterparts. So in this tutorial, you will find what needs to be done to successfully migrate an active Office license across devices. First up let’s cover the prerequisites

Do This Before Moving the Office 365 License to the New Computer?

First and foremost extract the unique license ID of your Office product. This is easier said than done. This is because to protect e-theft Microsoft has put a lot of barriers in getting the license code post-deployment. However, you can try out these methods to get the information.

1. In the Product Box: Applicable you have bought the license from a physical store and still possess the documents/box.

Check the holographic sticker on the box for the 25-digit code.

2. From your official Email:

Check your mailbox (especially the email used for purchase).
Look for the digital receipt or activation code email from Microsoft.

3. By logging into Microsoft Account:

Visit the Microsoft Store account.
Log in if you want to move Office 365 license to New computer.
Go to “Install from a disc” > “I have a disc” > “View your Product key”.

4. Contacting Microsoft Support Team:

Visit the Microsoft website.
Click on Support.
Search for “Find Office Activation Key”.

Note: Relying on external license number extractors is dangerous as they can steal your code.

After accessing the code you may think the next step is deactivating the subscription on the original PC. It is widely known that once a license works on one device. However, this might not be possible as Microsoft itself puts it in their documentation. Don’t worry we have the exact procedure.

Procedure to Revoke Office Perpetual License on Old Computer

Earlier, there was an option to deactivate perpetual editions of Office, but Microsoft has removed this facility. Instead, you now need to uninstall the suite from your source. Depending on your system and the original installation route, the steps may vary slightly. Don’t worry, we cover all aspects.

If you bought from Microsoft e-Store:

Click the Windows key (or tap the search bar on the taskbar) or use the Run module (Win + R) and type “Control Panel.”
From the search results, select “Control Panel.”
Inside the panel, open “Programs” and go to “Programs and Features.”
Choose the Office edition and click “Uninstall.”
Use the Same Process if You Added Office via Click-to-Run or MSI Installation.
Alternatively, Microsoft provides its own uninstallation module. To use it, follow these instructions:

Uninstall Office Using Microsoft’s Support Tool:
Download the free Office uninstall support tool from this URL: (https://aka.ms/SaRA-officeUninstallFromPC).
In your browser, wait for the “Application Install” window to appear, click “Install,” and check the box next to “I agree” for the Microsoft Services Agreement.

Run the tool on your machine.

In the “Uninstall Office products” window, select the version of Office you want to uninstall and click “Next.”
Follow the on-screen instructions until you are prompted to restart your computer. Comply with this request, then complete the uninstallation process as you would for any other application.

Manual Office Uninstaltion Before Cross-Device Licence Transfer

Step 1. Determine Your Installation Type

Open any Office app, go to File > Account
Under Product Information, check the About button:

Click-to-Run: Shows Version/Build number + “Click-to-Run”
MSI: No Version/Build number
Microsoft Store: Shows Version/Build number + “Microsoft Store”

Step 2. Uninstall Based on Installation Type

A. Click-to-Run Uninstallation

End Office processes in Task Manager (OfficeClickToRun.exe, OfficeC2RClient.exe)
Open Command Prompt as admin, run:
Copysc delete ClickToRunSvc

Delete Office folders:

%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office 16
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office
%CommonProgramFiles%\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun

Delete registry keys (using regedit):

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\ClickToRun
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AppVISV

B. MSI Uninstallation to Move Office 365 License to New Computer

Stop Office Source Engine service
Delete Office folders:

%CommonProgramFiles%\Microsoft Shared\Office16
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office\Office16

MSOCache folder on the root of each drive

Delete registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0

For 64-bit Windows, also delete Wow6432Node equivalents

C. Microsoft Store Uninstallation

Option 1: Via Settings

Go to Settings > Apps
Find and uninstall Office or individual apps

Option 2: Via PowerShell

Open PowerShell as admin
Run:

CopyGet-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.Office.Desktop" | Remove-AppxPackage

Steps to Reinstall the Office Product on a New PC and Activate the License Again

Login to your M365 account.
Enter the product key we extracted earlier.
Download the Office perpetual license installer (offline installer).
Run the installer (.exe file).
Follow the prompts to select the installation location and options.
Wait for the installation to complete.

Conclusion

After this detailed tutorial, moving an Office 365 license to a new computer should be no problem at all. Here we explained how depending on the licence it may become mandatory to change the host device. Otherwise, the different versions may compete with each other for resources and may overwrite critical dependencies. A simple pathway of deactivating on the original site, installing the M365 apps on the destination

Frequently Asked Questions

Is license transfer possible from Mac to Windows and vice versa?
Yes the license itself is cross-compatible. As it is just permission to use the software product. However, you may face some problems regarding the data for you can trust the long line of SysTools conversion tools.

My organization has a M365 subscription, I bought the Office 2024 edition will I be able to use them together?
No, this is because the products essentially end up competing for the same resources. However, if either of the two is purchased via MSI then you won’t face such an issue.