Office 2016 and 2019 holdouts blame update for license deactivation bug
But was the update at fault? Microsoft isn't saying
Users have reported that a recent optional update for older Microsoft 365 applications may be responsible for deactivating Microsoft Office 2016 and 2019 installations. This activation bug, which surfaced this week, appears to primarily affect Home and Business perpetual license installations, rendering their authenticated status inactive and requiring users to repeatedly re-enter their product key or face deactivation or reduced functionality.
The issue causes previously activated copies of Office 2016 and 2019 to abruptly lose their activation information, resulting in alarming pop-ups warning of imminent functionality loss. Affected users report that one solution is to re-enter the original product key to restore the activation state. While this works for individuals with organized product keys, it is less convenient for those with dozens, hundreds, or even more impacted devices.
One Register reader experienced the issue, which took out their Office 2016 installations. The first indication is a message in the app stating normal functionality has been removed, accompanied by yellow banners stating five days left before the apps can no longer be used. Users believe the problem may be linked to KB5002907, an optional update for Windows PCs with Microsoft 365 Apps that are more than 90 days out of date.
Microsoft states that installing the update can help apps resume updating and move to a current build for the device's assigned update channel. However, users impacted noted the issue began around the same time the update appeared. Microsoft ended support for Office 2016 and 2019 on October 14, 2025, and does not have an obligation to release updates for the software.
Despite this, occasional patches have sometimes caused unexpected consequences, such as the Paste problems that emerged after an Excel patch. The unpredictable effects of Microsoft 365 updates are not uncommon, and Microsoft has previously bricked old versions of software, although the recent issue with Office 2019 was deliberate due to an expired certificate.
Written by urgent.news from The Register's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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