REINSTALL WORD

The product key is not needed to reinstall most Microsoft 365 or consumer Office subscriptions. Reinstallation is done by signing in with the Microsoft account that the subscription or one-time purchase is associated with.

To reinstall and activate Office/Word without a key:

1. Go to the Microsoft account Services & subscriptions page: https://account.microsoft.com/services/
2. Sign in using the Microsoft account that was used to buy or redeem Office.
3. Locate the Office/Microsoft 365 product in the list and select the option to install.
4. After installation, open Word and, if prompted, sign in with the same Microsoft account to activate.

If Word or Office is prompting for a product key on a new device where Office came pre-installed and shows a yellow or red activation banner, either:

• Start a new Microsoft 365 Family trial, or
• Sign in with a Microsoft account already associated with an Office subscription, or
• Purchase Office. For help, see the guidance under “Microsoft 365 is prompting me for a product key.”

If a separate product key was purchased and it does not work or has stopped working, contact the seller and request a refund. Keys sold separately from the software are often stolen or fraudulently obtained and may be blocked from use.

If the key is for an older version such as Office 2010 and activation fails, verify that:

• The key is for the exact Office version and edition being installed (keys are not interchangeable between versions, suites, or individual apps).
• The key is not for another Microsoft product (for example, Windows) or a volume license (school/company) key, which cannot be used with retail Office.
• The key has been typed correctly, paying attention to commonly confused characters (B/8, G/6, O/0, Q/0, VV/W).

If the product key still does not work after these checks, use the Microsoft support page to get further assistance.

References:

• Using product keys with Microsoft 365
• Where to enter your Office product key
• Find your product key for Office 2010
• Download and install or reinstall Office 2021, Office 2019, or Office 2016