Office Pro Plus 2016 - Win7 transfer to Win10 licence failure

Microsoft Office Pro Plus 2016 has been running for about 2 years under Win7 (Dell laptop x64)

I now wish to transfer Office Pro Plus 2016 to a new Win10 system (Dell Inspiron 17 3793 laptop; supplied with multiple Office 365 versions - and since all deleted)

I have uninstalled Office Pro Plus 2016 and afterwards installed it on the Win 10 laptop - but the product key is rejected: "This product cannot be activated because the product key is not valid" (after running Microsoft's Activation Troubleshooter for Office 2019 & Office 2016: officeact.diagcab and launching Word 2016)

I have also tried running cscript ospp.vbs /act (as suggested in Kari's 'Office License Management Tool') but see:

... ERROR CODE: 0xC004C003
ERROR DESCRIPTION: The activation server determined the specified product key has been blocked.
NOTICE: A KB article has been detected for activation failure: 0xC004C003
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2870357#Error0xC004C003

The recommended URL generates "Sorry, page not found"

So, suggestions for a possible remedy welcome.

Dave.

Microsoft has recommended steps for that error message:

"Product key is not valid" error when activating Office

Hi there


@Dave xxx

The best way to solve this is to do the following :

1) Image your W7 from old to NEW computer (Macrium image ) and then restore.

2) Check W7 still activated on new machine -- if not you can activate by phone -- there won't be a huge amount of problems with hardware as you are going from DELL--->DELL computer(s). A few automatic updates will fix that.

3) Your Office should still be activated on the old machine.

4) Now simply update to W10 and everything should be fine --either get W10 from Ms download or simply use UUPDUMP and choose build and language you want - loads of people use UUPDUMP on these forums so plenty pf detail over what to do -- but in essence download and extract the script and it will create an iso -- run the setup.exe and then choose custom install --keep files, data , applications.

Afterwards you can run a clean W10 install anytime you want to.

Note that you after this will have a spare W10 license -- from the new DELL computer --keep it in case you want to create a VM or whatever.

The problem with some of the new Office 2016/2019 methods is that they are all the new "Click2Run" versions rather than the old stand alone stuff you got from a CD / DVD in the old days -- these new versions have their own activation keys etc - the old ones don't work on the latest versions of W10 although previously activated versions will continue to run on computers updated to W10. Note also after any Office update on your new system it will be converted to click2run

I think also if you are unfortunate enough to have W10 HOME edition the logos always show Office/365 after install cofusing the issue even more.

This is a bit of a long winded way of doing things but it should work.

If your Office product was originally VL (Volume License) that will be OK until Ms changes the whole system to totally online install and activation but those were usually corporate editions. Retail versions work differently on activation.

Cheers
jimbo

NMI/jimbo - many thanks.

I don't recall the activation process requiring any Microsoft account access at the time (2017) - also, I've checked my Microsoft account and there is no evidence of any software registrations to deactivate.

Much as it galls me, I've ordered two new copies of Office Pro Plus 2016 (Microsoft DVDs) and will update this thread when they arrive.

Dave.

Dave xxx said:

NMI/jimbo - many thanks.

I don't recall the activation process requiring any Microsoft account access at the time (2017) - also, I've checked my Microsoft account and there is no evidence of any software registrations to deactivate.

Much as it galls me, I've ordered two new copies of Office Pro Plus 2016 (Microsoft DVDs) and will update this thread when they arrive.

Dave.

Office 2016 and beyond requires a Microsoft Account a for activation unless got through the HUP (Home Use Program) program. However, I'm not sure you can get Office 365 through HUP and not register it through a Microsoft Account. But that's a story for another time.

[1] 'SOLUTION' Win 10 laptop - Office Pro Plus 2016 licence details received yesterday (DVDs pending, via post): a) Office Pro Plus 2016 *uninstalled* from new Win 10 laptop b) .ISO x64 version downloaded from vendor's web site, c) Office Pro Plus 2016 on Win 10 laptop installed from .ISO, d) Office Pro Plus 2016 activated.

[2] Due to a recent USB fault on the Win 7 laptop - hindering file copying via memory stick - I had to re-install the 'old' Office Pro Plus 2016 - which worked fine. Office presumably hadn't been deactivated but this wasn't clear at the time of uninstallation. But still, I've helped to keep the Microsoft supply chain afloat by buying two more copies of Office Pro Plus 2016 ;-)

[3] Whilst trying to check the licence details in Word 2016 for Office Pro Plus 2016 on the *main desktop* (Win 7), Microsoft Account displayed a message:

"We couldn't find any Office licenses associated with [my Microsoft Account]. If this isn't the account you used to buy or subscribe to Office, try signing in with a different work, school or Microsoft account. You can keep using Office until 17 December 2019"

But Office Pro Plus 2016 on Win 7 desktop is still functioning without any indication to the contrary (18 Dec) and so the product key lottery continues.

Hi there

did you try upgrading the w7 computer to W10 --if so did office stay activated. Now if it did then simply image the W10 machine and restore to new one.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

Hi there

did you try upgrading the w7 computer to W10 --if so did office stay activated. Now if it did then simply image the W10 machine and restore to new one.

Cheers
jimbo

Not yet - I'm awaiting a resolution to a Laplink Gold query which presently will not launch on the Win 7 system (but Win 10 seems OK).