How to Transfer Your Microsoft Office Licence to a New PC — UK Guide (2025)
Transferring your Microsoft Office licence to a new PC is something every UK user will need to do eventually, yet Microsoft makes it deliberately confusing. Whether you have just bought a new laptop, upgraded your desktop, or replaced a broken machine, this step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire process — from checking your licence type to activating on your new computer in under 10 minutes.
The good news: if you have a retail or digital licence (the kind you buy from retailers like Softkeys.uk), transferring is straightforward and fully legal. The bad news: if you have an OEM licence that came pre-installed on a laptop, you are probably stuck. Let us sort out which situation you are in and what to do about it.
Step 1: Check What Type of Microsoft Office Licence You Have
Before you do anything, you need to know what kind of licence you own. This determines whether you can transfer it at all. There are four main types:
| Licence Type | Transferable? | How to Identify |
|---|---|---|
| Retail / Digital (bought separately) | ✅ Yes | Purchased from a retailer, emailed product key |
| Microsoft 365 Subscription | ✅ Yes (sign in) | Monthly/annual subscription, tied to Microsoft account |
| OEM (pre-installed on PC) | ❌ No | Came with the computer, no separate product key |
| Volume Licence (corporate) | ❌ Not individually | Provided by your employer or IT department |
Quick check: Open any Office app (Word, Excel) on your current PC. Go to File → Account. Under Product Information, it will show your licence type. If it says “Microsoft Office Professional Plus” or “Office 365 Subscription,” you can transfer. If it says “OEM” or has your PC manufacturer’s name, you likely cannot.
If you bought your key from Softkeys.uk, it is a retail/digital licence — fully transferable with no restrictions.
Step 2: Deactivate Office on Your Old PC
Microsoft allows a limited number of simultaneous activations. Before installing on your new PC, you should deactivate the licence on your old one. Here is how:
For Office 365 / Microsoft 365:
- Go to account.microsoft.com and sign in.
- Click Devices (or go to account.microsoft.com/devices).
- Find your old PC in the list and click Sign out next to it.
- This frees up a device slot for your new PC.
For Office 2024 / 2021 / 2019 (Standalone):
- On your old PC, open Command Prompt as Administrator.
- Navigate to the Office installation folder. For 64-bit Office, type:
cd "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16" - Run:
cscript ospp.vbs /dstatusto see your current activation status. - Run:
cscript ospp.vbs /unpkey:XXXXX(replace XXXXX with the last 5 characters of your product key shown in the dstatus output). - You should see “Product key uninstall successful.”
If your old PC is broken, lost, or already wiped — do not worry. You can still activate on the new PC. Microsoft’s activation servers will usually accept the transfer. If you get an error, phone Microsoft’s UK activation line (0800 018 8354) and they will sort it in a few minutes.
Step 3: Install Microsoft Office on Your New PC
For Office 365 / Microsoft 365:
- On your new PC, go to office.com/myaccount.
- Sign in with the same Microsoft account you used originally.
- Click Install Office and choose your language and version (32-bit or 64-bit — choose 64-bit unless you have a specific reason not to).
- Run the downloaded installer. Office will install automatically.
- Open any Office app and sign in. It activates automatically because it is tied to your account.
For Office 2024 / 2021 / 2019 (Standalone with Product Key):
- Go to setup.office.com.
- Sign in with your Microsoft account (or create one).
- Enter your 25-character product key.
- Follow the prompts to download and install.
- Once installed, open Word or Excel. If prompted, enter the product key again to activate.
Lost your product key? Check your email inbox for the original purchase confirmation. If you bought from Softkeys.uk, the key was delivered via email and is in your order history. Their support team can also re-send it if needed.
Step 4: Activate and Verify
After installation, verify that Office is properly activated:
- Open Word (or any Office app).
- Go to File → Account.
- Under Product Information, it should say “Product Activated” with your licence type.
- If you see “Activation Required” or a yellow warning banner, click Activate and enter your product key.
If online activation fails (which occasionally happens with transferred keys), you will be offered telephone activation. Follow the automated prompts — the system generates a confirmation ID that completes the activation. The whole call takes about 3 minutes.
🛒 Upgrade to Genuine Microsoft Software at Softkeys.uk
⭐ 4.28 stars from 8,174 verified reviews | UK Registered | Lifetime Warranty | Instant Delivery
What to Do If Activation Fails on Your New PC
Sometimes, Microsoft’s activation server thinks your key is already in use (because it has not yet registered the deactivation on your old PC). Here is what to do:
- Wait 72 hours — Microsoft’s servers can take up to 72 hours to process a deactivation. Try again after a day or two.
- Use telephone activation — Call the UK activation line at 0800 018 8354. Explain you are transferring to a new PC. They will provide a confirmation code.
- Contact the retailer — If you bought from Softkeys.uk, their support team handles activation issues routinely. With 8,174 reviews at 4.28 stars, they have seen every scenario and can usually resolve it within hours.
- Check your Microsoft account — Ensure the old PC has been signed out under account.microsoft.com/devices.
Can You Transfer OEM Office Licences? (The Honest Answer)
No. OEM licences are tied to the original hardware. Microsoft’s licence agreement is clear on this point: “The software is licensed with the device and may not be transferred to another device.”
If your old laptop came with Office pre-installed and you are getting a new laptop, you will need a new Office licence for the new machine. The good news: a genuine licence from Softkeys.uk costs from just £19.99 and is fully transferable — so you will never face this problem again.
This is genuinely one of the best reasons to buy a retail licence rather than relying on whatever came bundled with your laptop. OEM licences die with the hardware. Retail licences follow you.
How to Transfer Office Between a PC and a Mac
Cross-platform transfers work the same way. If you have a retail licence for Office 365 or Office 2024, you can deactivate on your Windows PC and install on a Mac (or vice versa). The process is identical to the steps above — sign in to your Microsoft account, download the Mac version, and activate.
One caveat: Office 2024 Professional Plus includes Access and Publisher, which are Windows-only. If you transfer to Mac, you will have Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote but not Access or Publisher. Office 365 has the same limitation on Mac.
Transferring Microsoft Office for UK Small Businesses
If you run a small business in the UK and need to transfer licences when replacing employee computers, the process depends on how you bought the licences:
- Individual retail keys: Transfer as described above — deactivate old, activate new.
- Microsoft 365 Business subscriptions: Managed through the Microsoft 365 admin centre. Simply sign out the old device and sign in on the new one.
- Volume licences: Contact your Microsoft partner or reseller. Volume licence transfers follow different rules and may require re-imaging.
For small businesses buying new licences, bulk purchases from Softkeys.uk offer significant savings compared to Microsoft’s direct pricing. A team of five getting Office 365 Pro Plus Lifetime at £19.99 each costs £99.95 total — versus £349.95/year for five Microsoft 365 Business Basic subscriptions.
3 Things to Do Before Getting Rid of Your Old PC
- Note down your product keys — Use a key finder tool like ProduKey or Belarc Advisor to extract installed product keys before wiping the drive.
- Back up your Outlook data — Export your emails, contacts, and calendar to a .pst file (File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Export to a file).
- Save your OneDrive files locally — Ensure all cloud-synced files are downloaded to a backup drive before signing out.
💡 Pro tip: When you buy your next Office licence from Softkeys.uk, save the confirmation email in a dedicated folder. Label it clearly with the product key and purchase date. Future-you will be grateful when you upgrade PCs again in three years.
💻 Genuine Microsoft Software Keys — Instant UK Delivery
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer my Microsoft Office licence to a new computer in the UK?
How do I find my Microsoft Office product key on my old PC?
What if my old PC is broken — can I still transfer my Office licence?
Can I transfer Microsoft Office from a PC to a Mac?
How long does it take to transfer Microsoft Office to a new PC?
Is it worth buying a new Office licence instead of transferring?
🇬🇧 Genuine Microsoft Software Keys — Fast UK Delivery
Trusted by 8,000+ UK customers · 4.28★ average rating · Instant digital delivery
Browse All Products →
