KB5002907 Broke Office 2016 and 2019: How to Get Office Back

If Word, Excel or Outlook suddenly says “Unlicensed Product”, or Office has vanished from your PC completely, Microsoft’s KB5002907 update is the likely cause. The update was meant only to fix stuck Microsoft 365 installations, but it deactivated or removed perpetual copies of Office 2016 and Office 2019 instead. Microsoft has now paused the rollout. Your license is still valid and your documents are safe. Here’s how to reactivate or reinstall Office, and how to keep KB5002907 off your PC until Microsoft fixes it.

It’s Microsoft’s second Office patch failure this month, after the Excel copy/paste bug, which still isn’t fixed for everyone several weeks later.

What went wrong With KB5002907

KB5002907 was released around September 23, and problems surfaced a day later. The optional update was designed only for Microsoft 365 subscription installs that haven’t been updated for over 90 days.

The affected installations were Office 2016 and Office 2019 Home & Business perpetual licenses.

The damage comes from how the update works. It appears to remove and reinstall, or migrate, the existing Office installation. On systems that mix architectures, such as a 32 bit Office suite alongside a 64 bit Microsoft Access Runtime, the reinstall can fail because Office setup does not allow 32 bit and 64 bit products on the same PC. In that case, the existing suite is removed but not reinstalled, leaving the PC without Office.

In plain English: the update tore down Office to rebuild it, then couldn’t finish the job.

Microsoft calls this an optional update that won’t install by itself. That’s the official line, but some reports say it installed automatically on systems anyway. So don’t assume you’re safe just because you never clicked “install.”

Fix if Office says “Unlicensed Product”

This is the more common outcome. Your programs are still there; Office just forgot it was paid for.

• Open Word or Excel and follow the activation prompt.
• You may need to sign in with the Microsoft account associated with your purchase or follow the Office Activation Wizard.
• If you bought a boxed or retail copy with a product key, have that key ready.
• To confirm, go to File | Account. You should see Product Activated under Product Information.

Fix if Office has disappeared completely

Microsoft says this happens only in “rare cases,” which is cold comfort if it’s your PC. You’ll need to reinstall from scratch using Microsoft’s guide: Download and install or reinstall Office 2021, Office 2019, or Office 2016.

One user’s fix is worth noting: reinstalling Office 2019 from the Microsoft account associated with the purchase, then signing out and back in, restored access.

Warning: if you have a 64 bit Access Runtime (common with some business databases and accounting add ons) alongside 32 bit Office, the reinstall may hit the same wall. You may need to remove the Access Runtime first, reinstall Office, then reinstall a matching 32 bit Access Runtime. If a vendor supplied that database, check with them before you start.

Your documents, spreadsheets and email data files (Outlook PST/OST) are not affected by the uninstall. It removes the programs, not your files.

How to protect yourself until Microsoft fixes it

The rollout is paused, but Microsoft has not said when KB5002907 will return, or whether a revised build will exclude perpetual Office installations. A few sensible precautions for Office 2016 and Office 2019 owners:

• Find your product key or purchase account now, before you need it. Most copies bought since 2016 are tied to a Microsoft account, visible under Services & subscriptions at https://account.microsoft.com
• Consider turning off “other Microsoft products” Windows updates for now. Go to Settings | Windows Update | Advanced options and switch off Receive updates for other Microsoft products. That’s the exact switch this update travels through. Turn it back on once Microsoft reissues a fixed version.
• Don’t install optional updates you don’t need. Under Settings | Windows Update | Advanced options | Optional updates, skip anything mentioning KB5002907 (or Windows 10: Settings | Update & Security | Windows Update | Advanced options)

What KB5002907 is actually supposed to do

For Microsoft 365 subscribers, the idea behind KB5002907 is reasonable. It’s offered only to Windows PCs with Microsoft 365 Apps installations that are more than 90 days out of date and on Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel. Installing it can help the apps resume updating and move to a current build.

If you’re a subscriber and your Office updates are working, you don’t need it. You can check under File | Account in any Office app; the version and build appear under About. If you’re stuck on an old build, try File | Account | Update Options | Update Now first. That’s the simple, safe route and doesn’t involve this update at all.

Work or school PCs are untouched. If your organization manages Microsoft 365 Apps updates with Group Policy or Cloud Update, this update makes no changes to your device.

More for Office 2016 and 2019 Owners

Office 2016 and 2019 are past their official end of support, but that doesn’t mean you have to upgrade tomorrow. The real choices for Office 2016 and Office 2019 customers lays out every option, including the ones Microsoft would rather you didn’t hear about, and Office 2016 and Office 2019: End of Support and What to Do explains why there’s no need to panic.

Some copies are still quietly getting security fixes, and yours might be one of them. Check Office 2019 Is Still Getting Security Updates, But Only for Some and Office 2016 Still Gets Security Updates: Check If Yours Qualifies to find out in a minute.

KB5002907 is exactly why we’re wary of letting Microsoft update on its own schedule. Microsoft Office Updates: A No-Win Scenario and How to Stay Safe explains our approach, and Forcing Microsoft Office Updates: What You Need to Know shows how to update Office yourself, when you’re ready.

Reinstalling Office? Read 64-bit or 32-bit Microsoft 365 or Office: Which to Choose first, especially if you run an Access database or older add ons, because a mismatch is what tripped up this update.

This wasn’t Microsoft’s only misfire this month. Excel Copy Paste Bug: Is Your Office Version Fixed Yet? tells you whether your build has the fix, and our Find Out When Your Microsoft Office Support Ends checklist shows what’s coming next.