Recover Office 2021

[Sivamkumar100o]

My HP laptop came with Office Home & Student 2021 lifetime.

After resetting Windows, Office is not activating.

I want help restoring the pre-installed license.”

[Deep_World]

Hi @Sivamkumar100o,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

Sorry for the inconvenience caused don’t worry let me help you.

To better understand the issue, could you please provide a few more details?

1. What is the exact model of your HP laptop?
2. Did you reset Windows using HP Recovery Manager or a fresh Windows installation from Microsoft?
3. Are you signed in with the same Microsoft account you originally used for Office, if any?
4. Do you see any specific error codes when trying to activate Office?

Troubleshooting steps to try:

1. Sign in with your Microsoft account

• Pre-installed Office licenses are often tied to the Microsoft account used during setup.
• Open any Office app, click Sign in, and use the account associated with your laptop purchase.

2. Check for digital entitlement

• Go to Settings → Accounts → Your Info to confirm you are signed in with the Microsoft account linked to Office.
• Open Office → File → Account → Activate Product and follow the prompts.

3. Use the Office Activation Troubleshooter

• Microsoft provides a support and recovery assistant tool that can detect and fix activation issues:
  Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant

4. Verify the pre-installed Office version

• Some HP laptops include Office Home & Student pre-installed as a digital license.
• If the license is missing, HP may provide a digital entitlement key or instructions to restore it via HP Support.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 

Best regards,

Deep_World

[Sivamkumar100o]

Hi @Deep_World,
Thank you for your response and support.

Please find the details below:
• HP Laptop Model: HP 15s-fq5329TU
• Windows Reset Method: I reset Windows using HP Recovery / local reset (not a fresh Microsoft ISO installation).
• Microsoft Account: The Microsoft account originally used during setup was changed/deleted later, and I am currently signed in with a different Microsoft account.
• Office Activation Issue: When I open any Office app, it asks me to sign in or activate, but no specific error code is shown.
My laptop was purchased with pre-installed Office Home & Student (lifetime), and I would like assistance in restoring or re-activating the original Office license.
Please guide me on the next steps.
Thanks & regards,

Sivamkumar100o

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @Sivamkumar100o 

Thanks for getting back to us.

Deep_World is away for now, however, I'm Hawks_Eye, and I'll be happy to help you out!.

Thank you for sharing the full context and confirming the reset method. I understand how frustrating it feels when a lifetime Office license stops working after a reset, especially when everything else was set up correctly. 

Let’s go through a structured set of steps to help restore activation for Office Home & Student 2021 on your HP 15s‑fq5329TU.

 

Sign in with the original Microsoft account (if possible)

• Office licenses are digitally linked to the Microsoft account used during initial activation.
• If you still have access to the original account, sign in to Office using that account.
• Open any Office app → Click Sign in → Enter the original Microsoft account credentials.

Check for digital entitlement in Microsoft account

• Visit https://account.microsoft.com/services and sign in with the original account.
• Look for “Office Home & Student 2021” under your subscriptions or purchases.
• If listed, you can reinstall and activate Office from there.

Use Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant

• Download and run the official tool to detect and fix activation issues:
  Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant
• Follow the guided steps to restore activation.

Verify Office installation type

• Go to Settings → Apps → Installed apps and confirm that “Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021” is listed.
• If not, download and install Office from:
  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/office
• Use the product key or digital license tied to your Microsoft account.

If the original Microsoft account is permanently inaccessible

• You may need to contact Microsoft Support directly to request a license transfer or reactivation.
• Prepare your HP laptop serial number, proof of purchase, and Office version details.
• Microsoft may verify the entitlement and help restore access.

By signing in with the original Microsoft account, checking entitlement, and using the recovery assistant, you should be able to restore Office activation. If the original account is no longer available, Microsoft Support can assist with license recovery based on your device’s entitlement.

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye