How to transfer Microsoft Office depends on your license type and whether you own the software outright

Microsoft Office comes in different versions with different rules for moving it. If you own a standalone license (you bought Office once, not a subscription), you can move it to one new computer by uninstalling it from the old one and reinstalling on the new one. If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription (formerly Office 365), you can install it on multiple computers at once — up to five devices per account — and simply sign in on the new machine. The process is straightforward once you know which type you have.

The key difference is that subscriptions are tied to your account, while standalone licenses are tied to a single machine. Moving the wrong way can lock you out of both computers, so identifying your license type first saves time and frustration.

Key Takeaways

  • Microsoft 365 subscriptions let you install Office on up to five devices and sign in on each one; standalone licenses let you move to one new computer by uninstalling and reinstalling.
  • You will need your Microsoft account email and password to sign in and activate Office on the new computer.
  • Uninstall Office from your old computer before installing on a new one if you hold a standalone license, or you may lose the ability to use it on either machine.
  • Your documents, templates, and settings do not transfer automatically; you will need to copy files separately or use OneDrive to sync them across devices.

Identify which Microsoft Office license you own

Open any Office application on your current computer — Word, Excel, or Outlook will work. Click File in the top left, then look for Account in the left sidebar. Click it. At the top of the Account page, you will see either "Microsoft 365 Subscription" or a product name like "Office 2021" or "Office Home & Student 2021".

If you see "Microsoft 365 Subscription," you have a subscription and can install on multiple devices. If you see a year or a product name without "365," you have a standalone license and can move it to one new computer. This distinction matters because the transfer process is different for each, and doing it wrong can prevent Office from working on both machines.

Transfer a Microsoft 365 subscription to a new computer

On your new computer, open any Office application or go to office.com in a web browser. Sign in with the Microsoft account email and password you use for your subscription. If you are signing in to an Office application for the first time, it will prompt you to enter your credentials.

Once you are signed in, Office will activate automatically. You do not need to uninstall it from your old computer — your subscription covers multiple devices, so both machines can have Office installed and active at the same time. If you want to stop using Office on the old computer, you can uninstall it, but you do not have to.

If you have more than one Microsoft account, make sure you sign in with the account that holds your Microsoft 365 subscription. If you sign in with a different account, Office will not activate and you will see a message asking you to activate or buy a license. Double-check the email address before you proceed.

Transfer a standalone license to a new computer

Standalone licenses (Office 2021, Office 2019, Office Home & Student, etc.) are tied to one computer at a time. To move your license to a new computer, you must uninstall it from the old one first. If you do not uninstall before installing on the new machine, Microsoft's activation system may lock you out of both.

On your old computer, go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features (Windows) or Applications (Mac). Search for "Microsoft Office" or the specific application name. Click it and select Uninstall. Follow the prompts to remove it completely. On a Mac, you can also drag the Office application to the Trash.

On your new computer, visit office.com or use the installation media (DVD or USB) that came with your license. Sign in with the Microsoft account you used to register the license. Enter your product key when prompted — this is a 25-character code that came with your purchase or in a confirmation email. Office will install and activate on the new machine.

What happens to your files and settings when you move Office

Microsoft Office itself transfers, but your documents, templates, custom settings, and email accounts do not move automatically. You will need to copy these separately to have them on your new computer.

For documents, the easiest method is to save them to OneDrive before moving to the new computer. OneDrive syncs your files across devices, so they will be available on your new machine as soon as you sign in with the same Microsoft account. If you prefer not to use OneDrive, you can copy files manually using a USB drive, external hard drive, or cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox.

For Outlook email accounts, you will need to add them again on the new computer. Open Outlook and go to File > Add Account. Enter your email address and password. Outlook will download your mail history and contacts, though this may take a few hours depending on how much email you have. Your calendar and contacts will sync once the download completes.

Troubleshooting activation problems after transfer

If Office says it is not activated after you sign in on the new computer, first check that you are using the correct Microsoft account. Go to File > Account and look at the email address shown. If it is wrong, sign out and sign in again with the correct account.

If you moved a standalone license and Office will not activate, you may have hit the activation limit — Microsoft allows one standalone license on one computer at a time. Contact Microsoft Support through office.com or call their phone line (the number is on your product key documentation). They can reset your license if you genuinely moved it to a new machine and no longer use it on the old one. Have your product key ready when you call.

If you are still seeing an error after signing in with the correct account, try restarting your computer and signing in again. Sometimes Office needs a restart to complete activation. If the problem persists after a restart, contact Microsoft Support with details of the error message you are seeing.

Moving Office to a Mac or between Windows and Mac

The process is the same whether you are moving between two Windows computers, two Macs, or from Windows to Mac. Sign in with your Microsoft account on the new machine and Office will activate. For standalone licenses, uninstall from the old computer first using the method for that operating system.

One difference: on a Mac, you uninstall Office by dragging the application to the Trash, or by using the uninstall tool in the Office folder. The activation and sign-in process is otherwise identical to Windows. Your files and email accounts will not transfer automatically on a Mac either, so use the same methods — OneDrive for documents and manual re-adding of email accounts in Outlook.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the same Microsoft Office license on two computers at the same time?

Only if you have a Microsoft 365 subscription — it covers up to five devices. Standalone licenses are one computer at a time. If you try to use a standalone license on two computers simultaneously, Microsoft's activation system will deactivate it on one of them.

What if I lost my product key for a standalone license?

If you bought Office from Microsoft directly, you can find your product key by signing into your Microsoft account at account.microsoft.com and looking in your order history. If you bought it from a retailer, check your email confirmation or the packaging. If you cannot find it, contact Microsoft Support with proof of purchase.

Do I need to uninstall Office from my old computer if I have Microsoft 365?

No. Microsoft 365 subscriptions work on multiple devices at once, so you can leave Office installed on your old computer and install it on a new one without uninstalling. You only need to uninstall if you want to free up space or stop using Office on that machine.

Will my Word documents and Excel files transfer to the new computer automatically?

No. Your documents stay where you saved them. The easiest way to move them is to save them to OneDrive before switching computers, or to copy them manually using a USB drive or cloud storage. Email accounts in Outlook also need to be added again on the new machine.

What if I buy a new computer and want to move Office but I do not remember my Microsoft account password?

Go to account.microsoft.com and click "Can't access your account?" Follow the steps to verify your identity and reset your password. You will need access to a recovery email or phone number you set up with the account. Once you reset your password, you can sign in on the new computer and activate Office.