After installing and activating Microsoft Office 2024, some users may notice that Office incorrectly appears as Office 2021. This is usually due to leftover license data from a previous installation.
Follow these steps to resolve the issue:
1. Close all Office programs such as Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.
2. Open File Explorer and go to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Office\Licenses.
Note: If you don’t see the ProgramData folder, click on “View” or “Show” at the top of the File Explorer window, and then select “Hidden items” to make it visible.
3. Delete all files in the Licenses folder.
4. Open Word again. You’ll be prompted to sign in or enter a product key — do not sign in. Instead, select the option to enter a product key, and enter your key again to complete activation.
After following these steps, Office should now display correctly as Office 2024.
Still showing the wrong version? Reset Office licensing in the registry
This clears the license and account data Office has saved. Note: it signs you out of all Microsoft accounts in Office.
Close all Office programs (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.).
Press Win + R, type regedit and press Enter. Click Yes if Windows asks for permission.
In the address bar at the top of Registry Editor, paste this path and press Enter: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common
In the left-hand panel, right-click the Licensing folder, select Delete and confirm with Yes. Delete the entire Licensing folder, not just the entries inside it.
Do the same for the Identity folder: right-click it, select Delete and confirm. Again, delete the whole folder.
Close Registry Editor and restart your computer.
Open Word. When prompted, do not sign in. Choose the option to enter a product key instead, and enter your key to complete activation.
If you don’t see a Licensing or Identity folder, skip that step.
Optional: before deleting anything, right-click the Common folder and choose Export to save a backup.
Still not fixed?
If these steps didn’t solve the issue, try our guide on How to Fix: Office showing the wrong version or not using your correct product key. This walks you through manually removing old Office license keys from your system.