Moving Office 2021 to a new PC, fixing a licence conflict, or preparing a machine for a new key? You'll want to remove the existing licence cleanly first. Here are four methods, from easiest to most thorough.
Method 1 — Unlink from your Microsoft account
- Open any Office app → File → Account → Manage Account.
- Sign in at account.microsoft.com → Services & subscriptions.
- Find the Office 2021 entry for the device and remove/deactivate the installation.
Best when the licence was redeemed to a Microsoft account (typical for Home & Business retail keys).
Method 2 — Remove the product key by command (recommended for Pro Plus)
Open Command Prompt as administrator and change to the Office folder:
cd "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16"
1. See what's installed:
cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus
Note the last 5 characters of the installed product key in the output.
2. Remove that key:
cscript ospp.vbs /unpkey:XXXXX
(Replace XXXXX with those last 5 characters.) You should see "Product key uninstall successful." Repeat if /dstatus shows multiple keys — including leftover trial or grace keys.
Method 3 — Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant (SaRA)
Download Microsoft's free SaRA tool, choose the Office activation scenario, and let it detect and reset the licensing state automatically — handy when the commands above error out.
Method 4 — Complete uninstall
Settings → Apps → Microsoft Office 2021 → Uninstall removes the software and its local licence together. Use Microsoft's official uninstall support tool for stubborn remnants. (Full removal steps for old/trial keys via CMD: see our detailed CMD guide.)
Verify the removal
cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus
The output should show no licence found (or only the keys you expect). Restart Office (or the PC) to finalise. You can now enter a new key at File → Account → Change Product Key.
Cautions
- Removing a key here does not return an activation to Microsoft's counter automatically — if the key hit its activation limit, activate on the new PC by phone activation (the SoftwareKey.lk Get CID tool makes it instant).
- Don't remove keys on a machine you don't manage — licensing changes affect all users of the PC.
- Keep your original delivery email — the full key never appears in
/dstatus, only its tail.
Need a fresh key?
Genuine Office 2021 / 2024 keys with instant delivery — at SoftwareKey.lk, activation support included.
