🧩 How to Remove a License Key from Microsoft Office

If you need to remove a Microsoft Office license key from your computer — whether to switch accounts, upgrade, or troubleshoot activation issues — follow these simple steps.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator

Command Prompt

Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
Then, right-click Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.

Step 2: Navigate to the Office Installation Directory

Microsoft Office Folder

Depending on your Office version, enter one of the following commands and press Enter:

For 32-bit Office on a 64-bit Windows system:
cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16

For 64-bit Office or 32-bit Office on a 32-bit Windows system:
cd C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16

(Replace “Office16” with “Office15” for Office 2013, “Office14” for Office 2010, etc.)

Step 3: Remove the License Key

Remove License

Run the following command to check the installed license:

cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus

Find the last five characters of the installed product key, then enter this command to remove it:

cscript ospp.vbs /unpkey:XXXXX

(Replace “XXXXX” with the last five characters of your product key.)

Step 4: Verify the License Removal

Verify License

Check if the license has been successfully removed by running:

cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus

If no license is displayed, the removal was successful ✅

Final Step (Optional): Reactivate Office

Reactivate Office

If you plan to install a new license, enter:

cscript ospp.vbs /inpkey:YOUR-NEW-KEY

Then, activate Office with:

cscript ospp.vbs /act

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can easily remove an Office license key from your computer. This is useful when switching accounts, troubleshooting activation issues, or upgrading to a different edition.