You might see a yellow warning bar across the top of an Office app with the following message:

"ACCOUNT NOTICE. We've run into a problem with your Microsoft 365 subscription and need your help to fix it."

This message is often triggered by a problem with your Microsoft 365 subscription payment. For example, if your payment was declined due to an expired or cancelled credit card, your subscription may become expired or suspended.

Step 1: Make sure your Microsoft 365 for Home, Personal, or University subscription is active

  1. Close all Office apps.

  2. Go to your Services & subscriptions page.

  3. If prompted, choose Sign in and enter the Microsoft account email and password associated with your Microsoft 365 subscription.

  4. Review the details under the Microsoft 365 heading.

  5. If your subscription has expired, you can renew it by following the steps in Renew Microsoft 365 Family.

  6. After you renew your subscription, try restarting Word. If you still see the error, continue to the next section.

Step 2: Make sure your payment information is up-to-date

  1. Close all Office apps.

  2. Go to your Payment options page.

  3. If prompted, choose Sign in and enter the Microsoft account email and password associated with your Microsoft 365 subscription.

  4. If your payment method shows an error, update it.

  5. After you update your payment information, try restarting Word. If you still see the error, continue to the next section.

Step 3: Run the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant

The Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant runs on Windows PCs and can help you identify and fix activation issues with Microsoft 365.

  1. Select the Download button below.

    Select this button to download the Support and Recovery Assistant for Office 365

  2. Select your browser from the drop-down list to see how to save and then start the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant.

    1. At the bottom of the browser window, select Save.

    2. In the next box that indicates SetupProd_Act.exe is finished downloading, select Run.

    1. At the bottom of the browser window, select Open to open the SetupProd_Act.exe file.

      If the file doesn't open automatically, choose Save > Open Folder, and then double-click the file (it should start with "SetupProd_Act.exe").

    1. In the lower-lower left corner select the SetupProd_Act.exe file and from the drop down, select Show in folder.

      Double-click the download, SetupProd_Act.exe.

    1. Select Save File, and then OK.

      In the upper-right browser window, select Show all downloads. In the Library, select Downloads > SetupProd_Act.exe, and then select the folder icon. Double-click SetupProd_Act.exe.

  3. The Application Install dialog box opens. Select Install to start the installation.

  4. The Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant opens in a new window. Select I agree to accept the Microsoft Services Agreement.

  5. Select Yes to allow the app to make changes to your device.

  6. Follow the prompts to troubleshoot your Office activation issue.

Step 4: Deactivate, uninstall, and reinstall Office

If the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant didn't fix the problem, we recommend that you reinstall Office.

  1. Deactivate your Office install. To learn how, see Deactivate a Microsoft 365 install

  2. Use the easy fix tool to completely uninstall Office. To learn how, see Uninstall Office from a PC

  3. Reinstall Office. To learn how, see Reinstall Office on a PC or Mac

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