Microsoft Pauses KB5002907 After Office 2016 and 2019 Installations Are Deactivated or Removed

Microsoft has paused the rollout of update KB5002907 after users reported that it deactivated, and in some cases completely removed, permanent Office 2016 and Office 2019 installations.

KB5002907 is titled Optional Update for Outdated Microsoft 365 Apps Installations. Microsoft released it to allow users to update Microsoft 365 Apps installations that had been out of date for more than 90 days.

According to Microsoft’s KB5002907 release notes, the update is intended for Windows PCs running Microsoft 365 Apps that have been used and expired for more than 90 days on the Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel.

“Installing the update will allow the app to resume updating and transition to the current build in the update channel assigned to your device,” Microsoft explains.

Microsoft said KB5002907 is an optional update offered through Windows Update and would not be installed automatically.

KB5002907 deactivated Office 2016 and Office 2019 licenses

Shortly after the update was released, BleepingComputer was contacted by Christian Van Hautte, an MSP in Belgium, who said several customers suddenly found that their permanent Office installations were showing “Unlicensed Product.”

Van Hautte said five unrelated customers contacted his company within approximately 10 minutes on September 24, with dozens of PCs affected across the organization.

“All affected installations are Office 2016 and Office 2019 Home & Business (perpetual/purchased licenses),” Van Hautte told BleepingComputer.

“A common factor is update KB5002907, released around September 23rd, which is described as targeting ‘old Microsoft 365 Apps installations,’ but apparently affects permanent (non-subscription) Office installations as well, breaking their license state.”

Van Hautte said re-entering the original Office product key restored activation on the affected systems.

He also warned that the update was automatically installed on some customers’ devices, despite being listed as optional.

Some Office installations were reportedly removed

KB5002907 also appears to remove and reinstall or migrate an existing Office installation as part of the update process.

According to Van Hautte, systems with Office components using different architectures may experience reinstallation failures. For example, a device running a 32-bit version of Office 2016 or Office 2019 alongside a 64-bit version of the Microsoft Access Runtime could be affected because Microsoft Office Setup does not allow 32-bit and 64-bit Office products to be installed together.

In these cases, the existing Office suite may be removed while the reinstallation fails, leaving the device without Office, he said.

Microsoft has not confirmed that mixed 32-bit and 64-bit installations cause this behavior.

Users report Office deactivations and uninstallations

Reports from other administrators and users began appearing online around the same time.

In one Reddit report, a user said multiple Office 2019 installations were suddenly deactivated. Re-entering the product key restored activation on at least some devices.

The user later updated the post to say that the issue was not limited to Office 2019. Some systems required users to sign in to their Microsoft account and select a license instead of simply entering a product key.

In a separate report, an administrator said several unrelated customers contacted him after Office had been completely uninstalled.

“Both my Office 2019 and my father’s Office 2016 installations were destroyed overnight… Both are 100% genuine keys purchased a long time ago,” another user replied in a comment.

Multiple people reported similar issues in a Microsoft forum thread following installation of the update.

Microsoft pauses KB5002907 rollout

After BleepingComputer contacted Microsoft about the reports, the company confirmed that it had paused the update while investigating the issue.

A Microsoft spokesperson told BleepingComputer:

“We are aware of these reports and have paused updates while we investigate. Additional customer guidance will be communicated through appropriate channels.”

Microsoft also updated the KB5002907 support article to acknowledge the problem.

“Microsoft is investigating reports that some devices running Office 2016 or Office 2019 experience unexpected results after you install this update,” the company currently says.

“We have paused the rollout of this update to prevent additional devices from being affected.”

What Microsoft recommends for affected Office users

Microsoft has confirmed that affected Office installations may experience two different issues.

In some cases, Office may appear to be unlicensed. Microsoft recommends that users reactivate the Office product they purchased.

In what Microsoft describes as “rare cases,” Office may be permanently removed. Microsoft is directing affected users to download and reinstall their purchased copy of Office 2016 or Office 2019.

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