Introduction
Microsoft has paused the rollout of the KB5002907 update after users reported issues with the update deactivating or removing perpetual Office installations, including Office 2016 and Office 2019. This article provides a detailed explanation of the issue and its impact.
Background on the Update
The KB5002907 update, titled "Optional update for out-of-date Microsoft 365 Apps installations," was released to help users update Microsoft 365 Apps installations that were more than 90 days out of date. The update is available only for Windows PCs with Microsoft 365 Apps installations that are more than 90 days out of date and use Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel.
Issues Reported by Users
Shortly after the update was released, several users reported that their perpetual Office installations were showing as "Unlicensed Product." Christian Van Hautte, an MSP in Belgium, reported that five unrelated customers contacted his company within approximately ten minutes on September 24, with dozens of PCs affected across the organizations. The affected installations were all Office 2016 and Office 2019 Home & Business (perpetual/one-time purchase licenses). The common factor was KB5002907, an update released around September 23, and described as targeting "outdated Microsoft 365 Apps installations." However, it was clear that the update was also landing on perpetual (non-subscription) Office installs and breaking their license state.
Analysis of the Issue
Van Hautte discovered that the update appears to remove and reinstall, or migrate the existing Office installation as part of its update process. This can cause issues for systems with Office components of different architectures, such as a 32-bit Office 2016 or 2019 installation alongside a 64-bit Microsoft Access Runtime. In such cases, the reinstall can fail because Microsoft Office setup does not allow mixing 32-bit and 64-bit Office products. Van Hautte also found that the existing Office suite is removed but is not successfully reinstalled, leaving the device without Office.
Microsoft has not confirmed that mixed-bitness installations cause this behavior, but reports from other administrators and users began appearing online at approximately the same time. Some users reported that Office 2019 installations suddenly became deactivated and that entering the product keys again restored activation on at least some devices. The user later updated the post to say that the problem was not limited to Office 2019 and that some systems required signing into a Microsoft account and selecting the license rather than just entering the key.
Microsoft's Response
After BleepingComputer contacted Microsoft about the reports, the company confirmed that it had paused the update while investigating the issue. Microsoft also updated the KB5002907 support bulletin to acknowledge the problems. Microsoft is investigating reports of unexpected results on some devices running Office 2016 or Office 2019 after this update is installed. To prevent additional devices from being affected, Microsoft has paused the rollout of this update.
Impact and Recommendations
In some cases, Office may appear unlicensed, and Microsoft recommends that customers reactivate their purchased product. In rare cases, Office may be removed entirely. Microsoft instructs those users to download and reinstall their purchased copy of Office 2016 or Office 2019. Users with a copy of Office at home or a small business that doesn't use Microsoft 365 should keep track of their licenses and where installed. Microsoft removed the license from their web site, and if you don't have your license, you may have to repurchase [or upgrade]."
Additional Information
For more information, see the following resources:
- OpenAI's new GPT-6 Cyber AI finds 81 Firefox flaws, 948 Linux bugs
- QNAP says hackers breaching NAS devices in Plex2Shell attacks
- SonicWall warns of new SSL-VPN MFA bypass flaw exploited in attacks
- Alert volume shouldn’t be deciding your detection coverage. See where the gaps are and how to fund the fix.
- Your carrier tracks you. We don’t. Switch to Cape, America’s Privacy-first Mobile Carrier.
Comments