Microsoft Office 2016 and 2013, like all versions of Office and most other programs you pay for, requires that you enter a unique product key during the installation process, proving, to a point, that you own the software.

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So what do you do if you need to reinstall the program but you've lost this important, 25-digit installation code? You've probably already tried all the expected 'looking around' but there are a few more things you can try that you may not have known about.

If you're familiar with product keys and how they work, you might assume that the Office 2016/2013 product key is stored, encrypted, in the Windows Registry, like older versions of Office and most other programs do.

Unfortunately, Microsoft changed how they handled Microsoft Office product keys beginning with Office 2013, storing only part of the product key on your local computer. This means that those product key finder programs aren't quite as helpful as they used to be.

The following should work if you're just looking for the product key for one member of an Office 2016 and 2013 suite, like Word or Excel, as well as if you're after the key for an entire suite, like Office Home & Student, Office Home & Business, or Office Professional in 2016 or 2013 versions.

Here are the three best ways to go about digging up a lost MS Office 2016/2013 product key:

Find Your Office 2016/2013 Key in Your Documentation or Email

If you purchased Microsoft Office 2016 or 2013 in a box with a disc, or as a product card (digital download) from a retail store, then your product key will be with that physical purchase—on the product card, on a sticker, on or in the manual, or on the disc sleeve.

If you purchased one of these versions of Office from Microsoft online, your product key is stored in your Microsoft account online (more on that below) and/or arrived in your email receipt.

If Office 2016 or 2013 came preinstalled on your computer when you purchased it, your product key should be printed on the holographic sticker attached to your computer. Be sure you use the Office 2016/2013 product key and not the Windows product key that's probably also on that sticker.

My guess is that you've looked those places already before finding yourself on this page. However, there's one thing that might help you out, especially if you bought Office online:

While I mentioned already that product key finder tools won't find your Office 2013 product key, some will locate the last five digits, the only thing stored on your computer, which can be helpful in your search.

Here's how to do it:

1. Download Belarc Advisor. This is one of the better system information programs out there and also doubles as a product key finder.

2. Install Belarc Advisor and run it. It takes a few minutes to dig up all of your computer's information, including that last part of your Office 2016 or 2013 product key.

3. From the Belarc Advisor Computer Profile browser window that opens, tap or click the Software Licenses link in the left margin.

4. Look for the Microsoft Office 2016 or Microsoft Office 2013 mention in the list.

   Belarc Advisor lists the exact suite or program name here, so if you just have Word 2016, look for Microsoft - Office Word 2016. If you have a full-blown suite, look for Microsoft - Office Professional Plus 2013. You get the idea.

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5. What you'll see is a series of numbers, followed by (Key: ends with AB1CD). Those five characters, whatever they may be, are the final five characters of your valid Office 2016 or Office 2013 product key.

   The characters prior to that sentence are not your product key. Belarc Advisor isn't capable of finding the entire Office product key for these versions because it does not exist on your computer, unlike with previous versions of Office.

6. Now that you have the final part of your MS Office key, you can search your email and computer for that string of characters, hopefully surfacing any digital documentation you still have on your purchase.

Obviously, that trick isn't helpful if you don't have a digital paper trail of your Office purchase, but it's worth the trouble if you might.

View Your Office 2016 or 2013 Key on Your Office Account Page

If you previously registered and activated your copy of Microsoft Office 2016 or 2013, you'll be happy to know that Microsoft has stored for you, and will show you, your original product key.

Here's what you need to do to view it:

1. Sign in to your Microsoft Office Account page.

2. Tap or click the Install from a disc.

   Depending on how you bought the software, and if you've installed Microsoft Office already, you may not need to know or enter your product key at all. Just tap or click the Install button instead and follow the instructions given.

3. On the page that loads next, tap or click I have a disc, followed by View your product key.

If that works, record your Office 2016/2013 product key and keep it somewhere safe. No need to repeat all of this again next time you need it!

Contact Microsoft for a Replacement Office 2013 Product Key

Another option, that you may or may not have the most luck with, is to contact Microsoft directly to ask for a replacement key.

Microsoft obviously isn't going to just trust that you bought MS Office and read you a valid product key over the phone. You'll need to find whatever proof of purchase you can find and have it ready before calling.

You can find the best number to call on the Microsoft Support: Contact Us page.

I recommend that you read through our How to Talk to Tech Support guide before calling. As straightforward as calling about a replacement key might sound, I know from experience on both sides that tech support of any kind can be tricky for everyone involved.

Office 365 & MS Office 2016 & 2013 Product Keys

If you have a copy of MS Office 2016 or 2013 installed on your computer that you installed via your Office 365 subscription, you don't need to worry about product keys at all!

Just sign in to your Office 365 account online and follow the menu prompts to download and install the latest version of Microsoft Office 2016.

If you don't know your Microsoft account password, you can reset it fairly easily.

Tips & More Information

While it may be extremely tempting to use a free Office product key you might find in some list on the internet, or to download and use a key generator program that supports Office 2013, either way is illegal.

Unfortunately, if none of the options I've already mentioned work out, you're left with buying a new copy of Office.

Please know that key finder tools work very well with versions of Office prior to Office 2013.

See our tutorials on finding Office 2010 & 2007 product keys, as well as a separate, more applicable, tutorial on finding keys for older versions of Microsoft Office.

Helping people with computers.. one answer at a time.

Office is a popular pre-install on many new computers. If you didn't also get a CD, you should. Installing or reinstalling is a problem without it.

by Leo A. Notenboom, © 2009

I just bought a computer with Microsoft Office 2007 installed so I do not have the installation disc. I recently wanted to install Office 2007 into my the other computer but how can I do it when I do not have the installation disc?

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You may not be able to.

In part, it depends on if you're moving the installation from onemachine to another, versus copying to make a second installation.

It also depends on the manufacturer you purchased your computerfrom, and their willingness to help.

•

First, in my opinion, there's no reason not to have installationmedia for any software that's preinstalled on your machine. I say thatfor no other reason than the ramifications of a hard disk failure. Ifyour disk dies and you need to reinstall everything from scratch youmust have the original installation media.

So step one is to contact the manufacturer from which you purchasedyour machine. Get them to provide the CDs or DVDs for everything thatwas installed on your machine. Sadly, sometimes they'll charge forthis. Even worse, some will simply refuse which in my mind isunacceptable.

And next time you purchase a machine, make sure to request or orderthe installation media with it. Always. And avoid manufacturers thatwon't provide it.

If you cannot get the original CDs, then your options are limited.There are tools you can purchase that advertise they can move aninstallation of a software installation from one machine to another.I've not tried any of them, but depending on your budget, they may beworth some investigation. Of course depending on your budget, it mayalso be as easy to just purchase another copy of Office.

Which brings us to the non-technical ramifications of what you'reattempting to do.

You may need to purchase another copy anyway.

It is very possible, even likely, that the copy of Office you havepreinstalled is licensed to exactly one installation. By that I meanthat if you are trying to copy the installation to a second machine andthen use Office on both machines, you're breaking the terms of thelicense. Effectively that's piracy, as you've made an illegal copy ofthe software.

Unfortunately, particularly with pre-installed software, it's alsovery possible that the software is licensed to that specificmachine only. That means that even moving it to a secondmachine and uninstalling it from the first might technically be inviolation of the license. Seems silly, I know, but that's the way someof these are written.

So, what should you do?

First, get installation media if you can at all.Not necessarily so you can install it on another machine, but so thatyou can reinstall it on your own machine after a hard diskcrash.

Second, read the licensing agreement that came withthe software to find out if what you're attempting to do is even legal.My guess is you're trying to make a second copy, and that likely isnot.

Finally, research application moving tools to movepre-installed programs from one machine to another. I don't (yet) havea recommendation here, but perhaps my readers do, and of course someinternet research will also turn up lots of ideas.

But start by getting the CDs.

Article C3712 - April 26, 2009 «»

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• I don't have an installation CD for Windows XP - what if I need one? At some point you'll need your Windows installation CD. If you don't have one, you could be out of luck. Be sure to get one and keep it safe.

• Can I move an installed application to another drive? Because of the files an installed application usually leaves behind, it's prohibitively difficult move it to another drive.

• How many machines can I install a single copy of Microsoft Office on? Depending on the situation, the number of machines you can install a single copy of Microsoft Office on is unclear.

(For the record: comments that reference illegal solutions such as downloading from file sharing networks will be removed.)

You can always attempt to download the particular media you have a license for. Of course, you should always go for a trusted source which has the original media, but downloading is always a valid option. Especially if you know what you're doing.

If you have the license key, isn't there a way to obtain a copy of office from, lets say Microsoft, without having to buy one? Even if they charge for the price of the media and shipping it would still be a lit cheaper. And you do have a valid license, you just 'lost' the original installation disk..
This of course for hard drive failure scenarios and not for installing on a 2nd machine!

This microsoft support page has some interesting information. Hope it helps!
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326246/en-us

There are disk imaging applications such as PowerQuest Drive Image Pro or Symantec Ghost. Imaging provides a fast 'Image' of everything from the 1st computer to 2nd computer very fast. I have used the Symantec Ghost application and it worked for me.

Best insurance is to buy 'HDClone' from Mirway software and clone your hard drive to a spare drive. If a HD crash happens just swap the hard drives.
The programme worked fine and I have a spare HD in my safe. Cost me A$34.91. cheaper than buying program discs.

Then again, you could use Open Office and load it legally on to as many computers as you wish.

I agree with David (posted April 28, 1009), especially if the MS Office is 2007. You have to go up a learning curve for that application even if you have used a previous MS Office edition. Go to Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org)get it free and legally. It is a great alternative to MS Office.

Actually it's very easy: all you need is to download it from Microsoft (the trial version is just the installer without the serial) and an app to read the serial from your installed Office - i use http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

I lost my C drive with it there went my microsoft office 2003 so I cannot open files stored on my second drive F, which is now my C drive. Any Ideas? Are these files lost even the files stored on my new Ebook I cannot open.

Hi. Thanks for the article, but I've found it inaccurate. I had a pre-installed, no media Office H&S 2007. PC died & I just reinstalled Office 2007 on an older PC that was running Linux (so I successfully moved over both my Win7 and my office licenses to different HW). Could not have been easier. Go to: http://trial.trymicrosoftoffice.com/msft-orpc; enter your 25-dig license, download 311 MB file, install & then enter the license again. You are done. It was a Dell machine, maybe Dell has better licenses??? thanks
Matt

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