I've been happily using Microsoft Office 2019 on my Mac for years without any issues. Recently, though, I started getting activation prompts for no apparent reason. After following those prompts to activate it, I discovered today that all of my files are stuck in read-only mode, demanding I purchase a Microsoft 365 subscription. I'm really frustrated! It seems like a shady move since I didn't opt for Office 365 and my account now shows that I'm apparently subscribed to it this October without my agreement. I just want to know how I can regain access to my Office 2019 programs. Is there a way to get around this?
2 Answers
Same Problem here, without further notice stripping functionality on a perpetual license.
I've had it with MS - now switching to OpenOffice or similar.
It sounds like your Office apps might have auto-updated through the Mac App Store. Since Office 2019 reached its end of life in 2023, I recommend uninstalling it and reinstalling the original 2019 version to regain access. Here’s a link with some help: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5328192/my-office-automatically-upgraded-and-now-i-can-no?forum=msoffice-all&referrer=answers
I've tried turning off updates and even deleting it, but it just keeps coming back!