If you are trying or having issues with activating the license of your Microsoft Office suite, we recommend trying the OSPP.VBS commands. But what is OSPP.VBS and why is it important? How do I use OSPP.VBS to activate Microsoft Office? What common problems can occur with OSPP.VBS? All these questions and more are addressed in this comprehensive guide.
What is OSPP.VBS?
The OSPP.VBS commands are a versatile script used mainly for testing and configuring volume-licensed versions of Microsoft Office products. It is also known as the Office Software Protection Platform script, and you can use it on products like Visio, Project, and so on.
Note that the OSPP.VBS commands do not work for Visio and Project or Microsoft 365 Apps subscription versions. Running it requires the cscript engine. With this engine, you can run a command using the general syntax as follows:
cscript ospp.vbs [Option:Value] [ComputerName] [User] [Password]
Replace the Option:Value with the command prompt of what you want to do, ComputerName with the name of your computer, User with the name of the account on the computer, and Password with the Password for the account.
With this syntax, you can activate installed Office product keys, display license information, display failure history, reset licensing status, and so much more.
The OSPP.VBS location depends on the version of Office on the Windows system, but generally in the Program Files folder. Suppose you installed Office on a 64-bit OS, the OSPP.VBS location will be in the Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16 folder. On the contrary, if you installed Office on a 32-bit OS, the OSPP.VBS location will be in the Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16 folder.
Frequently Used OSPP.VBS Commands
Before we answer the question of how to use OSPP.VBS commands, let’s first talk about some frequent use of the commands.
The cscript ospp.vbs command is a powerful tool with many commands to achieve different things. Mainly the OSPP.VBS commands are used for Office license management. Below are some of the common uses of the OSPP.VBS commands you can use to optimize the Microsoft Office on your PC to enjoy its full features.
To Check the Activation Status
If you want to check the activation status of the Office on your computer, use the command:
cscript ospp.vbs /act
To Activate Office
If the Office on your PC is not activated, get the product key ready, then use the command:
cscript ospp.vbs /inpkey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
Replace the XXXXX with the product key you want to install.
To Activate Office via KMS (Key Management Service)
KMS is a tool used to activate Office using a volume license automatically. To activate Office using KMS, use the command:
cscript ospp.vbs /act
To Change Office Product Key
To change the Office product key, uninstall the existing one, then install it afresh. The command to uninstall Office product key is:
cscript ospp.vbs /unpkey:XXXXX
Replace the XXXX with the last five digits of the product key you want to uninstall. The command to install a new Office product key is:
cscript ospp.vbs /inpkey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
Replace the XXXXX with the product key you want to install.
To Uninstall the Office Product Key
To uninstall an Office product key, use the command below:
cscript ospp.vbs /unpkey:XXXXX
Replace the XXXX with the last five digits of the product key you want to uninstall.
To Reactivate Office
To reactivate Office, you can use the following ospp.vbs command:
cscript ospp.vbs /act
To Clear Cached Activation Data
To clear cached activation data on your PC, use the command below:
cscript ospp.vbs /rearm
To Display Installed Office Version
To display the installed Office version on a PC, use the OSPP.VBS command below:
cscript ospp.vbs /
To Display Licensing Information
To display the licensing information of Office, use the command below:
cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus
To Uninstall Office Key
To uninstall the Office key, use the command below:
Cscript ospp.vbs /unpkey:XXXXX
Replace the XXXXX with the last five characters of the Office key you want to uninstall.
How to Activate Microsoft Office Using Cscript OSPP.VBS (Step-by-Step)
If you cannot activate Microsoft Office on your PC through normal means, you might need to try the cscript commands. The cscript commands run using the command prompt or Windows PowerShell.
As you can see from the previous section, there are numerous uses of the cscript commands. But in this section, we will be discussing in a step-by-step guide how to use the cscript commands to activate Office:
In the search bar on your PC, enter the keyword CMD and launch Command Prompt as administrator. Alternatively, you can search for Windows PowerShell and run it as administrator.
In Command Prompt, type the pathway to the installed Office files. The location of the Office files on your PC differs slightly depending on the version of Office you get. Use the command cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14 if you have an Office 2010, use the command cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15 if you have an Office 2013, and use the command cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16 if you have an Office 2016.
Now that you are in the Office folder on the Command prompt, confirm the Office license status on your PC by typing the command cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus, then hit enter. If the Office is correctly installed, it will display the last five characters of the key.
But if you discover the Office is incorrectly installed, uninstall the product key using the command cscript ospp.vbs /unpkey:XXXXX. Replace the XXXXX with the last five characters of the installed product key you want to uninstall. You must use this command for each product key you want to uninstall.
After uninstalling the product key, to install the product key, use the command cscript ospp.vbs /inpkey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. Replace all the XXXXX in the command with the new product key you want to install. Then, activate the product key in the command cscript ospp.vbs/act. After the program runs completely, you should get a successful message.
Troubleshooting Activation Errors When Using OSPP.VBS Script
Don’t be discouraged when you try the OSPP.VBS Office 2016 activation steps and encounter an error. Sometimes, the error might be due to a typo in your command. So first, try reviewing the command and run it again. Commands are sensitive, and an error such as not leaving a space when you ought to can result in an error.
However, if you are certain the command you typed is accurate, the error could be due to another factor. Below are the three common activation errors you might encounter and how to fix them.
Error #1: 0x8004FE21 (This computer is not running genuine Windows)
The 0x8004FE21 error occurs due to several reasons. But this error results when Windows tries to heal itself but fails. Most PCs encounter this error when users install language packs (MUI) without licenses for additional language packs.
Note that this error is not evidence of tampering as some applications can install multi-lingual support even when Windows is not licensed for those language packs. Rather, it is an issue of certain system files getting corrupted.
Solution:
We recommend executing the sfc/scannow for any corrupt file to resolve this issue.
If this doesn’t solve the issue, confirm you have the right time and date. Go to Settings on your PC, and click the Time & Language option at the left sidebar.
Click on the Date & Time option from the list, set the Time Zone, adjust the calendar display, or use the automatic clock settings.
If the issue persists, consider reinstalling the operating system as a last resort. Before reinstalling the operating system, ensure all your personal files are backed up. To reinstall the operating system, visit https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11 to create an installation media file.
After downloading the Media Creation Tool, follow the steps to create an installation media of the ideal Windows language, edition, and architecture for your PC on a USB flash drive.
When the installation media is complete, Open File Explorer and select the drive with the installation media.
From the root directory, double-click setup.exe and select Yes to run the installation file.
The window will launch the installation window and follow the prompts to complete the installation.
Error #2: 0x80070490 (The product key you entered didn’t work)
The 0x80070490 is another common error that pops up when there’s an issue with the product key used. The full text you will see on your PC looks something like (The product key you entered didn’t work. Check the product key and try again, or enter a different one).
This error often results when your MAK (Multiple Activation Key) is invalid. Other times, the PC system file gets corrupted.
Solution:
A simple solution to fixing this issue is to run a DISM.exe command. To do this, open the command prompt as an administrator, then type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth. This command will scan your PC for any corrupt files.
Use the DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth command to fix the corrupt file.
Alternatively, you can resolve the issue by running the slmgr prompt. To do this, open the command prompt as an administrator, then enter the command slmgr –ipk XXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. Replace the XXXXX with the product key you want to use to replace the old one.
Error #3: 0xC004C021 (The activation server reported that the Multiple Activation Key extension limit had been exceeded)
If you ever encounter the 0xC004C021 error, the MAK (Multiple Activation Key) you are using has exceeded its activation limit. MAK has a maximum number of times it can be used for activation.
Solution:
In such a situation, getting a different MAK extension for activation is the best solution. For more information about how to get an MAK, visit https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Licensing/existing-customer/activation-centers?rtc=1. For details on the contact, you can call Microsoft Office Support.
Best Free Alternative to Microsoft Office – WPS Office
The Microsoft Office suite is an excellent software, but as you can see in this guide, there are several issues you can run into while using it. If you’d rather not deal with these issues, the best alternative to Microsoft Office is WPS Office. The WPS Office is better than Microsoft Office in so many areas. Below are some reasons WPS is the best alternative to consider:
Free Download
Downloading the WPS Office suite is completely free. It is an all-encompassing suite from the WPS website or your device store for free. When you download the software, you can use its software like Powerful PDF Toolkit, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for free. And if you need to use its Pro functions, such as cloud support, you can upgrade to WPS Pro for as little as $29.99 per year.
Compatibility
WPS has a wider compatibility spectrum than Microsoft Office. You can install the WPS Office on Linux, Windows, Mac, and several smartphones.
Apart from the devices compatible with the software, WPS is also compatible with a wide array of files. It seamlessly supports all Microsoft Office file formats. So users can open, edit, and save documents in xlsm, ppt, and docx, amongst others.
Delicate Template Store
Furthermore, WPS Office is a great software with many dedicated template stores. This template store offers users diverse templates for all kinds of tasks. Whether you are looking for a resume, education, work, or office purposes, WPS Office offers a range of templates for creating presentations, spreadsheets, Word, and PDF documents.
Light Weight
The download size of Microsoft Office is several gigabytes, whereas that of WPS Office is only a few hundred megabytes. Even when installed, WPS Office uses fewer resources than Microsoft, making it an ideal solution with minimal resources for PCs and mobile devices.
Support Online Documents
WPS is an excellent software to use when you save documents online. With its cloud storage option, users can save files on the WPS drive and access them anywhere, anytime, and on any device. It also supports other drives like Google Drive and Dropbox.
FAQs
Can I use Microsoft Office without an activation key?
Yes, you can use Microsoft Office without activation. However, using Microsoft Office without activating it has reduced functionalities such as the inability to create new documents, view documents but not edit them, and so on.
How do I transfer Microsoft Office to another computer?
It is possible to transfer Microsoft Office to another computer. To do this, you can use software such as EaseUS Todo PCTrans. Alternatively, you can deactivate the Office subscription and install Office on the new PC. Finally, you can transfer the file manually.
Are there different types of Office 365 Licenses, more than one type of product license?
There are different types of licenses for Office 365. The most common are the Microsoft Office business category and the enterprise category.
The business category includes Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard, Premium, and Apps for Business. Whereas the enterprise category includes Office 365 E1, Office 365 E3, Office 365 E5, Office 365 F3, Microsoft 365 F1, Microsoft 365 F3, Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft 365 E5, and Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise.
Summary
WPS is an exceptional software ideal for individuals, businesses, and enterprises. It comes with all the basic tools you’ll need as an individual, student, teacher, researcher, employee, or business owner.
WPS Office has a user-intuitive interface, lightweight and rich in functions. So, to avoid the stress of activating Microsoft Office, get the WPS for a seamless experience.
