Office 2021 for Mac enters read-only mode

Microsoft Office 2021 for Mac has entered a read-only mode for users with perpetual licenses after a recent update. This means users who purchased the software outright, rather than through a subscription, may find their Office applications limited in functionality.

Update triggers license recognition issue

The update released last week caused Office 2021 to stop recognizing perpetual licenses. This issue affects users who have not transitioned to the Office 365 subscription model, as the latest version of Office no longer supports perpetual licenses, effectively limiting their ability to use the software fully.

Users advised to disable automatic updates

To prevent further complications, affected users are advised to disable automatic updates. This can be done through the "Help > Check for Updates" menu in an Office application, which launches Microsoft AutoUpdate. Disabling the "Automatically update Microsoft applications" option is recommended.

Removing and reinstalling older Office versions

Users are advised to remove the current version of Office (version 16.114.1) from their Mac. This involves deleting the Office applications from the Applications folder and using Microsoft's License Removal Tool to eliminate residual files. The tool can be downloaded from Microsoft's support page.

Reinstalling a previous version of Office

Following the removal, users should reinstall an earlier version of Office, specifically version 16.113.4, which was released on October 6. This version can be downloaded from Microsoft's website. During installation, users must ensure they log in with the Microsoft account associated with their perpetual Office 2021 license.

Shift toward subscription models raises concerns

The situation has raised concerns about Microsoft's shift away from perpetual licenses toward subscription-based models. While a workaround exists, users remain at risk of future updates disrupting their ability to use Office 2021 as a perpetual license holder.