Fixing the 'Preview Has Expired' or Trial Version Error (Windows)

If you see a message such as “Preview has expired”, or your Office apps are locked and asking you to subscribe, this usually means a trial or preview version of Office was previously installed on your computer.

That older trial version can conflict with your newly purchased licence, but the issue is usually easy to fix.

For Microsoft Office — How to Fix the “Preview Has Expired” Error

Step 1: Remove the Existing Trial or Preview Version

Before installing your purchased version of Office, you will need to remove the existing trial or preview version from your computer.

On Windows

1. Open Control Panel
2. Go to Programs > Uninstall a Program
3. Find Microsoft Office in the list
4. Uninstall it completely

For a more complete removal, you can also use Office Tool Plus.

Download Office Tool here:

https://uk.getrenewedtech.com/Downloads/OfficeTool.zip

Once downloaded:

1. Open the extracted Office Tool folder
2. Run Office Tool Plus
3. If prompted to install .NET, install it and then reopen the tool
4. Click Toolbox on the left-hand side
5. Next to Remove Office, click Remove

Step 2: Restart Your Computer

Once Office has been removed, restart your computer before reinstalling.

Step 3: Reinstall the Correct Version

Download and install Office again using the download link provided in your GetRenewedTech order confirmation email.

Do not download Office directly from Microsoft’s website, as this may install Microsoft 365 again instead of the correct version for your purchase.

Step 4: Activate Using Your Product Key

Once installation is complete:

1. Open any Office application, such as Word
2. Go to File > Account > Change Product Key
3. Enter your product key
4. Complete the activation process

If online activation does not work, use the activation tool here:

https://uk.getrenewedtech.com/activate

This is an automated process and does not require a phone call.

For Autodesk Products — Trial Still Showing Instead of Paid Licence

If you purchased an Autodesk product such as AutoCAD, Fusion 360, Maya, or Revit and the software is still showing as a trial, this can be normal in some cases.

If an Autodesk trial was already active when your licence was assigned, Autodesk will continue using the trial first. You will need to wait for the trial to expire. Once it has expired, sign out of the Autodesk application and then sign back in using the Autodesk account the licence was assigned to. The new paid licence should then begin being used.

In some Autodesk applications, you may also be able to go to Help > Change License Type > Switch User and then sign in again with the correct Autodesk account.

Still Seeing the Error?

If you have followed the steps above and the issue is still not resolved, please open a ticket on our helpdesk and include:

• Your order number
• A screenshot of the error message
• The product you purchased
• Whether you are using Windows

This will help our team investigate and get the issue resolved as quickly as possible.