Microsoft’s KB5002907 Update Causes Chaos for Perpetual Office Users
A critical issue has emerged with Microsoft’s recent KB5002907 update, which was designed to help users update their Microsoft 365 Apps installations. However, instead of resolving outdated installations, the update has been causing problems for thousands of users who have perpetual licenses for Office 2016 and Office 2019. The update has been deactivated or completely removed these installations, leaving users without access to their software.
The issue first came to light when Christian Van Hautte, an MSP owner in Belgium, reported that several of his customers were experiencing problems with their Office installations after installing the KB5002907 update. Within a short period, dozens of PCs across multiple organizations were affected, all running Office 2016 and Office 2019 Home & Business licenses. Van Hautte noted that re-entering the original product key restored activation on affected systems, but the update had still managed to install automatically on some devices.
It appears that KB5002907 is designed to migrate existing Office installations as part of its update process, which can sometimes fail if the installation contains mixed-bitness components – for example, a 32-bit and 64-bit Office product. In such cases, Van Hautte reported that the existing Office suite was removed but not successfully reinstalled, leaving users without access to their software.
Reports began emerging online shortly after Van Hautte’s discovery, with multiple administrators and users sharing similar experiences on Reddit and Microsoft forums. While some were able to resolve the issue by re-entering their product keys, others found that signing into a Microsoft account and selecting the license was required to restore activation.
Microsoft has confirmed that it is investigating the issue and has paused the rollout of the KB5002907 update while it works to resolve the problem. The company has also updated its support bulletin to acknowledge the issues and provide guidance on how to prevent further devices from being affected.
The incident highlights a critical concern for users who rely on perpetual licenses for Office. While Microsoft’s intentions with KB5002907 were likely good, the implementation has caused significant disruption for thousands of users. As this situation demonstrates, even well-intentioned updates can have unintended consequences if not thoroughly tested and validated before release.
In light of this incident, we recommend that all users with perpetual licenses for Office exercise caution when installing future updates from Microsoft. Before applying any update, ensure you understand the potential risks and implications, especially if your installation contains mixed-bitness components. It’s also essential to keep a record of your product keys and license information in case of any issues arising from software updates.
Source: Bleeping Computer — 2026-09-26