Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac Will Soon Stop Letting You Edit Documents

[SpotOnT]

For people running older versions of macOS, who can’t simply upgrade, a better option than Office online is probably just getting yourself a copy of Office 2011 or Office 2016.

I am currently using Office 2011 on an old machine and it hasn’t been bricked by Microsoft. Note that you will need to be using a version of macOS that still supports 32-bit for Office 2011.

 

[bzgnyc2]

For people running older versions of macOS, who can’t simply upgrade, a better option than Office online is probably just getting yourself a copy of Office 2011 or Office 2016.

Yes pretty crazy that the only noticeable change between Office 2016 and Office 2019 is this time bomb...

One doesn't even get XLOOKUP in Excel until Office 2021...

Other new features Microsoft is bundling into rehashed software:

https://www.reddit.com/r/cybersecurity/comments/1utqhu4/microsoft_admits_windows_11_has_a_gdid_tracker

 

[match14]

Office 2016 still running ok on MacOS 26.

 

[adrianlondon]

Has anyone's office 2019 actually stopped working?

I've just opened Word and Excel (Office 2019) on a Sequoia / Intel MBA system (which hasn't been used for a few weeks) and it can open, create and save files as usual. Should I expect it to eventually check and fail?

 

[turbineseaplane]

It’s so depressing to see that office software is getting rug pulled.

I mean, really, does this type of software need much “innovation”?

It seems like with some minor updates we could all be using Office 2006 still.

 

[iMac_User]

Has anyone's office 2019 actually stopped working?

I've just opened Word and Excel (Office 2019) on a Sequoia / Intel MBA system (which hasn't been used for a few weeks) and it can open, create and save files as usual. Should I expect it to eventually check and fail?

For me it also still works like before. Office 2019 on macOS 26. I tried to update macOS from 26.4 to 26.5.2, to see if a restart possibly brings Office to re-check the license/certificate, but nothing changed. I’m prepared to go for the subscription, but before I start the trial, I would like to see that the old functionality is really missing. But currently it’s still in place.

 

[Black Grape]

I’m running MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint v16.54 (21101001) and Teams Classic v1.8.00.1358, which I presume is Mac Office 2019 on an iMac 27” (2017) on Mac OSX Mojave 10.14.6.
It has a ‘Volume’ License.

I’m also running MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint v16.16.27 (201012), which I presume is Mac Office 2016 on an MacBook Pro (Late 2013) which is on Mac OSX High Sierra 10.13.6.
It has a ‘Retail’ License 2016.

Both Macs are (so far) running, saving and editing documents created in each MS Office app.

All MS updates are blocked on both Macs.

Hope this is useful.

 

[bzgnyc2]

Has anyone's office 2019 actually stopped working?

I've just opened Word and Excel (Office 2019) on a Sequoia / Intel MBA system (which hasn't been used for a few weeks) and it can open, create and save files as usual. Should I expect it to eventually check and fail?

Interesting -- both my and another family member's Office 365 on Version 16.66.1 cut itself off on July 13th. Mine was on Catalina (16.66.1 was the last version for that version of macOS) and the other's was an older installation on Monterey (but hadn't updated their Office since updating from Catalina).

Microsoft Office 365 can go 30 days offline before the license check blocks regular use, but it appears a failed license check takes effect immediately. However, maybe the standalone Office 2019 is actually good indefinitely despite Microsoft's warnings to the contrary. You just won't be able to reinstall ever. And perhaps not even install minor updates.

 

[iMac_User]

Interesting -- both my and another family member's Office 365 on Version 16.66.1 cut itself off on July 13th. Mine was on Catalina (16.66.1 was the last version for that version of macOS) and the other's was an older installation on Monterey (but hadn't updated their Office since updating from Catalina).

Microsoft Office 365 can go 30 days offline before the license check blocks regular use, but it appears a failed license check takes effect immediately. However, maybe the standalone Office 2019 is actually good indefinitely despite Microsoft's warnings to the contrary. You just won't be able to reinstall ever. And perhaps not even install minor updates.

Could you please describe, how the cutoff exactly looks like with Microsoft 365? Does some message appear that the app is switching to the "reduced functionality mode", or is saving simply not possible any more from this moment on? Is "Save" and "Save as" then grayed out in the menu, or not visible at all? Or is it still there, but you get an error when you click on it? Does it all initially happen while using the app, or only after the next start of the app? I'm only asking to be able to recognize the cutoff, as I'm checking it now and then and don't know exactly what to look for.

BTW, I never had to reinstall Office on Mac since I installed it first in 2019, and after november 2023, no updates are delivered with this license anyway, not even minor ones. But yes, when the Mac is due to a hardware refresh, then most probably I cannot use this license any more on the new Mac.

 

[martinchivers]

Just an update on where I am, with this. I have totally deleted LibreOffice, having tried "SoftMaker Free Office". this has a word processor, spreadsheets and a power point app within it. VERY, VERY HAPPY with it. Easy to setup and customise. Minimal differences with the Microsoft office equivalents. I'd recommend having a look should anyone be experiencing the same issues as myself. (its free, to)

 

[bzgnyc2]

Could you please describe, how the cutoff exactly looks like with Microsoft 365? Does some message appear that the app is switching to the "reduced functionality mode", or is saving simply not possible any more from this moment on? Is "Save" and "Save as" then grayed out in the menu, or not visible at all? Or is it still there, but you get an error when you click on it? Does it all initially happen while using the app, or only after the next start of the app? I'm only asking to be able to recognize the cutoff, as I'm checking it now and then and don't know exactly what to look for.

I get one of those yellow bar messages:

View attachment 2646052

and all documents are opened read-only. I can select objects but I can't make any changes. I can print/share/export the document but I can't save/save as. It basically behaves as if the license was never activated.

I don't remember the transition from working to not-working exactly but I recall it prompted me to try activating again upon opening one of the Office apps. This then failed even though the login was successful.

 

[Bazza1]

I don't remember the transition from working to not-working exactly but I recall it prompted me to try activating again upon opening one of the Office apps. This then failed even though the login was successful.

Did you fully uninstall not only the apps, but the license embedded in your Mac for it? If not the latter, this may be the reason you found yourself where you did. This is apparently an important step, and you'll need to download the license removal tool from Microsoft.
If you did all that still no joy, then yes, Microsoft has hooped you and it may be the time to move on. "Way to alienate users, Microsoft!" - especially when so many individuals, companies and countries are already looking at non-US alternatives to software.