How to Check Whether Microsoft Office Is Genuine
Check whether Office is genuine: view your Microsoft 365 subscription, spot KMS-cracked Office, and replace it with a free office suite.
Published Jun 11, 2026 · 2 min read
Microsoft Office is one of the most pirated programs out there. Countless machines run a "full crack" Office activated via KMS that the user believes is genuine. This guide shows you how to check whether Microsoft Office is genuine for sure.
Method 1: Check inside an Office app
- Open Word (or Excel, PowerPoint).
- Go to File → Account.
- Look at Product Information: a genuine copy shows "Subscription Product" (Microsoft 365) tied to an email, or "Product Activated" with a clear license type.
- If it says "Product Activated" but is tied to no account, or uses a Volume key on a personal machine — be suspicious.
Common signs of pirated Office
Office activated with tools like "KMSpico", "Microsoft Toolkit", or "AAct" is pirated. If you do not recall buying or subscribing to Office yet it is "activated", it is very likely a crack.
Method 2: Check your Microsoft 365 account
A genuine subscription copy of Office is always linked to a Microsoft account. Sign in at account.microsoft.com → Services & subscriptions to see whether you have an active Microsoft 365 plan. If Office is "activated" on the machine but the account has no plan, it is a fake activation.
Method 3: Use ospp.vbs for installed Office
For installed (non-subscription) Office, you can check via the command line. Open Command Prompt as Administrator, switch to the Office install folder, and run cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus. It shows the license type and the last 5 characters of the key — a Volume key (VOLUME_KMSCLIENT) on a standalone machine is almost certainly pirated.
What to do if you find pirated Office
- Buy a license: Microsoft 365 monthly/yearly, or a one-time Office purchase (Office Home & Business).
- Switch to a free suite: LibreOffice, Google Workspace, or WPS Office for basic needs. See free software alternatives.
- Remove the crack tool: fake KMS tools often leave background tasks and may carry malware — clean them out fully.
Check Office across every company machine
Visiting each machine to open File → Account is impractical for a business. An automated software inventory tool detects the Office version, license status, and even the crack tools present on each machine, so you can fix issues before an audit.
Detect pirated Office and every risky program in your organization — automatically, on every machine.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
- If Office shows "Product Activated", is it genuine?
- Not necessarily. KMS crack tools also make Office show as "activated". Check whether it is tied to a valid Microsoft 365 account, or run ospp.vbs /dstatus to see the key type.
- What is the difference between perpetual Office and Microsoft 365?
- Microsoft 365 is a paid monthly/yearly subscription that always stays updated. A one-time purchase (like Office 2021) is paid once and used forever, but does not upgrade to new versions.
- Is using LibreOffice instead of Office legal and free?
- Yes. LibreOffice is open-source, free for both personal and business use, and opens most Word/Excel/PowerPoint files.