Remove Office 365 subscription from PC

Removing an Office 365 subscription from a PC can mean several different things. You may want to sign out of Microsoft 365 on the device, remove a work or school account, uninstall the Office apps, unassign an organisational license, or stop subscription billing. These actions are not interchangeable.

For example, uninstalling Microsoft 365 does not cancel the subscription, and signing out of Office does not remove a Business or Enterprise license assigned to the user. Choose the action that matches what you actually want to remove before changing account or device settings.

Choose what you want to remove

Why you may need to remove an Office 365 subscription from a PC

You may need to remove Microsoft 365 access from a computer when replacing hardware, reassigning a corporate device, troubleshooting activation, removing an old work account, or retiring a shared PC. The correct method depends on whether you are changing device activation, Windows account access, the installed applications, the user's organisational license, or the subscription itself.

Before making changes, identify whether the account is a Microsoft personal account or a work or school account. On managed business devices, check with the Microsoft 365 administrator before disconnecting organisational access.

1. Step-by-step instructions to remove the Office 365 subscription from a PC

   Method 1: Sign out of Microsoft 365 on the PC or remotely

   If a computer is no longer in use, you can sign out of Microsoft 365 on that device while keeping the subscription active. For a remote sign-out, sign in to the Microsoft account or Microsoft 365 account page associated with the installation, locate the relevant device or Office installation, and choose the available sign-out option.

   Microsoft notes that a remote sign-out can take up to 72 hours to be detected by the Office apps. The applications can remain installed, but they may enter reduced functionality mode until another eligible account activates them.

   Important: Signing out or deactivating an installation does not cancel the subscription and does not uninstall Microsoft 365. Microsoft 365 can also manage sign-in limits automatically, so you do not always need to deactivate an old device simply to sign in on another eligible device.

   Method 2: Sign out of Microsoft 365 applications locally

   Use this method when you want to remove your account from the Office applications installed on the current PC.

   1. Open a Microsoft 365 application such as Word or Excel.
   2. Select ‘File’ > ‘Account’.
   3. Under the account information, choose ‘Sign out’.
   4. Close all Office applications.
   5. Reopen an Office application and verify that the account is no longer signed in.

   If several Microsoft accounts are connected to Office, review each one separately. Signing out of the applications does not remove an organisational license assigned in Microsoft 365.

   Method 3: Remove a work or school account from Windows

   If the PC is connected to a Microsoft Entra work or school account, disconnecting it removes that organisational identity from Windows.

   1. Open ‘Settings’.
   2. Go to ‘Accounts’ > ‘Access work or school’.
   3. Select the connected organisational account.
   4. Choose ‘Disconnect’.
   5. Confirm the action and follow any additional prompts.

   Important: Do not disconnect an organisation-managed device without administrator approval. Removing the work or school account can affect access to Outlook, OneDrive, company applications, device management, security policies, and other organisational resources.

   Method 4: Uninstall Microsoft 365 applications

   If the Office applications are no longer required on the computer, remove them through Windows.

   1. Open ‘Settings’.
   2. Select ‘Apps’ > ‘Installed apps’ or the equivalent Apps & features page for your Windows version.
   3. Locate the installed Microsoft 365 or Office suite.
   4. Select ‘Uninstall’ and complete the on-screen steps.
   5. Restart the PC if requested.

   If the normal uninstall process fails, use Microsoft's supported Microsoft 365/Office uninstall troubleshooting option. The exact removal method can vary depending on whether Office was installed through Click-to-Run, Microsoft Store, or another supported installation type.

   Important: Uninstalling Microsoft 365 removes the applications from the PC. It does not cancel recurring billing and does not automatically remove an organisational license.

   Method 5: Remove a Microsoft 365 license (Business, Enterprise, or Education)

   For organisational subscriptions, licenses are managed in the Microsoft 365 admin center by an administrator with the required permissions.

   1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
   2. Open ‘Users’ and select ‘Active users’.
   3. Select the required user.
   4. Open ‘Licenses and apps’.
   5. Clear the license that should no longer be assigned.
   6. Save the change.

   Removing a license can affect Exchange Online, OneDrive, Office apps, and other services included with that license. For a normal Exchange Online mailbox that is not protected by an applicable hold or retention configuration, Microsoft documents a recovery period after license removal before permanent deletion. OneDrive follows a separate retention and lifecycle process. Review the organisation's retention policies and service requirements before removing a license.

   Method 6: Cancel the Microsoft 365 subscription or turn off recurring billing

   If your goal is to stop future charges, you must manage the subscription itself. Signing out, removing a device, or uninstalling Microsoft 365 does not stop billing.

   1. Sign in to the account used to purchase the Microsoft 365 subscription.
   2. Open the subscription or services section.
   3. Select the Microsoft 365 subscription.
   4. Choose the available option to cancel the subscription or turn off recurring billing.
   5. Review the effective date and confirm the change.

   If the subscription was purchased through Apple, Google, Amazon, a reseller, or another third-party provider, cancellation may need to be completed through that provider rather than directly through Microsoft.

2. Post-removal checks and considerations

   Verify that the required access has been removed

   After completing the appropriate method, check the result that corresponds to your goal.

   Verification task	Expected result
   Open an Office application	The removed account is signed out, or the app requests an eligible account if no valid activation remains.
   Check the Office account page	The previous account or activation is no longer shown as active after licensing information refreshes.
   Review remote sign-out status	Allow up to 72 hours for Office to detect a remote sign-out.
   Review Windows account settings	The disconnected work or school account no longer appears under Access work or school.
   Confirm installed applications	If Microsoft 365 was uninstalled, the Office suite no longer appears in the installed apps list.
   Verify assigned licenses	The Microsoft 365 admin center no longer shows the removed license for the user.
   Verify billing status	The subscription page shows the cancellation or recurring-billing status you selected.

   Technical considerations

   • Microsoft 365 subscription ownership, device activation, installed applications, and organisational license assignment are separate controls.
   • Cached activation information may remain temporarily until Office refreshes its licensing state.
   • Removing a work or school account can affect more than Office, especially on Microsoft Entra or Intune-managed devices.
   • Service data retention after an organisational license is removed depends on the workload, licensing state, retention policies, holds, and whether the user account remains.
   • Uninstalling Microsoft 365 does not stop recurring billing.

3. Common issues and troubleshooting

   The following checks can help when a sign-out, activation, account-removal, or uninstall change does not appear immediately.

   1. Office still shows as activated

      Close all Office applications, restart the PC, confirm that the correct account was signed out, and verify that the device has internet access. If you used remote sign-out, allow up to 72 hours for the change to be detected.

   2. Unable to remove a work or school account

      The device may be managed by Microsoft Entra ID or Intune. If the Disconnect option is unavailable, contact the organisation's administrator rather than forcing removal.

   3. Office prompts for activation after signing in

      Confirm that the signed-in account owns an active Personal/Family subscription or has the correct organisational license assigned. If activation still fails, use Microsoft's supported activation troubleshooter before manually deleting licensing files or registry entries.

   4. Subscription is still active after uninstalling Microsoft 365

      This is expected. Uninstalling the applications does not cancel a subscription. Manage recurring billing or cancellation separately from the account or provider that sold the subscription.

   5. Unable to use Microsoft 365 on another device

      Verify that the subscription is active, the new device meets Microsoft 365 requirements, and the correct account is being used. If the account has reached its allowed sign-in limit, Microsoft 365 may prompt you to sign out elsewhere.

Best practices

• Identify whether you are dealing with a personal Microsoft account or an organisational work or school account.
• Match the action to the goal: sign out, disconnect the account, uninstall the apps, unassign the license, or cancel billing.
• Back up local files and allow OneDrive to finish synchronising before removing organisational access.
• Do not disconnect a managed work or school account without approval from the organisation's administrator.
• Review Exchange Online, OneDrive, and retention requirements before removing a Business, Enterprise, or Education license.
• Verify the final activation, license, and billing state after the change is processed.

Conclusion

Removing an Office 365 subscription from a PC is not a single operation. The correct action depends on whether you want to sign out of Office, remove an organisational account, uninstall the applications, unassign a Microsoft 365 license, or stop subscription billing. Confirm the account and subscription type first, then use the method that matches the required outcome and verify the result afterward.

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Additional resources:

• Office 365 Migration Tool
• Office 365 Migration Guide
• Office 365 Migration Checklist
• Office 365 Migration Best Practices