GoKawiilMicrosoft halts KB5002907 update after it deactivated perpetual Office licenses
Microsoft has paused rollout of KB5002907, an update meant for outdated Microsoft 365 Apps installations, after users reported it deactivated or removed perpetual Office 2016 and Office 2019 installs. Belgian MSP owner Christian Van Hautte said five unrelated clients contacted him within about ten minutes on September 24, with dozens of PCs showing an 'Unlicensed Product' error. He found that re-entering original product keys restored activation, and said the update installed automatically despite being labeled optional.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The incident suggests Microsoft's update targeting logic failed to properly distinguish subscription-based Microsoft 365 installs from perpetual, one-time-purchase Office licenses, causing unintended deactivations. Van Hautte's account that an 'optional' update installed without user consent raises questions about how much control administrators actually have over Windows Update behavior for business software. For IT managers, it points to a need for caution before allowing optional updates to reach production machines with perpetual licenses.
- Microsoft paused KB5002907 after reports of Office 2016/2019 perpetual licenses being deactivated or removed.
- An MSP reported dozens of affected PCs across five clients within minutes, fixed by re-entering product keys.
- The update was labeled optional but reportedly installed automatically on some systems.
Source: bleepingcomputer.com, 2026-09-26
Published there as: “Microsoft pauses KB5002907 update after Office license deactivations”
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