Can A Ms Office 2016 Product Key Be Reused?

If you get the permanent version of Office 2016 (as opposed to a 365 subscription) it will come with a product key used to activate, and you are licensed to use it on 1 computer. So I have a couple questions, one, if I have to reformat my computer can I reuse the product key? This would be legitimate use of the software as it is still on the same computer. My second question is, what is to stop somebody from installing it on two different computers and using the same product key? Is there some sort of online activation used, along the same lines as Windows? I am not condoning or suggesting that anybody should violate MS policies, I'm just wondering for my own information. Thanks.

 

Yes.

You can also legitimately use it on another PC so long as you uninstall it from the previous PC.

There is online activation.

 

So if you install on second computer and reactivate, how do they know that it's not the original computer having the software reinstalled?

 

When you install Microsoft Office (or Windows), a code based on the PC's hardware is generated. And when you re-install on the same PC, a different code is generated. But the code still 'tells' Microsoft it's the same PC. You can only re-activate MSO a certain number of times. After that, you'll have to contact Microsoft and explain why you again want to re-activate MSO. And if the installation is on a second PC, the installation on the original PC becomes illegal. While it will still be usable, you wont get updates... and it will still be illegal.

 

Ah ok. I figured it had something to do with hardware. Thanks.