Fix Microsoft 365 Error AADSTS50020 After Tenant Migration
Question details
User needs to fix error AADSTS50020 in Office desktop applications after their organization moved to a new Microsoft Entra ID tenant.
- Product
- Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Opening and activating Microsoft Office desktop applications following an organizational tenant migration.
- Observed behavior
- OneDrive and Outlook work normally, but Word, Excel, and PowerPoint display error AADSTS50020 because the user account is not recognized in the new tenant.
Ensure you have your new organizational login credentials available and verify that your IT department has officially completed your account migration before troubleshooting.
Use the Office License Removal Tool and Contact Your Administrator
Clear cached credentials from the previous tenant using Microsoft's official tool, then have your IT admin activate your account in the new tenant.
When an organization migrates to a new Microsoft Entra ID tenant, Office applications often retain old activation data. Manually deleting files is not recommended; instead, Microsoft provides a dedicated tool to thoroughly clean old licenses.
After clearing the old license, your organization's IT administrator must ensure your account is properly added and activated in the new tenant environment.
Download the official Microsoft Office license-removal tool from the Microsoft support website.
Open the downloaded .pkg or .exe file and follow the on-screen prompts to clear your device's previous Office activation data completely.
Reboot your computer to ensure all cached credentials and registry changes are fully cleared.
Reach out to your university or organization IT administrator. Request them to follow Microsoft's specific AADSTS50020 troubleshooting guidance to verify your account identity exists in the new tenant.
Once the admin confirms your account is active in the new tenant, open Word or Excel and sign in with your new organizational credentials.
Use WPS Office to Keep Working During Tenant Migrations
If Microsoft 365 licensing errors like AADSTS50020 are locking you out of your important documents, try WPS Office. It is a free, lightweight alternative that lets you edit your files locally without relying on complicated cloud tenant activations.
- 1. Download and Install: Visit the WPS website to download the free WPS Office suite and install it on your device.
- 2. Open Your Existing Files: Right-click your Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents and select 'Open with WPS Office' to continue working immediately.
- 3. Save in Original Formats: Edit your files and simply hit Save. WPS Office retains the original Microsoft formats so you can seamlessly share them with colleagues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do OneDrive and Outlook work while Word and Excel show the AADSTS50020 error?
OneDrive and Outlook often use different authentication mechanisms or re-authenticate successfully on their own, whereas Word, Excel, and PowerPoint desktop applications tend to hold onto the old tenant's cached licensing and activation credentials.
Can I manually delete the license files instead of using the Microsoft tool?
It is strongly advised to use the official Microsoft Office license-removal tool. Manually deleting files can leave behind hidden registry keys or cached tokens that will continue causing the AADSTS50020 error.
What exactly does the AADSTS50020 error code mean?
This error signifies that your user account or identity provider does not exist in the targeted Microsoft Entra ID tenant. It usually occurs when logging in after an organization changes domains or migrates to a new IT environment.
