Product Key Issues

How to Recover a Lost Office 2013 Product Key After Retirement

WPS Content Manager Oct 1, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to recover or transfer a Microsoft Office 2013 license that was provided by a former employer, as the original product key and work account are no longer accessible.

How to Recover a Lost Office 2013 Product Key After Retirement

Product: Microsoft Office 2013
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to reinstall or activate an employer-provided version of Office 2013 after retiring or leaving the company.
Observed behavior: The software cannot be activated because the user no longer has access to the work account or the original product key tied to the employer's volume license.

Before you start

Before attempting recovery, check if you still have access to any physical documentation, receipts, or emails related to your original Office 2013 installation, and verify whether you might have linked the software to a personal email address instead of your work account.

Solution 1Recommended

Contact Your Former Employer's IT Department

Since the software was purchased through an employer, the license is likely managed by their IT or licensing administrator.

Microsoft cannot recover product keys that were supplied through an employer or a volume-licensing program. The administration of these keys is handled entirely by the organization that purchased them.

Reach out to the IT administrator

Contact your former employer’s IT department or software licensing administrator to inquire about your Office 2013 license.

Verify license transferability

Ask the administrator to confirm whether the specific license type you were using is transferable to a personal device after retirement.

Request the installation media or key

If the license is transferable and yours to keep, request the 25-character product key and the appropriate installation media from the IT department.

Contact Your Former Employer's IT Department

Volume Licensing Restrictions: Many enterprise and employer-provided licenses are strictly non-transferable and remain the property of the organization once employment or retirement begins.

Solution 2

Check Your Personal Microsoft Account

If you associated the Office 2013 license with a personal Microsoft account during the initial setup, you can retrieve it online.

Solution 3

Acknowledge Office 2013 End of Support (EOL)

Understand the security risks of continuing to use Office 2013 and consider moving to a supported platform.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Upgrade to WPS Office for a Free, Secure Experience

With Office 2013 reaching its end of support, upgrading is essential for your digital security. WPS Office provides a highly compatible, completely free, and familiar alternative that seamlessly opens and edits all your old Office documents without the hassle of lost product keys.

1. Visit the WPS Website: Go to the official WPS Office website to download the free installer for your PC or Mac.
2. Install the Software: Run the downloaded setup file and follow the quick on-screen instructions to install the suite.
3. Open Your Old Files: Launch WPS Office and directly open your existing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents without losing any formatting.

100% compatible with Microsoft Office formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx)Completely free to use with no complex product keys or enterprise licenses requiredLightweight design ensures fast installation on any personal deviceFamiliar user interface makes the transition from Office 2013 effortless

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Microsoft Support recover my employer-provided Office 2013 key?

No, Microsoft cannot recover keys that were issued through an employer's volume-licensing program. You must contact your former employer's IT department to manage or retrieve those specific licenses.

Is it safe to continue using Office 2013 if I find the key?

Using Office 2013 is no longer recommended for security reasons. The product reached its end of support in April 2023 and no longer receives critical security updates from Microsoft.

Can I extract the Office 2013 product key from my old computer's registry?

Third-party key finder tools can sometimes extract product keys from the registry. However, for Office 2013 volume licenses and modern Office installations, the registry usually only stores the last five characters of the product key, which is not enough to reinstall the software.

Will my old Office 2013 files open in newer Office software?

Yes. Standard document formats created in Office 2013 (such as .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx) are fully compatible with newer versions of Microsoft Office, as well as free alternatives like WPS Office.

Installation & Activation