Microsoft 365 license check bug blocks desktop app downloads

News

Featured
Latest

North Korea lures engineers to rent identities in fake IT worker scheme

Shai-Hulud 2.0 NPM malware attack exposed up to 400,000 dev secrets

Microsoft "mitigates" Windows LNK flaw exploited as zero-day

University of Phoenix discloses data breach after Oracle hack

Russia blocks FaceTime and Snapchat over use in terrorist attacks

Create compliance docs with this $40 governance & cybersecurity bundle

CISA warns of Chinese "BrickStorm" malware attacks on VMware servers

Contractors with hacking records accused of wiping 96 govt databases

Tutorials

Latest
Popular

How to access the Dark Web using the Tor Browser

How to enable Kernel-mode Hardware-enforced Stack Protection in Windows 11

How to use the Windows Registry Editor

How to backup and restore the Windows Registry

How to start Windows in Safe Mode

How to remove a Trojan, Virus, Worm, or other Malware

How to show hidden files in Windows 7

How to see hidden files in Windows

Webinars
Downloads

Latest
Most Downloaded

Qualys BrowserCheck

STOPDecrypter

AuroraDecrypter

FilesLockerDecrypter

AdwCleaner

ComboFix

RKill

Junkware Removal Tool

Deals

Categories

eLearning

IT Certification Courses

Gear + Gadgets

Security

VPNs

Popular

Best VPNs

How to change IP address

Access the dark web safely

Best VPN for YouTube

Forums
More

Virus Removal Guides
Startup Database
Uninstall Database
Glossary
Send us a Tip!
Welcome Guide

HomeNewsMicrosoftMicrosoft 365 license check bug blocks desktop app downloads

Microsoft 365 license check bug blocks desktop app downloads

By Sergiu Gatlan

December 4, 2025
08:18 AM
0

​Microsoft is investigating and working to resolve a known issue that prevents customers from downloading Microsoft 365 desktop apps from the Microsoft 365 homepage.
As detailed in a Wednesday incident report (OP1192004) seen by BleepingComputer, this bug has been impacting users since November 2nd, causing Office Client issues for affected customers.
Microsoft has already developed and is now testing a fix to address the issue and added that it will provide an update on progress by 6:30 PM UTC later today.
While it noted that the bug may affect any user who attempts to download Microsoft 365 desktop apps, it has not yet provided more details on the extent of the problem.
However, when it acknowledged the issue this morning, Microsoft tagged it as an incident, a designation used for critical service issues that usually involve noticeable user impact.
"Our analysis of the components of Microsoft 365 infrastructure, as well as recently deployed changes, identified that a recent service update containing a code issue is impacting the license check process, leading to users being unable to download Microsoft 365 desktop apps from the homepage," Microsoft said.
"We're continuing to validate and test the aforementioned fix in our internal environment to ensure its efficacy prior to deploying it to the affected infrastructure and we expect to provide an estimated deployment time line by our next scheduled update."
Microsoft is also working to resolve a known issue that blocks some users from opening Excel email attachments in the new Outlook client due to an encoding error in Excel file names.
One year ago, Microsoft addressed another known issue triggered by licensing changes that caused random "Product Deactivated" errors for customers using Microsoft 365 Office apps, while last month, it resolved a bug caused by misconfigured authentication components that prevented customers from installing the Microsoft 365 desktop apps on Windows devices.

Break down IAM silos like Bitpanda, KnowBe4, and PathAI
Broken IAM isn't just an IT problem - the impact ripples across your whole business.
This practical guide covers why traditional IAM practices fail to keep up with modern demands, examples of what "good" IAM looks like, and a simple checklist for building a scalable strategy.
Get the guide

Related Articles:
Microsoft: New Windows scheduled task will launch Office apps fasterMicrosoft Defender for Office 365 now blocks email bombing attacksMicrosoft is speeding up the Teams desktop client for WindowsSneaky2FA PhaaS kit now uses redteamers' Browser-in-the-Browser attackThunderbird adds native support for Microsoft Exchange accounts

License
Microsoft 365
Microsoft Office

Sergiu Gatlan
Sergiu is a news reporter who has covered the latest cybersecurity and technology developments for over a decade. Email or Twitter DMs for tips.

Previous Article
Next Article

Post a Comment Community Rules

You need to login in order to post a comment

Not a member yet? Register Now

You may also like:

Popular Stories

ChatGPT is down worldwide, conversations disappeared for users

Marquis data breach impacts over 74 US banks, credit unions

Glassworm malware returns in third wave of malicious VS Code packages

Sponsor Posts

Empowering IT teams with intelligence driven cyber threat research.

Hackers love the holidays! Share FREE Security Awareness Training to keep family & friends cyber-safe!

Overdue a password health-check? Audit your Active Directory for free

AI is a data-breach time bomb: Read the new report

Follow us:

Main Sections

News
Webinars
VPN Buyer Guides
SysAdmin Software Guides
Downloads
Virus Removal Guides
Tutorials
Startup Database
Uninstall Database
Glossary

Community

Forums
Forum Rules
Chat

Useful Resources

Welcome Guide
Sitemap

Company

About BleepingComputer
Contact Us
Send us a Tip!
Advertising
Write for BleepingComputer
Social & Feeds
Changelog

Terms of Use - Privacy Policy - Ethics Statement - Affiliate Disclosure

Copyright @ 2003 - 2025 Bleeping Computer® LLC - All Rights Reserved

Login

Username

Password

Remember Me

Sign in anonymously

Sign in with Twitter

Not a member yet? Register Now

Reporter

Help us understand the problem. What is going on with this comment?

Spam

Abusive or Harmful

Inappropriate content

Strong language

Other

Read our posting guidelinese to learn what content is prohibited.

Submitting...
SUBMIT

Microsoft is currently experiencing an incident impacting the ability of users to download Microsoft 365 desktop applications. As detailed in a Wednesday incident report (OP1192004), this issue, originating on November 2nd, has prevented users from accessing the Microsoft 365 homepage and initiating downloads of the Office Client applications. Microsoft has classified this as a critical service issue due to the noticeable user impact.

The core of the problem stems from a recent service update containing a code issue that interferes with the license check process. Microsoft’s investigation, highlighted in a morning communication, pinpointed this flawed update as the root cause of the download obstruction. The company is presently validating and testing a fix within its internal environment prior to deployment, with an estimated update timeframe expected by 6:30 PM UTC today.

Beyond the primary download issue, Microsoft is also addressing a separate problem affecting some users’ ability to open Excel email attachments within the new Outlook client due to an encoding error related to file names. This indicates a multi-faceted problem with the Microsoft 365 infrastructure.

This incident follows a similar problem encountered last year involving licensing changes that triggered "Product Deactivated" errors for Microsoft 365 Office app users. Furthermore, a bug addressed just last month related to misconfigured authentication components had previously disrupted the installation of Microsoft 365 desktop applications on Windows devices. The ongoing investigation suggests a pattern of deployment-related issues within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

The company has categorized this as a priority incident, signifying the level of impact and urgency surrounding the resolution. The current focus is on verifying the efficacy of the fix before broader deployment.