What happens when your software licence expires?

What happens when your software licence expires depends on the type: a subscription switches to reduced functionality mode, a perpetual licence does not expire.

The outcome of a licence expired message differs greatly by type of software. With a subscription, the right to use stops and the program often switches to reduced functionality mode or blocks access. With a perpetual licence, nothing expires: it keeps working, just without new updates or support.

Important to know: in almost all cases you do not lose your files. The software restricts what you can do with them, but the documents, drawings and projects remain. Below you can see exactly what happens for each widely used program and what you can do about it.

The table below gives an overview first.

Microsoft 365 and Office

When a Microsoft 365 subscription expires, the apps on your PC go into reduced functionality mode. In this mode, most features are disabled. You can still open, view and print files, but you can no longer edit or save them.

The transition happens in stages:

• Expired with grace period: immediately after the expiry date, you usually keep full access for a short period, so you can renew without disruption.
• Reduced functionality mode: the apps then switch to read-only.
• Data retention: your documents and settings remain; only editing is blocked until you renew.

There is also a second reason why Office can end up in reduced functionality mode: if the software cannot check online for an extended period whether your subscription is valid. If a computer stays offline for around thirty days, Office cannot verify the status and you see a message that the subscription could not be checked. Connecting once solves that. The official explanation is at Microsoft 365 support.

Reduced functionality mode is therefore not a fault, but a deliberate state that blocks editing while reading remains possible. That distinction matters if you need a file urgently: you can still open and print it, even without a valid subscription. If you want to make changes, you must renew first. If you notice an app is unexpectedly in reduced functionality mode even though you pay, check that you are signed in with the correct account, because the licence is tied to that account.

Windows not activated

Windows does not have a subscription that expires, but it does have activation. If Windows is not activated, for example after a hardware change or with an invalid key, the system continues to work with a few limitations:

• Watermark: a message appears in the bottom right of the screen telling you to activate Windows.
• Personalisation blocked: you can no longer change the background, colours and themes.
• Reminders: Windows periodically shows a notification to activate.

Your files and programs remain fully usable. To check whether and when your Windows licence expires, use the slmgr command-line tool in an administrator Command Prompt:

slmgr /xpr     shows whether Windows is permanently activated or when it expires
slmgr /dli     shows the licence status and part of the key

With a valid permanent activation, slmgr /xpr reports that the machine is permanently activated. If you see a date or an error message instead, activation is not in order.

The situation where Windows is suddenly no longer activated often occurs after a major hardware change. A new motherboard makes Windows see the computer as a different machine, which invalidates an OEM activation. With a retail licence, you can activate again or re-enter the key. The limitations you see in the meantime are annoying but not blocking: you can simply continue working and restore activation at a convenient time.

Autodesk and SketchUp

Professional design software now works with a subscription, and expiry follows a fixed pattern.

With Autodesk, a subscription goes through three stages after the expiry date:

• Expired: the subscription has expired, but there is a 30-day grace period in which you can still request the installation files.
• Suspended: after the grace period, access is suspended.
• Cancelled: the subscription is eventually cancelled.

To regain access, you take out a new subscription. You do not lose your drawings themselves; it is access to the software that expires. The official procedure is at Autodesk support.

The 30-day grace period at Autodesk is useful to know. During that period, you can still request installation media and secure your environment, even though the licence has formally expired. After that period, only the option to retrieve download versions remains, and after the Cancelled stage you must place a new order to continue. If you are between two projects, planning around this can prevent access from being lost completely.

With SketchUp, you lose access to the subscription's products and services at the end of the term, usually a year. You do not automatically lose your files: the drawings you have saved remain. To learn how to manage and renew a SketchUp subscription in time, see Activate and manage a SketchUp licence.

A perpetual licence does not expire and keeps working, just without new updates.

Opposite the subscription is the perpetual licence. It has no expiry date. The version you bought keeps working whether you keep paying or not, because there is nothing to keep paying for.

What does disappear over time:

• Updates: new features and improvements stop, unless you buy a new version.
• Security updates: after support for that version ends, these also stop, which eventually becomes a risk.
• Support: help from the manufacturer is often limited to supported versions.

A perpetual licence therefore does not expire, but it does age. As long as the software runs on your system and you do not need to support new formats, you can keep using it for years.

One important note: some software with a perpetual licence still checks online during initial activation. Once that activation has succeeded, the software continues to work afterwards. Keep your installation file and licence key safe, because if you need to reinstall years later and the activation servers for an old version are no longer reachable, it can be difficult to confirm the licence again. A local copy of both prevents that problem.

What about your files?

The biggest concern when a licence expires is usually: will I lose my work? The answer is almost always no. The software restricts what you can do, but the files on your disk remain. It is wise to think ahead:

• Export to an open format while you still have full access, for example PDF or an exchangeable file type, so you can open the content later without the original software.
• Make a backup of important projects before a subscription expires.
• Note the expiry date of your subscription, so reduced functionality mode does not catch you by surprise.

This keeps you in control of your work, regardless of what happens to the licence. The way you receive and store a licence or key plays a part here; this is described in how digital delivery of a software licence works.

What you can do

The best step depends on whether you want to continue with the software:

1. If you want to continue: renew the subscription or activate again. With Office and Autodesk, your full features return after renewal, and your files are kept.
2. If you want to stop: export your important documents and projects to a format you can still open later, and make a backup.
3. If you are unsure about the key: check the licence type and status first before you buy or renew anything.

By keeping an eye on the expiry date and securing your work in time, you avoid surprises. An expiring licence then need be no more than a moment to choose: renew or wind down in a controlled way.

Also pay attention to automatic renewal. Many subscriptions renew themselves unless you cancel beforehand. That is convenient if you want to continue, but annoying if you intended to end the subscription and a new term is still charged. Check in your account whether automatic renewal is on or off, and adjust it to match your plans. That way you decide whether the licence continues or neatly ends on the date you had in mind.