Attention, Microsoft 365 Family users! A wave of frustration is sweeping across the internet as reports flood in about a serious licensing crisis that has left many unable to access their beloved Office suite.

This morning, around 1100 UTC, chaos erupted as users discovered messages declaring, "Your subscription expired" or even worse, "Your subscription has been canceled." This predicament seems to be particularly targeting shared users of family accounts, while primary account holders continue to function normally.

Mark Allen, a tech support pro, shared an eye-opening experience he had with a small business client using Microsoft 365 Family. Despite their account showing them as active, they were met with the dreaded access denial. Allen found that many other users reported similar issues on platforms like Reddit and Microsoft’s own support forums.

As one frustrated Microsoft support forum member put it, the main account is functioning, but shared users are mysteriously marked as expired. To add to the growing list of complaints, another user expressed the agony of waiting hours for help via web chat, shouting, "Not acceptable!!!!!!!"

Efforts to fix the problem, such as removing and re-adding users, failed for many. While some reported that re-inviting users worked temporarily, it soon led to more errors. Allen humorously suggested turning to “pen and paper” and working from the pub instead.

One dismayed reader lamented, "Re-adding doesn't work, just says unlicensed, can't edit files etc!" The frustration is palpable as users demand answers.

We’ve reached out to Microsoft for clarification and an estimated timeline for resolving the issue, but as of now, no response has been received.

As of 1400 UTC, Microsoft acknowledged the problem, stating they are currently reviewing service data to pinpoint the source of these disruptions. Unfortunately, many users remain locked out and unable to access their crucial Office tools.

Stay tuned for updates on this developing story! If you’re affected, you’re definitely not alone, and help might still be on the way.