Have you ever wondered what happens if your office subscription expired and isn't renewed? We have already done it and you don't need to risk it.

Office 365 is a subscription. The service doesn't stop automatically if the subscription is not renewed. Office 365 allows you to renew a phone subscription automatically without losing data for 4 months.

Microsoft gives customers who have not paid or do not wish to renew their subscription the option to transfer all of their data through a three-step process. This process takes four months and both administrator and employee access are gradually declining. However, it allows you to renew your subscription for a long time. These are the steps that you must take when your office subscription expired.

Step 1: Expired (1-30 days after expiration)

Under the heading "Expired", the first step of the process is the one that follows. This is a free month because you still have full access to all the services. You still have access to all Office 365 services and applications that you had when you subscribed. You can also install new applications by not deleting any data from Microsoft servers (e-mails and files on OneDrive).

Administrators still have access to all functions of the Office 365 admin centre including licensing for new and existing employees. All data can be backed up if the company decides to discontinue using Office 365. During these 30 days, the global or billing administrator can renew the subscription.

Step 2: Disabled (31-120 days after expiration)

The subscription will be disabled for two to four months. This is the second step of the process. Only administrators are allowed access during this period. Administrators can still access the admin centre so IT staff can make a backup of all data stored on Microsoft's servers. You cannot arrange new licenses during this period.

Normal users cannot use their Office 365 account or associated services. Applications installed on the computer will be put in "reduced functionality", which means that many features and tools will no longer work. Files can be opened, viewed, printed, and scanned, but editing or saving them is not possible. The applications may not start if you open them from your desktop. However, if you need to open a particular document, the applications will still work. The global billing administrator can renew the subscription during this time.

Step 3: Deprovisioned (121+ days after expiration)

The final step is called "Deprovisioned", where you are officially deregistered. Administrators will not be able to use Office 365 applications and services. This means it won't be possible to create backups. Microsoft will begin erasing all data within the company from the 121st of the month. All data will be deleted from the servers within a reasonable time. You can request an expedited unsubscription if you need to ensure that your data are deleted quickly. This will erase all data from servers in 3 days.

Administrators cannot restore subscriptions or access data in the cloud. Office applications are therefore officially terminated. An organization will need to either purchase a new subscription or a stand-alone permanent license to continue using Office 365.