If you have searched for "ProPlus2024Retail" or "ProjectPro2021Retail.img", you have met Office product IDs: the short codes Microsoft uses to tell its installer which edition to download and install. Getting the ID right is the difference between a clean activation and an error that no key will fix. This guide lists the common IDs for Office, Project and Visio 2024 and 2021, explains retail versus volume, and shows a working configuration file.
| Product | Retail product ID | Volume product ID |
|---|---|---|
| Office Professional Plus 2024 / LTSC Professional Plus 2024 | ProPlus2024Retail |
ProPlus2024Volume |
| Office LTSC Standard 2024 | None listed | Standard2024Volume |
| Office Home & Business 2024 | HomeBusiness2024Retail |
None |
| Office Home 2024 | Home2024Retail |
None |
| Project Professional 2024 | ProjectPro2024Retail |
ProjectPro2024Volume |
| Project Standard 2024 | ProjectStd2024Retail |
ProjectStd2024Volume |
| Visio Professional 2024 | VisioPro2024Retail |
VisioPro2024Volume |
| Visio Standard 2024 | VisioStd2024Retail |
VisioStd2024Volume |
| Office Professional Plus 2021 / LTSC Professional Plus 2021 | ProPlus2021Retail |
ProPlus2021Volume |
| Office LTSC Standard 2021 | None listed | Standard2021Volume |
| Office Home & Business 2021 | HomeBusiness2021Retail |
None |
| Project Professional 2021 | ProjectPro2021Retail |
ProjectPro2021Volume |
| Visio Professional 2021 | VisioPro2021Retail |
VisioPro2021Volume |
What is an Office product ID?
An Office product ID is a short code, such as ProPlus2024Volume or HomeBusiness2024Retail, that tells the Office Deployment Tool exactly which edition and licence channel to download and install, and it is different from your 25-character product key, which proves you own a licence and activates the installed edition.
Think of the two as a lock and a key. The product ID decides which lock is installed on the PC, and your product key has to fit that lock. If the edition or the channel is different, the key is valid but simply does not match.
Microsoft keeps the official list on its page of product IDs supported by the Office Deployment Tool for Click-to-Run. The IDs in the table above come from that page and from Microsoft's LTSC deployment guides.
What is the difference between ProPlus2024Retail and ProPlus2024Volume?
ProPlus2024Retail installs the retail edition of Office Professional Plus 2024, which activates with a retail key, while ProPlus2024Volume installs Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024, the volume-licensed edition that activates with a MAK or KMS, and the two use different update channels and lifecycle policies even though the apps look the same.
The volume edition must use the PerpetualVL2024 update channel, which Microsoft states is the only channel supported by Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024 and Standard 2024. Retail product IDs do not use the PerpetualVL channels; if no channel is set and no Microsoft 365 Apps are installed, the Office Deployment Tool defaults to Current Channel.
Cause and effect is the key point here. Microsoft states plainly that "if you use the wrong product ID, you can't activate Office", so a MAK key entered into a retail install, or a retail key entered into a volume install, ends in an activation error. Choose the ID based on the key type shown on your order, not on the name you prefer.
Which product ID should you use for your key?
Use a Volume product ID if your key is for an LTSC edition, such as Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024, Standard 2024, or the LTSC versions of Project and Visio, and use a Retail product ID if your key is for a retail edition, such as Office Professional Plus 2024 for one PC or Office Home & Business 2024.
-
Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024, for example our Office 2024 Pro Plus LTSC 3-device licence: use
ProPlus2024VolumewithPerpetualVL2024. -
Office LTSC Standard 2024: use
Standard2024VolumewithPerpetualVL2024. -
Office LTSC 2021 editions: use
ProPlus2021VolumeorStandard2021VolumewithPerpetualVL2021. -
Project or Visio 2024 LTSC, such as Project Professional 2024 LTSC: use
ProjectPro2024VolumeorVisioPro2024Volume.
What we commonly see in support is a buyer who copied a configuration file from a forum that used a retail ID, then entered a volume key. The fix is to uninstall, change the ID and channel, and install again; the key itself is fine.
What does a working configuration.xml look like?
A working configuration.xml for Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024 names the 64-bit edition, the PerpetualVL2024 channel, the ProPlus2024Volume product ID, your MAK key in the PIDKEY attribute and at least one language, and Microsoft also recommends the RemoveMSI element to remove older MSI-based Office versions during installation.
This example is based on Microsoft's Office LTSC 2024 deployment guide:
<Configuration>
<Add OfficeClientEdition="64" Channel="PerpetualVL2024">
<Product ID="ProPlus2024Volume" PIDKEY="#####-#####-#####-#####-#####">
<Language ID="en-us" />
</Product>
</Add>
<RemoveMSI />
<Display Level="Full" AcceptEULA="TRUE" />
</Configuration>
- Download the Office Deployment Tool from Microsoft and extract it to a folder such as
C:\ODT. - Save the XML above as
configuration.xmlin that folder, with your key in place of the hash marks. - Open Command Prompt as administrator and change to the ODT folder.
- Run
setup /configure configuration.xmlto download and install, or runsetup /download configuration.xmlfirst to create an offline copy.
You can also build the file with Microsoft's Office Customization Tool at config.office.com. For a full offline walkthrough, see our Office 2024 offline installer guide rather than repeating it here.
Can different Office product IDs be installed on the same PC?
You can install more than one product ID on the same PC, such as Office plus Project or Visio, but Microsoft requires all Office products on one device to use the same update channel, so a volume Office LTSC 2024 install on PerpetualVL2024 should be paired with volume Project or Visio 2024, not retail versions on a different channel.
To add Project to an existing LTSC install, add a second Product element, for example ProjectPro2024Volume, inside the same Add element with its own PIDKEY. Microsoft notes that volume Project and Visio 2024 can also use Microsoft 365 channels, to stay compatible with Microsoft 365 Apps on the same device.
Microsoft also does not support two products of different versions on one PC if both use Click-to-Run and include the same apps. That is why Office 2021 should be removed before installing Office 2024, which our guide on completely uninstalling old Office explains.
What are .img files like ProjectPro2021Retail.img?
An .img file is a disc image that Windows can open as a virtual drive, and Microsoft uses this format for its Office offline installers, which are named after the product ID, so a file called ProjectPro2021Retail.img would contain the retail Project Professional 2021 installer, not a key or a pre-activated copy.
Microsoft's own offline installer instructions use a file named after its product ID, O365HomePremRetail.img, and describe double-clicking the .img file, opening the virtual drive and running Setup32.exe or Setup64.exe from the Office folder. Retail images still need a valid retail key to activate.
The risk is in where the file comes from. Only use images from your Microsoft account or Microsoft's own servers, because modified images shared on download sites can include activators or malware. Our article on Office crack and KMS activator risks explains why.
How do you check which product ID is installed?
To check which Office edition and licence channel are installed, open Command Prompt as administrator, change to the Office16 folder under Program Files, and run cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus, which lists each installed licence with its name, its status and the last five characters of the product key in use.
For 64-bit Office the folder is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16, and for 32-bit Office on 64-bit Windows it is C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16. The licence name and description lines show whether the installed licence is a retail one or a volume one activated by MAK or KMS.
If the output shows a licence that does not match your key, that mismatch explains the activation error. Contact support@licencehouse.com with the output and your order number, and we will help you match the right product ID within the 30-day warranty period.
Frequently asked questions
Is ProPlus2024Retail a product key?
No. ProPlus2024Retail is a product ID, a label that tells the Office Deployment Tool which edition to install. It is not a key and cannot activate Office. You still need a genuine 25-character retail key for Office Professional Plus 2024. Any website offering a "ProPlus2024Retail key" for free should be treated with caution.
Which channel should I use with ProPlus2024Volume?
Use Channel="PerpetualVL2024". Microsoft states that this is the only update channel supported by Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024 and Office LTSC Standard 2024. For the 2021 volume editions, use PerpetualVL2021 instead. Using another channel with a volume ID can cause installation or update problems.
Why does Office say my product key is invalid?
The most common cause is a mismatch between the installed product ID and the key. A volume MAK key will not activate a retail install, and a retail key will not activate a volume LTSC install. Check the installed licence with ospp.vbs /dstatus, then reinstall with the product ID that matches your key.
Is there a Standard2024Retail product ID?
Microsoft's product ID list does not include a Standard2024Retail ID. Office Standard 2024 is offered as Office LTSC Standard 2024 through volume licensing, which installs with Standard2024Volume. Retail customers who want a similar app set usually choose Office Home & Business 2024, which uses HomeBusiness2024Retail.
Can I switch from a retail ID to a volume ID without reinstalling?
Not in a simple way. The safest path is to uninstall the existing Office, update configuration.xml with the correct product ID, channel and key, and install again. Your documents are not affected by uninstalling Office, and the reinstall usually takes only a few minutes on a good connection.