Remove older versions of Office before installing
Clearing out Microsoft 365 trials and earlier Office versions so Office 2024 installs cleanly
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Last Update 10 days ago
Remove every other version of Office from the PC before you install Office LTSC 2024. Microsoft's rule is "You can't install two products of different versions if both use Click-to-Run and have overlapping Office applications." Many new PCs come with a Microsoft 365 trial already installed, often in several languages, and setup won't go ahead until it has gone.
Your documents aren't affected. Uninstalling Office removes the apps and leaves the files you made with them, as Uninstalling Office doesn't delete your files explains.
Uninstall in Settings
- Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Type Microsoft 365 in the search box. Uninstall every entry it finds, including entries that end in a language code such as en-gb, fr-fr or de-de.
- Search again for Office, and then for OneNote. Uninstall what you find, including older versions such as Office 2021, Office 2019 and Office 2016.
- Restart the PC once they've all gone.
To uninstall an entry, select the three dots next to it, choose Uninstall and confirm.
On older versions of Windows, or for a copy of Office that doesn't appear in Settings, use Control Panel. Open Programs > Programs and Features, select the Office entry and choose Uninstall.
If an entry won't uninstall
Microsoft's uninstall troubleshooter removes Microsoft 365, Office 2021, Office 2019 and Office 2016 completely, including pieces that a normal uninstall leaves behind. It runs through the Get Help app.
- Open Microsoft's page Uninstall Microsoft 365 or Office from a PC and select the button that starts the uninstall troubleshooter.
- If your browser says the site is trying to open Get Help, choose Open.
- Follow the prompts, and restart the PC when the troubleshooter asks.
Microsoft sets three limits on the troubleshooter. It runs on Windows 10 or later, it has to run on the same PC as the Office it removes, and "The uninstall troubleshooter currently can't uninstall Office 2024." If it doesn't remove everything, the same Microsoft page has steps for removing Office by hand.
Office 2016 and older installed with Windows Installer
Copies of Office 2016 and earlier that were installed with Windows Installer (MSI) can be left for the Office Deployment Tool to remove. The configuration file in our installation guide includes the RemoveMSI line, which Microsoft uses "to uninstall versions of Office, Visio, or Project from Office 2016 and earlier that were installed using Windows Installer (MSI)".
Licences left behind
An uninstall removes the apps but can leave an older version's licence on the PC. If Word shows an older product name on its Account page after Office 2024 is installed, follow Office shows an older version or a different product.
With the PC cleared, go on to Install Office 2024 Professional Plus or Standard.