Installation Help - Wrong Office version

Help with removing a wrong Office version

Do you already have a version of Microsoft Office on your computer, such as Microsoft 365 , Microsoft 365 for Business , Office 2019 , or an older version? This could cause problems when installing your new Office license.

Why delete?
Different Office versions can interfere with each other. Therefore, it's important to completely uninstall old or incorrect versions before installing the new one .

How do I check which version I have?
 Open an Office program such as Word or Excel. Click " File " in the top left corner, then " Account " on the left. Under the " Product Information " heading, you'll see which Office version is installed.

In the case of Office 2024, it should say: Microsoft Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024
 In the case of Office 2021, it should say: Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2021

For example, if you purchased Office 2024 but see "Microsoft 365" listed, this means you still have an older version or that an older version hasn't been completely removed. Follow the steps below.

Step 1 – Log out of your Microsoft account

To sign out of Office:

  1. Open Word or Excel
  2. Click File at the top left
  3. Click on Account
  4. Under User Information, click Log Out
  5. Close all Office programs completely

Also unlink old Office products in your Microsoft account

This prevents Office from automatically linking an incorrect license to your installation.

1. Go to https://account.microsoft.com/services and search for Office products such as:

  • Microsoft 365
  • Office 2016 / 2019
  • Office trials

2. Click on Manage App or Manage Installations

3. Click Unpair or Remove Device if displayed

Step 2 – Remove all old Office versions

Use the official Microsoft removal tool:

Click the button below to download the tool from Microsoft:

👉 Use Microsoft's removal tool

Run the file and follow these steps:

  • Select your Office version from the list (such as “Office 365” or “Office 2019”).
  • Select Delete .
  • Restart your computer once the tool is done.
  • Tip: Repeat this process if you have had multiple versions on your PC.

Step 3 – Check if everything has been removed

Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features and see if any Office products are still listed. If so, uninstall them manually. Note: Also uninstall Microsoft OneNote and Microsoft 365 .

Step 4 – Restart the PC

Step 5 – Install the correct Office version

Then follow the instructions on our installation page to install the correct version:

👉 Instruction pages

❗ Still not working?

Sometimes an old license or installation file remains on your system. In that case, follow these additional steps for a thorough removal and reinstallation:

Step 6 - Use the Microsoft SaRA tool again:

👉 Uses the Microsoft removal tool

→ Select: “Delete all versions”
→ Restart your computer
→ If you can't complete this step, proceed to step 2.

Step 7 - Manually remove leftover folders:

Open File Explorer and delete (if still present):

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Office\

Step 8 - Remove old activation data from the registry:

Press Windows + R, type 'Regedit' and press ENTER

Remove these keys if present:

  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office
  • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office

Step 9 - Restart the PC

Step 10 - Install the correct Office version

Then follow the instructions on our installation page to install the correct version:

👉 Instruction pages

Still can't figure it out?

Send us an email with:

  • A brief explanation of your problem
  • A screenshot of any error messages
  • What steps you have already tried

📧 Contact form

We are happy to help you!