ARCHIVED: Before installing Microsoft Office on my Windows computer, should I uninstall previous versions?

UITS very strongly recommends that you uninstall any other versions of Microsoft Office on your Windows computer before installing a new version. To do so:

Note: If you have trouble removing Office from your computer, see Uninstall Microsoft Office in Windows

1. In Windows 8, press Win-q and select Control Panel. Alternatively, in Desktop view, move the mouse to the bottom right corner of the screen and select Settings, followed by Control Panel.

   In Windows 7 and earlier, from the Start menu, select either Control Panel, or Settings and then Control Panel.

2. Double-click Programs and Features; in Windows XP and earlier, double-click Add/Remove Programs.
3. In Windows Vista and later, find the older version of Microsoft Office in the list of programs. Double-click the older version to start the uninstall wizard, and follow the prompts to uninstall the program.

   In Windows XP and earlier, select the older version of Microsoft Office, and then click Add/Remove.... Then click OK.

Note: Other Microsoft applications sometimes conflict with a Microsoft Office installation. If you have Microsoft Works, Encarta, or an independent component of Microsoft Office (e.g., Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), remove it before attempting a new installation of Microsoft Office.