For one reason or another, you may find yourself needing to install Microsoft Office for a second (or third or fourth) time. It used to be that you had to track down your original CD, and re-enter the 25 character activation code to install again. If you lost your code, or had used it too many times, you had to buy it again.
But now Microsoft tracks your software licenses using a Microsoft live/Windows account. This newer system allows you to easily reinstall your product as many times as needed, and it automatically handles disabling older installs. To reinstall Office, just follow the directions below and if needed, how to uninstall Office in case you are doing a uninstall and re-install together.
Now if you are having issues with Office opening or giving errors, we would recommend trying a repair of Office first, you can view our guide for that process here.
How to uninstall Office from your computer (if necessary):
If you need to uninstall Office first, please follow these simple steps. Otherwise, skip to the next part of the article!
1. Right click on the Start button, typically found at the lower left corner of the screen, then click on Apps and Features.
2. Locate the Office software in the list of apps, typically listed under Microsoft 365 or Office. Click on the Office app and select Uninstall.
3. Confirm the uninstall by clicking Uninstall again on the confirmation window.
Wait for the uninstall to finish. Once completed, Office will be removed from your computer. Restart your PC if prompted to by the uninstaller.
How to reinstall Office:
1. Open any web browser on your PC and go to Microsoft's website: https://account.microsoft.com
2. Sign into the Microsoft account where you registered your copy of Office. Enter in your email address and password for your account on the website.
3. Once signed in, select Services & Subscriptions at the top of the Microsoft Office window.
4. This page shows all your registered Office products. Locate the product you want to reinstall and click the Install button.
5. A pop-up frame will give you the option to Cancel or Install. You can also select “Other Options” if you need to download in a different language or specifically select 32- or 64-bit. Click on Install when ready.
6. A file download will begin.
Depending on your browser you will have the option to Save or Run the file. If saving, run/open the file after the download completes.
7. On the User Account Control window, select Yes to allow the program to make changes to your computer.
8. The installer will download and install your copy of Office.
9. Once the installation has finished, check that Office is signed into your account by opening any Office program such as Word, Excel, etc.
Select File at the top left, then Account at the bottom. If you see a Sign in button, click it and sign into your Microsoft account. (This is the same account information as the earlier steps).
