Why is my computer still using Microsoft Office 2021 after installing Office 2024?

I had the same issue. i had 2 licences key on my computer.

1st step is to find your keys:

"Open the command line and executed the following commands:

cd C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16

cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus

Then I searched and pointed out the last 5 characters of the Office 2021 license.

Then executed this command:

cscript ospp.vbs /unpkey:XXXXX, where I replaced XXXXX with the 5 characters of my license.

And voilà."

Sitting comfortably folks - after two weeks with this issue and many, many tries, about to give up. - I found something very simple to resolve the conflict with Word/Excel/PowerPoint still showing 2021, after installing and re-installing three times.

I went to Microsoft Help again read through a few suggestions and found the below solution: ==== to ====

I tried to click on the link provided, and that didn't work but then opened each folder one at a time and that got me to the "culprit" Licenses folder- which had two files each with vague numbers and letters (no mention of Office etc). So what the heck deleted the two files. Went back and opened Word, then "File", then Account - and at last 2024!!!!! check Excel/PowerPoint ditto.

It could not be an easier solution - as to the very complex, here's how twenty lines!

Brilliant "The Oxymoron"!! - somehow I missed your solution over the past couple of weeks using the forum.

I didn't have to enter the purchase Product key or sign into my MS account.

=====================================

The Oxymoron Replied on November 10, 2024Report abuse

Hi,

This is due to the remaining license files of the old Office. The new Office has been installed but identifies itself incorrectly.

I had this problem too and found it extremely annoying.

Here's the solution:

Close all Office applications.

Use Explorer to go to c:\program data\Microsoft\office\licences and delete all files in this directory.
(The \program data folder may be hidden. If so, click on “show” at the top of explorer and then on “show hidden items”.)

Restart Word. You will be asked to log in or you can choose to enter the product key. Do not log in, but then enter the key again and the identification will normally be correct as Office 2024.

========================================================

Had this issue as well.

Even with uninstalling the older version and reinstalling the new version, it still defaults to the old version.

I found if you launch one of the apps, go under Account and find "Product Information". Under that there should be a new option "Switch Versions", select that and pick the new version. It should switch the Product Info to the other version, but still remains the same. You must then go below that and search for "Updates". It will try to update it to the latest/other version. I repeated this for all the apps.

Even then, it still might be the previous version. Go under Windows > Settings > Apps > Installed Apps > Microsoft Office and run a "Quick Repair" if it says it's the latest version. If it's still saying it's the previous one, uninstall it, reboot, and then reinstall the latest.

The critical key is to ensure the selected license version has been changed firstly before reinstalling or repairing it. Otherwise, it just ends up grabbing the older one each time.

First, I fully uninstalled Office Pro 2021, and second, I chose the Office 2024 license in my Accounts. When any Microsoft program opens, it show "2024" in the splash at initialization, but the program, itself, (Work, Excel, PowerPoint) is nothing but the Office 2021 version I had for three years. It is, in fact, Office 2021, notwithstanding the opening screen that shows "2024." That would be fine because Office Pro 2021 served me well, but the promotions, articles, and other media pitches to upgrade show noticeable differences and new facilities in 2024, and they just aren't there. I bought a new license for Office 2021.

Same here, and everything in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is exactly the same.