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

Anonymous
2024-10-03T23:45:42+00:00

I just bought and installed the stand-alone Microsoft Office 2024 (Home & Business edition, 64-bit) after using Microsoft Office 2021 since it came out several years ago. I was expecting my Office files I open in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint to open in Office 2024 tonight, but they're still opening in the Office 2021 apps (and it's not just a matter of 2024 still carrying 2021 logos because none of the features new to 2024 are there; it's just the same layout as always).

I can't even find any .exe files in my Program Files → Microsoft Office → Office16 folder. Everything is still intact in the Microsoft Office 15 folder, but that "Office16" folder has hardly anything in it, and definitely nothing that looks like it could launch an app. I am reasonably sure that my computer isn't the issue: I'm running Windows 11 Pro on an MSI Titan with three SSD cards and 64 Gb of RAM. I've rebooted my computer twice, just in case it was one of those Microsoft things about installations not completing until the reboot, but that didn't help. So what's going on? Did I just pay $250 plus tax for vaporware?

***Moved from Microsoft 365 and Office / Other / For business / Other***

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | Other | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-01-08T17:14:07+00:00

    Same problem as everyone else. Bought Office 2024, and was looking forward to a new and fresh version of Office...it needed it. Cannot stand 365.

    When through the simple steps of uninstalling Office 2021.

    Installed Office 2024, and what do you know...Office 2021 loads.

    Spent countless hours looking at various forums, and trying numerous attempts to fix it.

    No point calling MS, as you just have to go over the whole thing with two or three different people.

    Not good enough MS. Yuo are driving people mental. Fix it up.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-11-01T01:30:49+00:00

    Even if you uninstall 2021 it still shows 2021 in the Product Information Box

    Open WORD go to File/Account and in the top right select the SWITCH LICENSE box. Then select MICROSOFT HOME AND BUSINESS 2024.

    I tried that multiple times with the same result - it changes the open app to the 2024 version and I feel like it is fixed. But when I close it down and open it again, it reverts back to the 2021 version.

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-10-29T08:06:43+00:00

    You have several comments already on this thread telling you that does nothing. We see "2024" in the front splash, but all that opens is the 2021 version. Switching the license does not change the actual apps. The 2021 version is already uninstalled, yet somehow it's still the version that executes whether we're trying to open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-10-23T17:53:51+00:00

    Before anyone does that, we need a Microsoft mod to verify this solution.

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-10-06T23:16:42+00:00

    I'm having this issue also.

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