how do I transfer my excel from a previous computer

To transfer Excel (Office) from a previous computer to a new one, the Office license must be moved and Excel reinstalled on the new device.

1. On the old computer
   • Uninstall Office/Excel from the old PC. This is required for one-time purchase licenses such as Office Home & Business, Home & Student, or Professional.
   • For Office 2021/2019/2016 one-time purchases, the license may be transferred to another computer that belongs to the same owner, but not more than once every 90 days (except in case of hardware failure). When transferred, no copies may remain on the old PC.
2. Install Office/Excel on the new computer
   • If Excel is part of an Office one-time purchase (for example, Office Home & Student 2016/2019/2021):
     • Install Office on the new PC using the original installation method (for example, from the Microsoft account services page or installation media) as described in the relevant install article such as "Install Office on your PC or Mac".
     • During setup or first run, when prompted, enter the same product key that was used on the old computer.
   • If Excel is part of a Microsoft 365 subscription:
     • Sign in on the new PC with the same Microsoft account used for the subscription and install Office from there.
3. Activate Office/Excel on the new computer
   • After installation, start Excel.
   • If online activation reports that the maximum number of activations has been reached (because it was previously installed on the old PC), use phone activation as described in the activation article. For one-time purchases moved to new hardware, activation by phone may be required.
4. If only files need to be moved
   • Excel files (workbooks) are separate from the Excel application. Copy them from the old PC to the new one using an external drive, network drive, or another transfer method. Then open them in Excel on the new PC.

If the license is an older perpetual Office version, also confirm it is compatible with the Windows version on the new PC (for example, Office 2007 and earlier are not compatible with Windows 10).

References:

• Transfer your Office license to another device or another person
• Activate Office after reinstalling or installing on a different device
• Find your Office apps in Windows
• Move your files to a new Windows PC
• Move my Home and Student 2016 to a new computer - Microsoft Q&A
• I have a subscription to Office 365 and want to install it on my new laptop - Microsoft Q&A
• How to install my 365 accounts on a new computer - Microsoft Q&A
• move microsoft 360 to new computer - Microsoft Q&A