How to remove old license and register with newer version 2024 license

Venkatesan Ramasamy 20 Reputation points
2026-07-14T06:07:34.6766667+00:00

I have an Office 2024 Professional Plus key,I tried this on a machine with Office 2016 already installed as I want to remove the old one and install Office 2024

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For business | Windows
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Answer accepted by question author
Jade Ng 15,665 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-07-14T06:44:22.2166667+00:00

Dear @Venkatesan Ramasamy,

If the PC already has Office 2016 installed and you want to use an Office 2024 Professional Plus license instead, the recommended approach is to completely uninstall Office 2016 first, then install Office 2024 Professional Plus and activate it with the new key. Microsoft notes that older Office installations can cause conflicts with newer versions, especially when installation technologies differ.

1.Uninstall Office 2016

  • Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features
  • Select Microsoft Office 2016
  • Click Uninstall
  • Restart the computer

2.If Office 2016 doesn't uninstall cleanly

Use Microsoft's Office uninstall troubleshooter (SaRA) or perform a manual uninstall. Microsoft recommends the uninstall tool first.

For reference: Office uninstall with the command line version of Get Help - Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn

3.Install Office 2024 Professional Plus

If your key is a Volume License (Professional Plus is typically a volume-licensed edition), install Office 2024 using the media or deployment package provided with the license. Microsoft notes that Office Professional Plus may not be associated with a Microsoft account and is often deployed differently from retail editions.

4.Activate Office 2024

  • Open any Office app (Word, Excel, etc.)
  • Enter the new Office 2024 Professional Plus product key when prompted
  • Complete activation

Appreciate your patience and understanding and thank you for your time and cooperation. Please feel free to reply below if you have any update or further concern.  

I am looking forward to your response!


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