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Is there a difference between Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021 - Retail Box vs the Digital Download?

Anonymous
2024-06-12T13:48:00+00:00

Wondering if I will run into any problems if I purchase the retail box version instead of teh digital download.

For example, if I install it and then for some reason have to wipe my Mac clean (or if the original laptop it was downloaded on had to be replaced), will I be able to reinstall again with either the retail box or digital download.

I believe the retail box comes with a supplied licence key, and the download is not that much different really, but please educate me if I am misunderstanding.

Also, I assume once i install it on a Mac I don't need to do anything special, as it is supposed to be compatible?

I think product codes are as follows:

EULA Manufacturer PN for retail box is: 79G-05386 For the digital download I think the code is 9337694074354

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | MacOS

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-06-13T08:36:07+00:00

    Dear Leah,

    Welcome to the Microsoft Community! Here, we will do our best to offer assistance to Microsoft users.

    Regarding the retail boxed and digital download versions of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021, basically both offer the same products and features. The retail boxed version usually comes with a physical package and license key, while the digital download version is available for download online.

    If you need to reinstall Office, either the retail boxed version or the digital download version, you can use your license key to activate the product. As long as you have a valid license key, you can re-download and reinstall Office at any time, even after purging your Mac or changing devices.

    As for Mac compatibility, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021 is compatible with macOS, so you don't need to do anything special after installing it on your Mac. Make sure your Mac meets the system requirements, such as operating system version and hardware configuration.

    Overall, whether you choose the retail boxed version or the digital download version depends largely on your preference. If you wipe your Mac after installing Office, since your Microsoft account was already tied to your Office subscription when you activated it previously, you can usually just log in to theServices & Subscriptionspage and choose to install Office on that page.

    We look forward to your feedback, if you find our response helpful, please feel free to click Yes or No below to help improve the quality of our service and help its users with similar questions, thank you for your feedback!

    I hope you find this information helpful. If you have any other questions, feel free to keep asking.

    Best regards,

    Ian - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-06-28T05:21:46+00:00

    Hello again Ian

    Are you able to assist me with another question please.

    I was wondering when a an new version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021 (since we are now half way through 2024 and this was released in 2021). So I did some Googling and apparently support for this version will stop in 2026.

    What does that actually mean? I assume that a new version will come out sometime in 2026, but does that mean I will not be able to use or safely use the Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021 version I plan to purchase after a new version is released?

    From various forums it seems after 2026, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021 is no longer "supported". Does this simply mean there are no security updates, and what impact or dangers does that come with.

    On my old Mac I am still using an old version for Word, Excel, etc from 2011. It still works (clearly no longer supported) but now I am concerned all these years I am been compromising myself.

    I would appreciate help in understanding all this.

    Also, if I decided to go the subscription instead (Microsoft 365), can you store your documents you create on your actual laptop, or do they have to be stored in the cloud. With Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021, any files created saved on your actual device which I prefer.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-06-13T13:48:06+00:00

    Hello Lean,

    I'm glad I was able to help！

    Please feel free to visit this community to ask questions or discuss any issues you may have with Microsoft products in the future.

    Best regards,

    Ian - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-06-13T12:53:39+00:00

    Hello Ian

    Thank you so very much for your assistance.

    It is so appreciated and helpful.

    Best regards

    Leah

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