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How do I access Office 365 apps on my Win 10 computer that has Office 2019 apps?

Anonymous
2025-02-20T02:34:38+00:00

I have used Office 2019 since I purchased my Win 10 computer. I just downloaded Office 365, and installed the software. But I can't figure out how to access the 365 version of Word, Excel etc. When I click to open Word or Excel, the Office 2019 versions open.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For business | Windows

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  1. Charles Kenyon 167.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2025-02-20T23:53:46+00:00

    Your Home tab indicates to me that this is, indeed, Word 2019. The 365 Home tab in Windows looks like this:

    I say this because of the lack of the Dictation, Editor and CoPilot icons which are generally there in 365 absent some user intervention and were introduced after the release of 2019.

    Looking at your reply to Rhoda, I am guessing that you have not activated 365 in your account.

    In my opinion, uninstalling 2019 should make it easier to install 365.

    You would still have the ability to reinstall 2019.

    As I said, on my computer, there is confusion because I have two different implementations of Office 16 installed. (All releases of Office beginning with Office 2016 show the 16 number.)

    Note that not all versions of 365 have the desktop applications.

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  2. Charles Kenyon 167.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2025-02-20T04:11:26+00:00

    Word gets confused, in my experience.

    It does not seem to deal well with multiple licenses of version 16.

    I have Office 2021 and 365 installed on the same computer. When I start Word, the splash screen says Microsoft 365. If I go to File > Account > About Word, it says 2021.

    However, it has the Copilot lite that is part of 365 and other 365 features not implemented in 2021.

    If I use Switch License, it finds the 365 license, but nothing, including the indication of 2021, does not change.

    My guess is that you are seeing 365.

    Try posting a screenshot of your Home Tab.

    How to include a screenshot in your post here in the Microsoft Community

    If your system is working like mine, you would have to uninstall 365 to really get the 2019 features.

    I cannot say that my experience is how it works for you, though.

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  3. Charles Kenyon 167.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2025-02-25T13:42:01+00:00

    Interesting! So you think the one-time purchase version of Office is better than the 365 subscription?

    I am using 365 but think that for most of my purposes Word 2010 is superior.

    I cannot say that Word 2024 is superior or not.

    It will change less than 365 but there is no assurance that it will not be modified by Microsoft.

    365 lets you install on multiple devices, including computers.

    For example, I notice in your screenshot that the modification to the ribbon galleries to have one control that drops down and displays the entire gallery is present. This is a change that was implemented late last year. There used to be one that simply scrolled the gallery down one row as well.

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  4. Suzanne S Barnhill 278K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2025-02-22T01:48:13+00:00

    Sure enough, I've just updated, and I've got the "new look" back again. I have once again removed all the trash from the end of the Ribbon. But does the Registry edit no longer work to switch back the "new look"? I haven't tried it because I need to find your article that tells what the edit is.

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  5. Charles Kenyon 167.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2025-02-21T04:00:56+00:00

    To completely uninstall 2019 use the uninstall troubleshooter on this page.

    Uninstall Office from a PC - Office Support

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