Uninstall/Reinstall? Unlink?

Question

I added a MacBook Air laptop for my Wife. I purchased a basic Windows Word Home Office suite. I entered it into her computer from my account. I already have a MacBook Pro with word installed for myself. When I installed the Word program into my wife's MacBook Air, all of my completed Word files from the MacBook Pro now are in her laptop. I want to keep my other computer as it was, I want to have the Windows I purchased for her working in her laptop, but I do not want my documents in her laptop. What do I need to do to retain word in her laptop (MacBook Air), retain Word in my laptop (MacBook Pro) and not have my documents appear in both? Will I have to uninstall and wait 90 days to use my new window app?

Answer 1

Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

May I please know which edition of Microsoft Office you purchased or have a license for? If you have a standalone license for Microsoft Word, please note that it is limited to use on only one PC.

If you would like to use Office applications on another device with a different Microsoft account, you will need a Microsoft 365 Family subscription, which allows you to share Office with up to five additional members (six users total).

Please go to https://account.microsoft.com/services, sign in with your Microsoft account, and check which edition of Microsoft Office you are licensed for, then share that information here.

You can unlink your account from the Microsoft Word application on her Mac, which will remove access to your synced files on her PC. And, there is no time limit or waiting period required for uninstalling and reinstalling the Office applications.

---

Answer 2

To resolve the issue of having your documents appear on both your MacBook Pro and your wife's MacBook Air while retaining Word on both devices, you can follow these steps:

1. Unlink Your Account: If you installed Word on your wife's MacBook Air using your Microsoft account, the files may be syncing due to that account. You can unlink her MacBook Air from your Microsoft account to stop the sync. This will prevent your documents from appearing on her device.
2. Use Separate Accounts: Consider creating a separate Microsoft account for your wife. This way, she can use Word without accessing your files. You can install Word on her MacBook Air using her new account.
3. Uninstall and Reinstall: If you decide to uninstall Word from her laptop and reinstall it using a different account, you may not need to wait 90 days as long as you use a different Microsoft account for the installation. However, if you uninstall Office, ensure that you follow the proper steps to remove it completely before reinstalling.
4. File Management: Make sure to save your documents in a location that is not synced with her device. You can use cloud storage options like OneDrive or save files locally on your MacBook Pro.

By following these steps, you should be able to keep your Word installations separate and manage your documents effectively.

---

References:

• How to reinstall Office & Student 2019 - Microsoft Q&A
• "Microsoft program cannot be opened because of a problem" error when you start an Office program