Overwriting Microsoft office 2010 with 365

Question

I have Microsoft Office 2010 installed on a windows 10 machine, a family member has the 365 family edition. If I install 365, will 365 replace word etc or do I need to uninstall 2010 first prior to installing 365 ?

Answer 1

To install Microsoft 365 on a machine that currently has Microsoft Office 2010, it is recommended to uninstall the older version first. This helps avoid potential conflicts between the two versions. However, if you prefer to keep Office 2010 temporarily, you can install Microsoft 365 side-by-side with it, but this may depend on compatibility with any third-party add-ins you may be using.

If you decide to uninstall Office 2010, you can use the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant tool to help with the uninstallation process if you encounter any issues.

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References:

• Upgrade your Microsoft 365 for business users to the latest apps
• Remove existing MSI versions of Office when upgrading to Microsoft 365 Apps

Answer 2

Hi Peter,

Yes. It’s best to uninstall Office 2010 before installing Microsoft 365. Installing 365 over 2010 can cause version conflicts, duplicate icons, or unpredictable behavior in Word, Excel, and other apps. Removing the older version first ensures a clean installation and avoids complications.