When upgrading to Win 11 via a Clean Install, must I first uninstall MS Office 2019?

Question

I am ready to upgrade to Win 11. I want to do a Clean Install, as opposed to an install in place. I have MS Office 2019. Must I uninstall MS Office before doing the clean install?

Answer 1

When performing a clean install of Windows 11, it is generally recommended to uninstall any existing versions of Office, including Office 2019, prior to the installation. This is to avoid potential conflicts or issues during the installation process. However, since a clean install will remove all applications and data from the system drive, Office 2019 will be uninstalled as part of the clean installation process. Therefore, while it is not strictly necessary to manually uninstall it beforehand, doing so can help ensure a smoother transition.

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References:

• Windows 10 upgrade to Windows 11 considerations

Answer 2

A "clean install" usually means that you wipe the current content of the drive, so you would lose not just your Office installation but any other applications as well as your personal data files.

It is very important that you make backups before you start the clean install.

Once Windows is up and running again, reinstalling Office shouldn't cause any problems, unless you update the hardware (drive, motherboard) on the PC. Any hardware updates may require that you reactivate Office.