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How do I manually uninstall office so I can reinstall an earlier version from cd
Processes in Microsoft 365 for setting up Office apps, redeeming product keys, and activating licenses.
To determine if you have the 'Click to Run' version of Office, check if the Click to Run folder exists in this location on your C drive..
C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\ClickToRun
I do. Ironically it was last modified 09/25/2026.
So then what, follow the manual office uninstall directions for a click to run install?
Yes, that is correct, you need to follow the manual office uninstall directions for a click to run install
Open the Settings App.
Go to Apps - Installed Apps or Apps and Features.
Scroll down the list of installed apps to find Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365.
Click the 3 dots beside the Office app and from there, you can uninstall Office.
Niether Office or any of it's apps appear anywhere on my pc. They're gone from taskbar, settings>apps and start menu. All the remains are small folder inside the programs folders in C: drive.
Thank you for that information.
If the Office apps have been uninstalled, if you try to install the older version of Office, what error is indicated.
Something like unable to install a newer version detected.
If the uninstall was incomplete (for some reason), you may have to perform a manual uninstall instead. See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/lifecycle/manually-uninstall-office .
If Office was not uninstalled correctly, that will block the new Office installation, try performing a manual uninstall of Office using the steps on this link to remove all traces of the previous installation.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/lifecycle/manually-uninstall-office
Again, thank you for your diligence. One of the first steps in manually uninstalling Office is determining the install type. The only way I've found that I can open any of my Office files is using the online apps. With a Word file open, left clicking on File and left clicking on info, it appears that the only vaguely useful information available is session and build. I haven't been able to find anything about the nature of my install.
Thank you again. Once the manual install is complete that removes any possibility of a resolution from MS? Correct? My version of Office 2016 was a one time install through an at work program. That's the sticking point when I interact with chat support, if I can't provide the key/code the demonstrates a perpetual install they absolutely refuse to make me whole again. If I perform this manual uninstall, in the extremely unlikely event that MS would push an update to unravel the damage done by KB5002097, I wouldn't be able to benefit from it. Is that correct and in your experience what is the likelyhood of a fix?
If you purchased Office 2016 through the HUP (Home Use Program), do you find your Office licence linked to your account on this link https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/workplace-discount-program/order-history