Can you reinstall Office with the same product key?

A step-by-step guide to install or reinstall Office on any Windows device

Updated on October 17, 2022

What to Know

  • After purchase, sign in and enter the product key. Then, select Install Office > Run > Yes on UAC > Yes to install > Close.
  • To reinstall Office, go to My Account, select the download link, and follow the installation instructions

This article explains how to download and install Microsoft 365 or Office 2019 on a Windows or Mac laptop, computer, or tablet.

How to Install Microsoft Office

After you purchase Microsoft Office, activate and download the product. Detailed instructions are included in the packaging if you buy the software at a retail store or order a key card online from someplace like Amazon. If you order directly from Microsoft, you'll get the link in an email. There’s an "Install Office" link on the receipt.

If your organization uses volume license versions, your company's IT department might use a different method to install Office. Talk to your IT department for installation help.

  1. Visit setup.office.com and sign in with your Microsoft account or create a new account.

  2. Enter your product key (or activation code). This product key lets Microsoft know the software was purchased legally. The key comes with any physical packaging you receive and is included in an email if you ordered digitally. Select your country or region and language, as well.

    Write this activation code down and keep it in a safe place. You’ll use it if you need to reinstall Microsoft Office.

  3. Select Install Office. After the installation file is downloaded, what happens next depends on which web browser you use. When you select Install, a dialog window at the bottom prompts you to either run the file, save it, or cancel. Select Run and work through the installation process.

    The easiest way to install Microsoft Office is to use the Edge browser.

  4. If the User Account Control asks whether you want to allow the app to make changes to your device, select Yes.

  5. Once you run the downloaded file, the installation process begins automatically. If Windows asks if you want to allow the installation, select Yes. If it prompts you to close any open programs, select Yes again.

  6. The install is finished when you see the phrase, "You're all set! Office is installed now," and an animation plays to show you where to find Office applications on your computer. Select Close.

  7. Microsoft Office is now installed and ready to use.

    You might be prompted to install updates to Office. If so, allow those updates to happen.

To reinstall Microsoft Office, go to My Account and select the download link if you don't already have the installation file on your hard drive. Then, follow the instructions outlined above. If you do have the file, run it to begin the installation process again.

FAQ

  • Can I install Microsoft Office for free?

    Yes. You can download the Microsoft Office 365 free trial to try Word and other programs for free, but you'll have to subscribe to continue using after the trial expires.

  • Can I install multiple versions of Microsoft Office on one computer?

  • How long does it take to install Microsoft Office?

    It depends on your internet connection, but it can generally take up to 20 minutes for Microsoft Office to install. If it takes longer, you might want to check your internet connection.

Thanks for letting us know!

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When it comes to utility tools, Microsoft Office has to be one of the most resourceful toolkits of different applications. Though, there are times when we simply switch to a new computer and would like to transfer MS Office on it as well. Ideally, there are different ways to do it, depending on the kind of license you own. In this post, I will quickly discuss how to transfer Microsoft Office to another computer, exploring the two commonly encountered scenarios.

Can you reinstall Office with the same product key?

Method 1: Transfer Microsoft Office To Another Computer with Office 365 Subscription

If you have got a Microsoft Office subscription, then it would have been linked to your account instead. This is a smarter approach and lets us move our Office suite from one system to another. You simply need to deactivate your Office 365 subscription from your first computer, install it on your new system, and activate the subscription there. Here is a stepwise solution on how to transfer Microsoft Office to another computer via Office 365 subscription.

Step 1: Deactivate the subscription on your old computer

At first, we need to unlink your previous computer with your Office 365 subscription. For this, you can go to the Microsoft Office website and log-in to your linked account.

Can you reinstall Office with the same product key?

Once you sign-in, go to the “My Account” section from the top (by exploring its more options). Now, browse to the “Install” section to get more options related to your account. From here, you can just select to deactivate MS Office on your system and confirm your choice.

Can you reinstall Office with the same product key?

Afterward, you can go to Control Panel > Add or Remove a Program and simply uninstall MS Office from your first computer.

Step 2: Install MS Office on your new computer

To learn how to transfer Microsoft Office to another computer, you need to first download its installer. For this, go to its website on your new computer, visit your Microsoft Account > Install and download the installer file on your system.

Can you reinstall Office with the same product key?

Now, launch the installer and go through a simple click-through wizard to install MS Office on your computer. Make sure that you sign-in to the same Microsoft Office account that was previously linked to your computer.

Can you reinstall Office with the same product key?

Step 3: Authenticate your Office 365 subscription

To complete the setup, you need to enter your product key so that it can be linked to your account. If you don’t remember the product key, then you can just go to your Microsoft Account > Services & Subscription and view your product key from here.

Can you reinstall Office with the same product key?

In the end, simply enter this product key while installing MS Office on your new system. This will authenticate the software and you can use it without any complications on your new computer now.

Can you reinstall Office with the same product key?

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Method 2: How to Transfer Microsoft Office 2010 to Another Computer?

If you have a Microsoft Office 2010 or 2013 license instead that is not connected to Office 365, then the process would be slightly different. Before you start, make sure that the license of MS Office that you own allows the transfer of the product to another system. Also, in some versions, the number of times we can transfer MS Office is restricted. Therefore, to learn how to transfer Microsoft Office 2010/2013 to another computer, you need to check its license type and version in advance.

Step 1: Check the license type of MS Office

This is the most important thing that you need to do before you transfer your MS Office on any other computer. Firstly, go to the Start Menu and look for “Cmd” to launch Command Prompt as an administrator on your first computer.

Can you reinstall Office with the same product key?

Once the Command Prompt is opened, type the “cd \” command to change the directory of your system. This would be followed by “cd” and the path where MS Office is installed on your computer. Mostly, it is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office in Windows PC.

Can you reinstall Office with the same product key?

After moving to the respective folder, enter the “cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus” command and check the license type you own. As of now, Retail, FPP, PKC, HUP, ESD, and POSA are the license types that can be transferred to another system.

Can you reinstall Office with the same product key?

Step 2: Uninstall MS Office from your old PC

If the license type you have allows the reinstallation of MS Office, then you need to first uninstall it on your first computer. To do this, you can go to the Start menu and look for the “Add or remove programs” option.

Alternatively, you can go to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features to get this. From the list of the programs installed on your system, select MS Office, and choose to uninstall it.

Can you reinstall Office with the same product key?

This will open a user-friendly wizard that you can follow to quickly remove MS Office from your old computer.

Step 3: Install and authenticate MS Office on your new PC

Great! Now you just need to install MS Office 2010/2013 on your new computer. If it already has a trial MS Office version, then you need to delete it first. Later, you can use the MS Office installer (or its CD) on your new PC to perform its setup.

In the end, you can launch any MS Office application (like MS Word) and go to its Menu > Account to enter your product key. This will activate MS Office on your new computer and you can access it without any hassle.

Can you reinstall Office with the same product key?

There you go! I’m sure that after reading this guide on how to transfer Microsoft Office to another computer, you would be able to meet your requirements. To make it easier for you, I have included solutions to transfer Office 365 subscription as well as Office 2010/2013 to another computer. Go ahead and try these solutions and share this guide with others to teach them how to transfer Microsoft Office 2010 to another computer like a pro!

Can you use the same product key twice Microsoft Office?

Answer. Yes, you are able to install Microsoft Office on more than one computer. Your product key (which comes to you in an email) can normally be used about 3 times. So if you download your Microsoft Office Suite onto 2 computers, you will have one more download "just in case" one of your computers crashes.

Can I reuse office product key?

In other words you must uninstall Office before installing it on another computer. AND to repeat, you can only use the Product Key once to install Office thereafter you install Office from the Office Account link posted by Dave above.

Can Microsoft Office be uninstalled and reinstalled?

Follow the prompts to complete the uninstall. Note: If Office isn't listed in the Control Panel you could have a Microsoft Store installation type. Select the Microsoft Store tab above and follow those uninstall steps instead. To reinstall Office select the version you want to reinstall and follow those steps.

Can I reuse my Office 2010 product key?

If you purchased Office 2010 as product key card then the Office Product Key Card can only be installed on one PC. If you ever need to reinstall Office you can do so on the same PC on which Office was originally installed and the license cannot be transferred to any other computer.