How to completely uninstall Microsoft Office

Leftovers from old versions often block activation of a new one.

Way 1: Windows settings

Apps, Installed apps, find Office, Uninstall. Remove trial copies too.

Way 2: the Microsoft tool

Download the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant’s uninstall tool. It removes what Settings leaves behind.

Way 3: check for old licences

In an administrator terminal, in the Office folder, run cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus. Remove old keys with /unpkey and the last five characters.

What to do next

Restart, then install the new version.

Will my documents stay?

Yes. Documents are not touched, but save Outlook data files and custom templates first.