Upgrade your Microsoft 365 for business users to the latest Microsoft 365 apps

Get ready to upgrade to Microsoft 365

As an admin, you control what version of the Microsoft 365 apps people in your organization can install. We highly recommend that you help users in your organization running older versions such as Office 2013 or Office 2016 upgrade to the latest version of the Microsoft 365 apps to take advantage of security and productivity improvements.

Is this the right topic for you?

If you're the admin responsible for the Microsoft 365 for business subscription in your organization, you're in the right place. Admins are typically responsible for tasks like managing users, resetting passwords, managing Office installs and adding or removing licenses.

If you're not an admin and you have a Microsoft 365 Family subscription, see How do I upgrade Office for information about upgrading your older, home use version of Office.

Upgrade steps

The steps below will guide you through the process of upgrading your users to the latest Microsoft 365 desktop apps. We recommend you read through these steps before beginning the upgrade process.

Step 1 - Check system requirements

Check the system requirements to make sure your devices are compatible with the latest version of Office. For example, newer versions of the Microsoft 365 apps can't be installed on computers running Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Tip

If you have users in your organization running older versions of Windows on their PCs or laptops, we recommend upgrading to Windows 10. Windows 7 has reached end of support. Read Support for Windows 7 ends in January 2020 for more info.

Check out the Windows 10 system requirements to see if you can upgrade their operating systems.

Check application compatibility

To ensure a successful upgrade, we recommend identifying your applications--including VBA scripts, macros, third-party add-ins, and complex documents and spreadsheets--and assessing their compatibility with the latest version of Microsoft 365.

For example, if you're using third-party add-ins with your current install, contact the manufacture to make sure they're compatible with the latest version of Microsoft 365.

Step 2 - Check your existing subscription plan

Some Microsoft 365 plans don't include the full desktop versions of the Microsoft 365 apps and the steps to upgrade are different if your plan doesn't include desktop version of the apps.

Not sure which subscription plan you have? See What Microsoft 365 for business subscription do I have?

If your existing plan includes the Office apps, move on to Step 3 - Uninstall Office.

If your existing plan doesn't include the formerly Office apps, then select from the options below:

Upgrade options for plans that don't include the Microsoft 365 apps

Option 1: Switch subscriptions

Switch to a subscription that includes the Microsoft 365 apps. See Switch to a different Microsoft 365 for business plan.

Option 2: Buy individual, one-time purchases of Office, or buy Office through a volume license

Step 3 - Uninstall Office

Before installing the latest version of Microsoft 365, we recommend you uninstall all older versions of the Office app. However, if you change your mind about upgrading, note the following instances where you won't be able to reinstall the Office app after uninstalling it.

We recommend if you have third-party add-ins, contact the manufacturer to see if there's an update that will work with the latest version of Microsoft 365.

Tip

If you run into issues while uninstalling, you can use the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant tool to help you remove Office: Download and run the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant.

Select the version of Office you want to uninstall

Known issues trying to reinstall older versions of after an uninstall

Office through a volume license If you no longer have access to the source files of these volume license versions, you won't be able to reinstall it.

Office pre-installed on your computer If you no longer have a disk or product key, you won't be able to reinstall it.

Non-supported subscriptions If your copy was obtained through discontinued subscriptions, such as Office 365 Small Business Premium or Office 365 Mid-size Business, you won't be able to install an older version unless you have the product key that came with your subscription.

If you'd prefer to install your older version side-by-side with the latest version, you can see a list of versions where this is supported in, Install and use different versions of Office on the same PC. A side-by-side installation might be the right choice for you, if for example, you've installed third-party add-ins you're using with your older version and you're not yet sure they're compatible with the latest version.

Step 4 - Assign Office licenses to users

If you haven't already done so, assign licenses to any users in your organization who need to install the latest version of Microsoft 365, see Assign licenses to users in Microsoft 365 for business.

Step 5 - Install Microsoft 365

After you've verified the users you want to upgrade all have licenses, the final step is to have them install the Microsoft 365 apps. See Download and install or reinstall Microsoft 365 or Office 2021 on a PC or Mac.

Tip

If you don't want your users installing Office themselves, see Manage Microsoft 365 installation options in the Microsoft 365 admin center. You can use the Deployment Tool to download Microsoft 365 apps to your local network and then deploy using the software deployment method you typically use.

Office 2010 reaches end-of-support

Office 2010 reached its end of support on October 13, 2020. Microsoft will no longer provide the following:

  • Technical support for issues

  • Bug fixes for issues that are discovered

  • Security fixes for vulnerabilities that are discovered

See Office 2010 end of support roadmap for more information.