Upgrade from Office 2016 or 2019 to Microsoft 365

Microsoft is ending support for Office 2016 and Office 2019 on Oct. 14, 2025. This means Microsoft will no longer provide security patches, bug fixes or technical support for these versions of Office. OIT recommends that users upgrade to Microsoft 365 to get the latest supported versions of Office applications.

Use this page to help:

• Identify which version of Microsoft Office you currently have installed
• Uninstall old versions of Office (2016 or 2019)
• Install the latest Microsoft 365 desktop apps

If you are not comfortable performing this upgrade on your own, please reach out to your departmental IT liaison, the Dedicated Desktop Support team, or Buff Techs for assistance.

Identify your installed version of Microsoft Office

Windows:

1. Open any Office application (e.g., Word, Excel).
2. Click File in the upper left corner.
3. Select Account (or Help if Account is not visible).
4. Under Product Information, you'll see the Office product name (e.g., Office 2016, Office 2019, Microsoft 365) and sometimes the full version number.

Mac:

1. Open Word.
2. Go to the Word menu in the upper left corner.
3. Select About Microsoft Word.
4. In the dialog box, the version will be displayed, along with the License type. The License should provide the best indication of which product you have installed.

For additional information and screenshots of this process, visit Microsoft's Office version documentation. 

Uninstall old versions of Office (2016 or 2019)

Dedicated Desktop Support Customers 

If you are supported by OIT’s Dedicated Desktop Support (DDS), follow these instructions to uninstall old versions of Office (2016 or 2019) and install the latest version of the Microsoft 365 apps.

Windows:

1. Launch the Software Center application installed on your computer.
2. In the list of applications that appear available for installation, look for the icon labeled Microsoft 365 Apps (Closes Office).
3. Click on that icon, and then click the Install button.
4. The automated installer will automatically remove any old versions of Office it finds on your computer and will then install the latest version of the Microsoft 365 Apps.

Mac:

1. DDS has already deployed the latest version of Microsoft 365 Apps to customers.
2. If you find an old version of Office 2016 or Office 2019 in your Applications folder, you can simply drag it to the Trash to remove it from your computer.

Non-DDS Customers

If you are not supported by OIT’s Dedicated Desktop Support service (DDS), you will need to use the following instructions:

Windows:

1. Press the Windows logo key on your keyboard, or select the search bar on the taskbar, and type control panel. Select Control Panel from the list of results.
2. Go to Programs, then select Programs and Features.
3. Find your Microsoft Office product in the list (e.g., Office 2016, Office 2019).
4. Select it and click Uninstall.
5. Follow the prompts to complete the process.

Please note: If you have problems uninstalling Office using the method above, you can try to use Microsoft's Uninstall Troubleshooter. Follow the instructions listed under "Uninstall Microsoft 365 or Office with the uninstall troubleshooter" in Microsoft's Uninstall Office from a PC documentation.  

Mac: 

1. Open Finder, then your Applications folder.
2. Drag the Office applications to the Trash.

Please note: You may also want to check your Mac's Library folder. Follow Microsoft's Uninstall Office for Mac instructions for details on finding the appropriate folders. 

Install the latest Microsoft 365 Apps

Visit the Microsoft 365 - Desktop and Mobile Apps page for eligibility information and download instructions.