How to Retain Microsoft Office After Performing a System Restore

Step 1: Verify Microsoft Office Installation

To confirm whether Microsoft Office is still installed on your system:

1. Press the Windows key, type Control Panel into the search bar, and select Open.
2. Choose Category under View by, then click on Uninstall a program from the Programs section.
3. If you locate Microsoft Office, select it and click Uninstall. Follow the on-screen instructions to finalize the process.

If Office is absent from the list, it likely got uninstalled during the system restore.

Step 2: Eliminate All Microsoft Office Remnants

For a clean reinstallation, remove any leftover components of Microsoft Office:

1. Press Windows + E to launch Windows File Explorer.
2. Navigate to the following paths, depending on your system architecture, then delete the Microsoft Office folder:
   • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office (for 64-bit systems)
   • C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office (for 32-bit systems)
3. Next, to clear files from the AppData folder, visit these directories and remove the Microsoft Office folder:
   • C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Office
   • C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office
4. Close Windows File Explorer, and press Windows + R to open the Run command window.
5. Enter regedit.msc, and confirm by clicking OK to launch the Registry Editor.
6. Before making any changes, back up your registry by selecting Export under the File menu.
7. Navigate to the following registry paths, right-click the Office folder, and select Delete :
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Office
8. Respond to any confirmation messages, then restart your computer to apply changes.

Step 3: Access Microsoft Account to Reinstall Office

To download and reinstall Microsoft Office, follow these steps:

1. Visit Microsoft’s official website.
2. Log in to your Microsoft account using your email and password.
3. Once signed in, click on your profile picture and select My Microsoft account.
4. In the left sidebar, go to Services & subscriptions.
5. Find Microsoft Office in the Products section and click Install.
6. This will download the setup file. Open the file to begin installation, following the prompts until complete.

After installation, you can access all Office applications. If prompted for activation, sign in with your Microsoft account to verify your purchase.

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