Should I delete MS Office 2016 before installing MS Office 2021

[Rod]

This should be fairly simple for me, I have done it twice before albeit not for 5 years.
I "clean instal" is easy, I did this recently from the MS Accounts page onto my old 2010 MacBook but installing onto a MBP that already has MS Office 2016 is different. There seems to be nothing online about this. I know that MS Office creates files in ~/Library > containers so it seems logical that they should all be removed before installing fresh versions that could cause confusion as to which ones to delete ,yet I can find nothing on this topic when I search for the heading of this post.
No recommendations, no suggestions nothing.
So, if you have done this before I'd appreciate any tips you might have.

 

[chscag]

It should not be necessary Rod. Office 2016, 2019 both have the same file locations and the typical scattering of MS info throughout.

Office 2021 should overwrite anything from 2016 or 2019. Go for it.

By the way, Amazon has Office 2021 on sale. Don't know if you can access Amazon/AU from Bali but if you can, see what they're asking.

 

[Rod]

No I cant ,but are you talking about physical disks or some sort of cyber credit for purchase?
Shoulda just looked. Just checked Amazon Aus. MS Office 2021 not yet available but I think I get how it works. They mail an activation card. Like the old CD Activation Key system I guess.
I might wait till we get back to Aus end of year, by then they may have it.
Thanks for the tip.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

So, if you have done this before I'd appreciate any tips you might have.

Microsoft has said that this is no problem, but...

I've helped users who were having nasty problems with Office, and the problems resolved when things were re-setup so that there was only one version of Office installed.

It's been a long time since I've had to help someone with a problem caused by having two different copies of Word installed, so I don't remember all of the details, but I do recall that one problem was that Microsoft's included fonts sometimes change from version to version. Having BOTH versions of the Microsoft fonts installed was too much for, especially Word, to handle.

 

[DesMoinesBoy]

NO

 

[chscag]

It's been a long time since I've had to help someone with a problem caused by having two different copies of Word installed, so I don't remember all of the details, but I do recall that one problem was that Microsoft's included fonts sometimes change from version to version. Having BOTH versions of the Microsoft fonts installed was too much for, especially Word, to handle.

I might be wrong.... but I believe that MS Office 365 and 2019 no longer install separate fonts but use the fonts that are already provided by Apple.

Earlier versions of MS Office (2011 and maybe 2016) did install separate fonts.

I recently overwrote Office 365 with the stand alone version of 2019 and there were no problems with fonts or anything else. I can't imagine that Office 2021 will change that, but you never know with Microsoft.

 

[pm-r]

I'd appreciate any tips you might have

It is still related, according to the MS Mothership:

We recommend that you uninstall any previous versions of Office before installing Microsoft 365 Apps.

Others don't seem to follow their advice:

Google Search

Maybe there might be some special instructions in a Read Me when you get your copy if they still include such files.


- Patrick
=======

 

[chscag]

Those instructions refer mainly to the Windows versions of Office (MSI). The reason that older versions of Windows Office should be uninstalled before installing a new version, is mainly for the Registry entries.

If you ever used Windows, you would understand what bad Registry entries can do to mess things up.

 

[pm-r]

If you ever used Windows, you would understand what bad Registry entries can do to mess things up.

The only time I have ever used Windows was to help a user switch over their data to a new Mac they had just purchased. That was more than enough exposure for me.

I think if I was to delete any old previous version of MS Office, I would be inclined to look and see if there were any fonts I wanted to keep that might not be included in the newer version. I cannot think of anything else that would have been included that might be worth keeping.


- Patrick
=======

 

[Randy B. Singer]

I might be wrong.... but I believe that MS Office 365 and 2019 no longer install separate fonts but use the fonts that are already provided by Apple.

Can anyone verify this? I'd be shocked if this was the case. Providing their own fonts, with both the Windows version of Word and the Macintosh version of Word, is how Microsoft assures perfect cross-platform compatibility. Otherwise the font metrics would be different when one sends a document to someone with the other computing platform.

 

[chscag]

I have Office 2019 installed and can only find one entry for fonts and that's from Apple. If Office 2019 has its own fonts hidden somewhere, I have been unable to find them.

 

[chscag]

I just opened the Font Book app and it shows I have 413 fonts installed. There are some fonts which are listed as Windows compatible but nothing that shows a separate folder for MS Fonts as was found in previous versions of Office.

I know for a fact that when I had Office 2011 installed the Font Book app showed a separate folder for the MS Fonts which mostly duplicated those that Apple installed. And I do remember if the MS Fonts folder were removed that Office 2011 would not run.

 

[pm-r]

Can anyone verify this? I'd be shocked if this was the case.

It seems that MS will be changing their default font in MS Office 2021 and adding five new fonts they commissioned.

A surprising message from Microsoft recently. Microsoft is going to replace its default font. Originally it started with Times New Roman and with Office 2007 it switched to the current Calibri font which was the default font for the last 15 years.

Now Microsoft is gratifying its search for the next default font. They released 5 font candidates publicly. As of now, they are available on your list of fonts already at your Microsoft 365 apps. They ask us to vote for your favorite font. Don’t worry if the font that you prefer, is not chosen. All 5 fonts will be available in the next version of Office, next to Calibri, and the other fonts that you use.

Info and samples provided here:

Meet the Bierstadt, Grandview, Seaford, Skeena and Tenorite

Microsoft is gamifying their search for the next default font for Office. They released 5 new fonts and asks us to vote for the favorite one.

www.presentationpoint.com

- Patrick
=======

 

[pm-r]

There are some fonts which are listed as Windows compatible but nothing that shows a separate folder for MS Fonts as was found in previous versions of Office.

According to a different Charlie, he writes:

‎Jul 29 2020 08:43 AM
Fonts for MS Office 2019 on Mac OS
Hi All,

I've been directed to you experts by the MS Support team.

MS Office 2019 stores its fonts in the /Applications/Microsoft Word.app/Contents/Resources/DFonts folder, however, all other fonts on the Mac are stored in either /System/Library/Fonts (system or Apple fonts) or /Library/Fonts (other user-installed fonts).

The effect is that the MS fonts don't appear in FontBook and so can't be enabled, disabled or otherwise managed. Further, they can't be seen or used by non-MS apps leading to font consistency issues.

Maybe they made the MS fonts folder invisible...???

- Patrick
=======

 

[Randy B. Singer]

I know for a fact that when I had Office 2011 installed the Font Book app showed a separate folder for the MS Fonts which mostly duplicated those that Apple installed. And I do remember if the MS Fonts folder were removed that Office 2011 would not run.

I have three different Fonts folders in three different Library's, one in my User folder, one in my System folder and one at the root level. I also have two Fonts Disabled folders. I really can't tell which might be Microsoft fonts and which might not be.

However, if Microsoft isn't installing their own fonts anymore, I'd love to know how they are now assuring perfect cross-platform compatibility. The fonts that come with Windows have different metrics than the fonts that come with the Macinotsh.

If Microsoft is no longer providing perfect cross-platform compatibility, then that eliminates possibly the biggest reason to use Microsoft Word in a business setting.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

The effect is that the MS fonts don't appear in FontBook and so can't be enabled, disabled or otherwise managed. Further, they can't be seen or used by non-MS apps leading to font consistency issues.

That makes sense. Microsoft doesn't make those fonts, they license them. So their license probably doesn't allow them to share them with other applications.

It would also probably confuse the heck out of Mac users why they, e.g. have two "Times" fonts and two of many other fonts, and that they don't all print exactly the same.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

It seems that MS will be changing their default font in MS Office 2021 and adding five new fonts they commissioned.

There you go. As I said, Microsoft sometimes changes their fonts from version to version of Office. Having two different versions of Office installed can cause one or the other version of Office to get confused, leading to problems.

If one really wants to keep two different versions of Office, it would be a good idea to keep one on a different bootable volume from the other. That way they would remain segregated.

 

[chscag]

MS Office 2019 stores its fonts in the /Applications/Microsoft Word.app/Contents/Resources/DFonts folder, however, all other fonts on the Mac are stored in either /System/Library/Fonts (system or Apple fonts) or /Library/Fonts (other user-installed fonts).

Good detective work Patrick! And no, those fonts do not show up in the Font Book.app. That's a ton of fonts which are for the most part duplicated. BTW, just as they were in Office 2011.

There you go. As I said, Microsoft sometimes changes their fonts from version to version of Office. Having two different versions of Office installed can cause one or the other version of Office to get confused, leading to problems.

Actually, that should not cause problems since you can always change the default font which is displayed in the "Normal Template". Microsoft routinely changes the default font from version to version. I always redo the Normal Template from the default which MS provides.

However, I never have understood why MS has to have their own fonts instead of using those supplied by Apple. I don't remember if the Windows version of MS Office do the same thing.

 

[Rod]

Thanks everybody, I think I will just go with my gut feeling on this and follow MS's instructions for deleting MS Office before running the installers for MS Office 2021. See; Uninstall Office for Mac

I did come across another article on installing Office 365 over a stand alone version related to licences that's interesting though. Apparently there is a Licence Removal tool for this. See; How to remove Office license files on a Mac

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Actually, that should not cause problems since you can always change the default font which is displayed in the "Normal Template".

It is if you have to try and decide between e.g. two versions of "Times" that aren't identical, with no indication as to which might be appropriate. That's even assuming that both Microsoft versions of Times are installed and one doesn't overwrite the other.

As Patrick cited Microsoft saying:

"...according to the MS Mothership:
We recommend that you uninstall any previous versions of Office before installing Microsoft 365 Apps. "

And as I said previously, I've helped folks who have had problems due to having two different versions of Office installed.

However, I never have understood why MS has to have their own fonts instead of using those supplied by Apple. I don't remember if the Windows version of MS Office do the same thing.

I once read a really technical article on this. It all has to do with the fact that screen resolution for Windows isn't identical to screen resolution for the Macintosh. A document created on one platform will be just a tiny bit off when opened on the other platform because of font metrics that are different. If you have a document with lots of complex formatting, and precision is important (e.g. you are using line numbering in a legal brief and you cite to things that occur on certain line numbers), when the document gets just slightly re-formatted when opened on the platform it was not created on, suddenly things become a nightmare.