SOLVED Upgrading MS Office 2010 (see post please for specifics)

[lonewolfmage]

Greetings all ~

Currently, I have a 100% legitimate copy of MS Office Professional Academic 2010 that was purchased on 12/27/2010 via Digital River AND the University that I was, at the time, enrolled in at the time of purchase.

It DOES run and I can create and save what is needed ... however, I AM aware that the version I have is EOL and would like to upgrade to a newer version that is STAND ALONE (NOT online or subscription-based) version on MS Office and one that I can choose what 'aspects' of office I want to and not want to install.



I have used different free versions of office suites, such as Libre Office and the like ... however there have been some 'glitches' that I'm not happy with those free versions. Granted, I will admit, they are good programs and I DO use them but always end up 'falling back' to the MS office software when the 'glitches' get to be too much.

Such as formatting of documents and such.

I have read about updating my version of MS Office to the newest version, however, it seems like a bit of a convoluted process to do so and I DO need it to be installed on multiple devices WITHIN the same household which this version that I have IS able to be done with. and MOST of what I have recently read talks mostly about going from 'stand alone' to online or subscription-based versions which as I had mentioned I DO NOT want to migrate to.

Any advice as to how I can accomplish what I'm wanting to do is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
~LoneWolf

::: edited to correct some spelling and grammar mistakes... there may still be some ... my apologies:::::

 

[Tim Locke]

I have a suspicion after a quick look that any version that can run on more than one machine/per license is only subscription nowadays. Or a corporate license I did not attempt to look for that.

Realizing you do not want a subscription, the Office suite is an incredible deal at about $100 a year for 5 users.

 

[Grizzly]

Office 365 is still a subscription-based Office package from Microsoft; however, they also have an Office suite that requires only a one-time purchase. It is called Office 2021. I do not know if the latter can be installed on multiple pc's or not.

 

[lonewolfmage]

I have a suspicion after a quick look that any version that can run on more than one machine/per license is only subscription nowadays. Or a corporate license I did not attempt to look for that.

Realizing you do not want a subscription, the Office suite is an incredible deal at about $100 a year for 5 users.

Tim~

Sorry, should have been probably been a bit more specific ..my error .....

More specifically... I don't like having nor want my files 'in the cloud' and have no use of having them there ... which I was under the impression Office 365 was specifically .... i.e. one drive and such ... the 'cloud storage' is SPECIFICALLY what I want to avoid as well as a monthly or yearly subscription based aspect ...

However...

If I end up having to go that route(subscription based) but still have control over the fact of my files NOT being sent to the cloud and ONLY install what components of Office I KNOW I will use on multiple computers... I might consider it .....still ... not really liking the 'subcription-based' aspect ..and having to worry about an extra expense.

Granted 100$ a year for 5 users is tempting... I will say that ... as long as it's ALL THEIR OWN files and can be saved directly to their computers and not 'joined' to each other I.. might... be fine with that.

Thanks for your advice.
~LoneWolf

 

[lonewolfmage]

Office 365 is still a subscription-based Office package from Microsoft; however, they also have an Office suite that requires only a one-time purchase. It is called Office 2021. I do not know if the latter can be installed on multiple pc's or not.

Grizzly~

TY for your advice ..

I'm aware of Office 2021 thank you .. I THOUGHT there was a way to update/upgrade my version for free ( Like with the main windows os) I had read it was ..possible.. guess I missed out on that or something ... or maybe I'm just reading things incorrectly.

TY any way Grizzly.
~LoneWolf

 

[Tim Locke]

When I looked yesterday it needs one paid license per PC.

 

[Tim Locke]

You don't need to use the cloud. You can install W10 and W11 without OneDrive. You can disable Onedrive I believe but have not tried to do. Then all your files will remain on the PC. Or you can specify that your Documents folders not be copied to Onedrive and let other files, maybe music and photos go there to be shared.

 

[lonewolfmage]

You don't need to use the cloud. You can install W10 and W11 without OneDrive. You can disable Onedrive I believe but have not tried to do. Then all your files will remain on the PC. Or you can specify that your Documents folders not be copied to Onedrive and let other files, maybe music and photos go there to be shared.

Tim ~

Ahhh ok ...
I understand now ..... I think

I THOUGHT(erroneously it seems), that MS Office 365 was an ENTIRELY 'cloud-based' version of office for use of the individual components AND for file storage.

Which again is what I 100% want to avoid .. as well as the subscription-based aspect .. mostly due to the fact if I, for some reason in the future have financial issues .. and not being able to pay for the subscription that I would lose things. For instance, mine and other users, having access to the office components and/or files ...


With regard to One Drive, I DO have it disabled on my systems, as well as systems that I help people with, which was easy enough to do for the most part. I have a 1TB external drive that I use to save my files to so in reality losing FILES would not be an issue as even the people that I help with computer stuff KNOWS to save the files directly to their system be it to an external hard drive .. or to a 'jump' drive or if they have a secondary internal drive.

Thanks again.
~LoneWolf

 

[Tim Locke]

I am 90% sure that if for some reason you don't pay the yearly fee for Office 365 that you can still read all the files but cannot modify them nor create new ones. Not even Microsoft would risk a billion $ lawsuit for $100 a year.

 

[lonewolfmage]

Tim~

I did some more looking ...

And yes you ARE correct ..... once the Office 365 subscription reaches a certain state of 'inactive'... a bit of a process/waiting time once paying for the subscription has lapsed... the suite and/or files cannot be altered or become 'deactivated' .. or to that effect...

I'm subscribed to a free youtube tech channel (have been for a while) .. and they DO have links to buy lifetime licenses.... via their affiliate program... LEGALLY for Office Pro Plus 2021 for about $70 ... so what I will probably do is get one of those and uninstall Office 2010 which will free up the activation for that .. and get the key for Office 2021.....

What I have also found out ... is that MS office programs Prior to a certain year .. CAN be installed LEGALLY on more than one machine considered being within the same household...I believe the limit was/is 2 or 3 systems in the same household...

.... so in reality ... getting the lifetime key legally, the way I can, for each computer for Office 2021 ... if needed.... would end up cheaper as a one-time purchase per key... as is usually the case anyway.. rather than $100/year for a subscription... or if choosing to pay monthly...

You got it you 'own' it and don't have to worry about paying a continual yearly or monthly 'fee' to keep it

Either way, it works for me, that way I won't have to worry about possibly losing access to things...should I come into financial issues with the subscription......

Tim and Grizzly...
Thank you for taking the time to respond and trying to help... I will consider this issue 'Solved' and will mark this thread as such.

Again .. thank you both for your assistance and for helping me make more sense of things with regard to the difference in what I want to accomplish
~LoneWolf

 

[lonewolfmage]

Just thought I would add to/update this ~


I DID get a Key for Office 2021 Pro Plus LEGITIMATE for $51.00 from the Youtube Tech channel that I'm subscribed to via their affiliate program (the channel person gets a bit of a 'kickback' from the purchase which is not a problem for me, as he is well known and I have been following his channel for a while and he has a lot of followers and does NOT require a charge for a subscription to his channel. ) with a discount ...


It Includes ALL aspects of Office ...as a one-time purchase... and if aspects of Office are NOT needed they can be uninstalled OR reinstalled on an as-needed basis... which is exactly what I wanted to accomplish.

NO cloud or subscription-based needed to use this particular version of Office.

Again Tim and Grizzly ty for your time and advice in this matter.. much appreciated.
~LoneWolf