Question Running Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, and MS Office Pro-Plus 2016 -- a question

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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I think many people would be perfectly satisfied with MS Office Pro features of the 2003 version. I mean -- there is daily work to be done, and the features one would likely use in the office suite. And there was once a time during my work-life as the in-house IT-go-to person and moonlighting as an adjunct professor teaching database theory and programming when I would immediately upgrade my OS and my MS Office -- and I would pay the price. As I planned my comfortable life under a retiree's fixed income, my attitudes changed.

This time around, running MS Office Pro 2010 for the last 8 years, and adverse to the idea of subscription software (like Office 365), I shop and compare more recent but earlier versions of the software with licenses guaranteeing updates but without a hook into my credit card account for whatever renewal fee they charge under a subscription. Getting my AV software as a subscription is enough.

For Office, there is a "Home and Student" version, a "Home and Business" version, and the "Pro" version. I NEED Outlook, which I've been using since 1995 or even earlier. I NEED Excel because I know how to use it, I know its power for running numbers, and it's worth the occasional expense. I may WANT Access, only for having been a database professional with an ORACLE DB Admin Master certificate. I also know I can install an older version of Access with a newer version of Office.

But I look for bargains from reputable sources. This time around, I could see that I would pay about $400 for Office Pro 2021 on a single PC. But I believe in redundancy. I have more than one PC; and I need access to the same software on all of them. Easy enough to temper one's expectations, checking the price to pay for the 2019 or even the 2016 version. I finally found a source for a FIVE-PC installation of MS Office Pro-Plus 2016. Given the mileage I've had from Office 2010 Pro over about 10 years, I think that fills the bill. The EBay seller showed a picture of the optical disc and orange thumb-drive items, but only ships a perfunctory and non-functional USB flash drive, with instructions to a download site accompanied by the activation key. It was a good deal. I paid $130 for Office Pro 2016 to install on 5 PCs when I at most need to install on three. Given all the other alternative purchases I might have made ("Home and Business" or Pro, 2016, 2019 etc.) I made out like a bandit for the price of just over $40 per seat/PC.

I thought (by now, especially) I would have got a 64-bit version of Office. It all works fine, but an error message arising from vestiges of some NUANCE software suggests that it could be a 32-bit version.

How can I determine whether it's 32 or 64-bit? It doesn't matter that much. But I need or want to know what I have.
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
15,699
1,448
126
Thanks. That settles it -- it's a 32-bit. Even so, for a 2016 version, I'm surprised that they hadn't stopped having a 32-bit in favor of 64-bit version.

How could it be that there are computers and OS versions still using 32-bit OS and software? Like I said, at the moment it doesn't make much difference to me. I have work to do, I need Office software -- it works. Just saying- I built and configured my systems to be as fast as possible.

I guess this is the risk for buying older software versions. I should look into it more carefully before pulling a checkout string. Even so, at $50 per PC (and less if I had 5 computers) -- still a decent bargain.

Ironically, I had purchased a 2013 Office Pro-Plus last year and installed it on my laptop. I think it's a 64-bit. I've yet to move replacing it with the 2016 that I now have.
 
Jul 27, 2020
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Thanks. That settles it -- it's a 32-bit. Even so, for a 2016 version, I'm surprised that they hadn't stopped having a 32-bit in favor of 64-bit version.
Downloaded ISO has both versions inside a subfolder. By default it will install 32-bit. But if you go in the subfolder and launch the 64-bit executable manually, 64-bit is what gets installed. Same key works for both versions.


When you start Setup from an installation medium for Office 2016 or earlier that has both the 32-bit and the 64-bit version on it, you’ll be installing the 32-bit version of Outlook/Office by default.

The reverse applies to Office 2019; When the installation medium contains both the 32-bit and 64-bit version, the 64-bit version will be installed.

To install the other bit version of Office, close the current Setup window and browse to the installation source (for instance your DVD-drive). Here you’ll find one of the following;

  • Folders called x64 and x86
    Open the x64 folder if you want to install the 64-bit version or open the x86 folder to install the 32-bit version. Double click the setup.exe file located in this folder to install Office.The setup process is the same for both the 32-bit as the 64-bit version of Office/Outlook.
  • Folder called office
    Open the office folder and double click setup32.exe to install the 32-bit version or double click setup64.exe to install the 64-bit version of Office.
 
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Reactions: mikeymikec

McLovin

Golden Member
Jul 8, 2007
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...I'm surprised that they hadn't stopped having a 32-bit in favor of 64-bit version.

How could it be that there are computers and OS versions still using 32-bit OS and software? ...

32-bitOffice still exist because business/corporate customers need compatibility for their Macros/Scripts inside of Office and they don't work in 64-bit.

If you need/want to update to the latest version of Office, shoot me a DM. I can help you with this.
 

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
17,574
9,262
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Downloaded ISO has both versions inside a subfolder. By default it will install 32-bit. But if you go in the subfolder and launch the 64-bit executable manually, 64-bit is what gets installed. Same key works for both versions.


Ta. I had wondered about the lack of option when downloading the offline installer.
 

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
17,574
9,262
136
If you can't find editions of Office for sale on the MS site, then the sellers are hawking second-hand corporate licences and there's a good chance that when you try to re-activate them on a replacement PC, they won't work at the company will have shut down.

Office Professional hasn't been a retail thing for about a decade. No CDs since 2010 either.