About Microsoft Office 2010
- What are some of the major updates to the Office 2010 suites from previous versions?
- What is included in the Office 2010 suites?
- Can I try Office 2010 before I buy?
- Can I get more information about Office 2010 trials?
- What is the newest version of Office for Macintosh?
- Will Office 2010 products be available in 64-bit versions?
- How is Office Starter 2010 different from Office 2010?
- If I installed the Office 2010 beta, what happens to it with the final release of Office 2010?
- Does the beta version of Office 2010 expire after a certain time?
- Can I convert my Office 2007 product to Office 2010?
- Did the name of Microsoft Office Groove change?
- Are the Office Web Apps free, and how can I get them?
- What is Office Mobile?
- What happened to Office Accounting?
- How do I get Business Contact Manager?
Pricing and licensing
- When will Office 2010 be available for purchase?
- How much does Office 2010 cost? Is there upgrade pricing?
- How do I get Office 2010?
- Are there license restrictions to Office Home and Student 2010?
- Can I install Office Home and Student 2010 on more than one device?
- I own or work for a small business; can I use Office Home and Student 2010 at work?
- Do I need to have a student in my household in order to qualify to purchase and use Office Home and Student 2010?
- As a school or nonprofit, can I use Office Home and Student?
- Can I install Office Home and Business 2010 and Office Professional 2010 on more than one PC?
- How do I find out if my company offers Office through the Home Usage Program?
- Are Office Web Apps free, and how can I get them?
- How do I get Office Mobile?
Office 2010 system requirements and compatibility
- What are the system requirements for Office 2010?
- Will Office 2010 run on all operating systems (Windows 98, XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7)?
- Can I open previous versions of Office files in Office 2010?
- Can I open Office 2010 files using previous versions of Office?
- Which browsers are supported for the new Office Web Apps?
- What is Click-to-Run?
Using Office 2010
- What is the Office Backstage™ view?
- What is the Ribbon?
- Are there Office 2010 resources and training available from Microsoft?
- Can I customize Office 2010 based on how I use the product?
- Does Office 2010 have add-ins?
- What are Office 2010 Language Packs?
- What Office applications do Office 2010 Language Packs enable?
- Will Office 2007 Language Packs work with Office 2010 programs?
- Why is my Office product opening in a language different than the one I downloaded?
- How do I access Office 2010 files from a Web browser?
- How do I access Office 2010 from my phone?
About Office 2010
What are some of the major updates to the Office 2010 suites from previous versions?
Office 2010 comes complete with new and improved tools and features to help you create, communicate, and stay productive, whether you’re working at home, the office, or school. Access your files in more places - and on your schedule - with applications you can use from your computer, from a Windows phone, or via a Web browser.1 Grab your audience’s attention and give your ideas more impact with ready-to-use design templates, eye-catching visual effects, and enhanced photo-editing capabilities. Work smoothly and simultaneously with people in different locations using the coauthoring capabilities in Microsoft PowerPoint 2010, Microsoft Word 2010, Microsoft OneNote 2010 shared notebook, and Microsoft Excel Web App. With professional-caliber tools that are easy to use, Office 2010 helps you simplify your tasks and create outstanding work wherever life takes you.
Learn more about Office 2010.
Top of Page
What is included in the Office 2010 suites?
Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010
Only available via volume licensing
Includes:
- Microsoft Word 2010
- Microsoft Excel 2010
- Microsoft Outlook 2010 with Business Contact Manager
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2010
- Microsoft OneNote 2010 New addition to suite
- Microsoft Access 2010
- Microsoft SharePoint Workspace 2010 New addition to suite
- Microsoft InfoPath 201
- Microsoft Publisher 2010
- Microsoft Office Web Apps New addition to suite
- Microsoft Lync 2010
- Integrated solution capabilities such as enterprise content management (ECM), electronic forms, and information rights and policy capabilities
Microsoft Office Standard 2010
Only available via volume licensing
Includes:
- Microsoft Word 2010
- Microsoft Excel 2010
- Microsoft Outlook 2010 with Business Contact Manager
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2010
- Microsoft OneNote 2010 New addition to suite
- Microsoft Publisher 2010 New addition to suite
- Microsoft Office Web Apps New addition to suite
Microsoft Office Professional 2010
Includes:
- Microsoft Word 2010
- Microsoft Excel 2010
- Microsoft Outlook 2010
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2010
- Microsoft OneNote 2010 New addition to suite
- Microsoft Access 2010
- Microsoft Publisher 2010
Microsoft Office Home and Business 2010 New!
Includes:
- Microsoft Word 2010
- Microsoft Excel 2010
- Microsoft Outlook 2010
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2010
- Microsoft OneNote 2010
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010
Licensed for non-commercial use
Includes:
- Microsoft Word 2010
- Microsoft Excel 2010
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2010
- Microsoft OneNote 2010
Microsoft Office University 2010* New!
Includes:
- Microsoft Word 2010
- Microsoft Excel 2010
- Microsoft Outlook 2010
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2010
- Microsoft OneNote 2010
- Microsoft Access 2010
- Microsoft Publisher 2010
Microsoft Office Starter 2010** New!
Includes:
- Microsoft Word Starter 2010***
- Microsoft Excel Starter 2010***
Microsoft Visio 2010 and Microsoft Project 2010 are also available but are not part of the suites.
* Office University 2010 is available only to qualified students and teachers through authorized academic resellers.
** Preloaded by PC manufacturers on select PCs only, not available separately for purchase.
*** Reduced-functionality versions of Word and Excel only with advertising. Does not include PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, or Access.
Top of Page
Can I try Office 2010 before I buy?
Yes, you can download an Office 2010 trial today!
Top of Page
Where can I get more information about Office 2010 trials?
You can get more information about Office 2010 trials by reading the Office 2010 frequently asked questions.
Top of Page
What is the newest version of Office for Macintosh?
Office for Mac 2011 is the current version of Office for Mac users. Office for Mac 2011 launched in October 2010 and is the leading productivity suite available on the Mac platform, delivering a full and compatible Office suite for Mac users.
Top of Page
Will Office 2010 products be available in 64-bit versions?
Yes, Office 2010 products are available in 64-bit versions; however, for the best productivity and user experience, Microsoft recommends 32-bit Office 2010 for both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems. Office 64-bit is optimized for advanced data analysis scenarios that most users don’t require, and existing 32-bit add-ins are not supported on Office 64-bit.
See requirements and more information.
Top of Page
How is Office Starter 2010 different from Office 2010?
Microsoft Office Starter 2010 consists of Microsoft Word Starter and Microsoft Excel Starter only, reduced- functionality versions of Microsoft Word and Excel with advertising. Office Starter does not include PowerPoint, OneNote, or Outlook. Office Starter is available only preloaded by select PC manufacturers. Purchase an Office 2010 suite to activate full-featured Office software.
Top of Page
If I installed the Office 2010 beta, what happens to it with the final release of Office 2010?
Nothing until it expires on October 31, 2010. Depending on how you chose to install the 2010 beta, the non-functional software may be removed from your computer by using the Programs and Features option from within the Control Panel. If you had selected ‘Upgrade to Office 2010 Beta directly’ instead of ‘Customize’ to set the beta to co-exist with your original Microsoft Office version during the download process, you will need to manually reinstall your previous version of Office to resume your original setup. You may also choose to download a new trial or purchase the full version of Office 2010.
Top of Page
Does the beta version of Office 2010 expire after a certain time?
The beta version of Office 2010 will expire on October 31, 2010. Users can choose to download the trial or buy the full version of Office 2010 at that time.
Top of Page
Can I convert my Office 2007 product to Office 2010?
The Office 2010 Technology Guarantee has ended. Upgrade requests for Office 2010 products were accepted through October 31, 2010. Although this program has ended, you can still try or buy Office 2010. Have you already redeemed the Office 2010 Technology Guarantee? Find out how to access your account or reinstall your software.
Top of Page
Did the name of Office Groove change?
Yes. Microsoft SharePoint Workspace 2010, the new name for Microsoft Office Groove, expands the boundaries of collaboration by allowing fast, anytime/anywhere access to your Microsoft SharePoint team sites. Synchronize SharePoint Server 2010 document libraries with SharePoint Workspace so you can access, view, and edit files almost anytime and anywhere from your computer.2 Lists such as Discussion, Tasks, and Custom Lists are supported as well. You can even synchronize Business Connectivity Services lists so access to your back-end systems is easy and painless. SharePoint Workspace 2010 ushers in an entirely new way of working with your SharePoint team sites.
Top of Page
Are the Office Web Aps free, and how can I get them?
Business customers licensed for Office 2010 through a volume licensing program can run Office Web Apps on-premises on a server running Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010 or Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010. For consumers, Office Web Apps are available on Windows Live as a free, ad-supported service.3
Top of Page
What is Office Mobile?
Microsoft Office Mobile is a rich, security-enhanced, mobile productivity companion for Office. Office Mobile includes mobile version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and SharePoint Workspace. Some mobile functionality requires an Internet connection. Outlook Mobile is available on those Windows phones with Office Mobile preinstalled and is the default e-mail client.
With its familiar look and easy-to-use tools, you can extend the reach of Office 2010 almost anytime, anywhere. Perform lightweight editing on your Office documents, stay connected to your schedule and email, and take notes on the go using rich interfaces designed for small devices. Work with Office documents stored on your phone, via email attachment, Microsoft SharePoint 2010, or download files from another shared location, such as Windows Live. With Office Mobile, you can work at your convenience and stay connected. 4
Top of Page
What happened to Office Accounting?
Microsoft Office Accounting was discontinued on November 16, 2009.
Top of Page
How do I get Business Contact Manager?
Outlook with Business Contact Manager 2010 is available in Office Standard 2010 and Office Professional Plus 2010.
Top of Page
Pricing and licensing
When will Office 2010 be available for purchase?
Office 2010 will release to market in June of 2010.
Top of Page
How much does Office 2010 cost? Is there upgrade pricing?
You can find estimated retail pricing and licensing information on the Office 2010 pricing page. To simplify our Office 2010 product offering, version upgrade suites are no longer available. However, we are now offering more ways to buy Office 2010 with a new preloaded PC. For more information on Product Key Cards, visit http://www.office.com/productkeycard.
Top of Page
How do I get Office 2010?
When Office 2010 becomes available, you can try it by downloading a free trial through Office.com or if you are ready to buy, there are several options:
- For home consumers and small businesses, Office Professional 2010, Office Home and Business 2010, and Office Home and Student 2010 are sold through a variety of retailers, resellers, and distributors or directly from Office.com. They can also be acquired from computer manufacturers or system builders preloaded when you purchase a new computer. See what Office suite is right for you.
- For qualified students and teachers, Office University 2010 is sold through qualified academic resellers and institutions.
- For mid-sized and large-enterprise businesses, Office Standard 2010 and Office Professional Plus 2010 are available through volume licensing. Microsoft Volume Licensing programs offer companies of all sizes a great way to obtain and manage multiple software licenses - for as few as five desktops. You can enjoy significant savings by acquiring product licenses in volume.
Top of Page
Are there license restrictions to Office Home and Student 2010?
Yes. Office Home and Student 2010 is licensed only for non-commercial use by households. It cannot be used for any commercial, nonprofit, or revenue-generating activities, by schools or academic institutions, or by any government organization.
Top of Page
Can I install Office Home and Student 2010 on more than one device?
It depends on what you purchase—a Traditional Disc or Product Key Card. If you purchase a Traditional Disc retail license of Office Home and Student 2010, the retail license terms allows you to install, activate, and use Office Home and Student 2010 on up to three PCs in a single household.
If you purchase the Office Home and Student 2010 Product Key Card, you can only activate and use Home and Student on one PC or device. For more information on what type of license you have purchased and to obtain an overview of your licensing agreement, visit the Microsoft Software License Terms (MSLT) for Office 2010
Top of Page
I own or work for a small business; can I use Office Home and Student 2010 at my work?
No. Office Home and Student 2010 is licensed only for non-commercial use for members of your household.
Top of Page
Do I need to have a student in my household in order to qualify to purchase and use Office Home and Student 2010?
No.
Top of Page
As a school or nonprofit, can I use Office Home and Student?
No. You may install the software in your household for use only by people who reside there. The software is not licensed for any commercial, nonprofit, or revenue-generating business activities.
Top of Page
Can I install Office Home and Business 2010 and Office Professional 2010 on more than one PC?
It depends on what you purchase—a Traditional Disc or Product Key Card. If you purchase a Traditional Disc retail license of Office Home and Business 2010 or Office Professional 2010, the retail license terms allow you to install, activate, and use Office Home and Business 2010 or Office Professional 2010 on your primary PC and your portable device such as your laptop. This license is for your use exclusively.
If you purchase an Office 2010 Product Key Card, you can only activate and use the suite on one PC or device. For more information on the license you have purchased and to obtain an overview of your licensing agreement, visit the Microsoft Software License Terms (MSLT)
Top of Page
How do I find out if my company offers Office through the Home Use Program?
The Home Use Program is a Software Assurance benefit available to Microsoft volume licensing customers with Office applications. Employees who use the covered licenses at work may be eligible to purchase these Office applications for use on a home PC during the term of their employment. To learn more, please visit the Home Use Program benefit site.
Top of Page
Are Office Web Apps free, and how can I get them?
Business customers licensed for Office 2010 through a volume licensing program can run Office Web Apps on-premises on a server running Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010 or Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010. For consumers, Office Web Apps are available on Windows Live as a free, ad-supported service. 5
Top of Page
How do I get Office Mobile?
Office Mobile is included with every Windows Phone 7 device. You can access Office Mobile in the application list or the start screen.
Learn more about Office Mobile
If you have a Windows Mobile 6.5 phone, you can get Office Mobile in one of the following ways:
- If you already have Office Mobile 6.5 on your phone, you can download a free upgrade to Office Mobile through Marketplace on your phone. To access Marketplace on your phone, tap the Start button on your phone and then tap the Marketplace app. From there, you’ll get a list of all applications available for your Windows phone, including Office Mobile.
- If you have a Windows Mobile 6.5 phone that doesn’t have Office Mobile, you can go to Marketplace from your phone and purchase Office Mobile directly.
Learn more about Office Mobile on Windows Phone 7
Top of Page
System requirements and compatibility
What are the system requirements for Office 2010?
Read the system requirements for Office 2010 suites and Office 2010 programs.
Top of Page
Will Office 2010 run on all operating systems (Windows 98, XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7)?
No. Office 2010 will not run on Windows 98. Office 2010 requires at least Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3) or later. 64-bit Windows XP not supported.
Top of Page
Can I open previous versions of Office files in Office 2010?
Yes. Files created in previous versions of Office can be opened using the Office 2010 version of the applications. Supported files vary by product.
Top of Page
Can I open Office 2010 files using previous versions of Office?
Yes, Office 2010 files can be opened within Office 2007. If you have Office 2000, XP, or 2003, you will need to download the free Compatibility Pack. However, new features and formatting capabilities found in the new version might be lost when saving to or opening from previous versions of the software.
Top of Page
Which browsers are supported for the new Office Web Apps?
Supported browsers for Office Web Apps include Internet Explorer 7 or later, Safari 4 for Mac and Firefox 3.5 or later for Windows, Mac, or Linux.
Top of Page
What is Click-to-Run?
Click-to-Run is a new Electronic Software Distribution (ESD) technology for Office 2010 that utilizes Microsoft’s streaming and virtualization technology. Click-to-Run provides a much faster and simpler download and installation experience for customers trying or buying Office 2010 over the Internet. Click-to-Run allows customers to maintain multiple versions of Office so customers can easily try Office 2010 side by side with an existing version of Office. Click-to-Run automatically downloads and installs any software updates when connected to the Internet, helping to maintain a more secure and up-to-date Office experience. At this time, only Office Home and Student 2010 and Office Home and Business 2010 will be available through Click-to-Run and limited based on broadband speed requirements.
Top of Page
Using Microsoft Office 2010
What is the Office Backstage™ view?
The new Microsoft Office Backstage view replaces the traditional file menu to let you save, share, print, and publish your presentations with just a few clicks.
Top of Page
What is the Ribbon?
The Ribbon replaces traditional menus and toolbars with a fresh, highly visual layout of commands, organized into a set of tabs, to help you find the features you need fast. With the improved Ribbon in Office 2010, you can access your favorite commands even more quickly by customizing tabs or creating your own to personalize the experience to your work style.
Top of Page
Are there Office 2010 resources and training available from Microsoft?
Yes, visit the Getting Started with Microsoft Office 2010 page.
Top of Page
Can I customize Office 2010 based on how I use the product?
With an improved Ribbon across all the Office 2010 applications, you can access your favorite commands quickly and create custom tabs to personalize the experience. Ribbon tabs can be customized or replaced with your own custom tabs. Through the Options menu in the Backstage view, you can easily create new tabs that bring together your favorite commands and groups. Existing tabs can also be customized to fit your needs. If you’re a business IT professional, take advantage of the new Microsoft Office Backstage view to incorporate work and information flows from other systems, and highlight them right within the most useful Microsoft Office application. For example, Backstage view lets you bring those back-end accounting or HR workflows right into Office 2010.
Top of Page
Does Office 2010 have add-ins?
Add-ins created by Microsoft or third parties are available for various Office 2010 applications.
One example of a Microsoft-created add-in is:
PowerPivot for Excel 2010: Get the PowerPivot for Excel add-in available at powerpivot.com to experience fast manipulation of large data sets with millions of rows, streamlined integration of data, and the ability to effortlessly share your analysis through SharePoint.
Search for additional add-ins available for Office 2010.
Top of Page
What are Microsoft Office 2010 Language Packs?
Language Packs are add-in products that can change the entire user experience of the Microsoft Office 2010 desktop programs by enabling desktops to support multiple languages. This includes Menus/Display, Help, Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Spell Checker. In addition to enhancing the user experience, a user can elect to use individual aspects of the pack, such as Spell Checker to proof a document in a language other than the default language set on their computer. To find more information on Office Language Packs, go to www.office.com/languages.
Top of Page
What Office programs do Office 2010 Language Packs enable?
Language Packs enable localized Menus/Display, Help, and document proofing tools for most Office 2010 desktop programs, including Word 2010, Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, Access 2010, Outlook 2010, OneNote 2010, InfoPath 2010, Publisher 2010, SharePoint Designer 2010, Project 2010, SharePoint Workspace 2010, Visio 2010, and Office suites containing these products. Language Packs are not supported on Word Starter 2010 and Excel Starter 2010.
Top of Page
Will Office 2007 Language Packs work with Office 2010 programs?
No. Customers must purchase Office 2010 Language Packs in order to get multilingual capabilities for Microsoft Office 2010 programs.
Top of Page
Why is my Office product opening in a language different than the one I downloaded?
If you have an Office 2010 product already installed in a language other than the one in which you are downloading, please note that your new download may open in the previously installed language. For example, if you have Office Professional installed in English, and then you download and install Office Home & Business in Swedish, your Office Home and Business applications will default to open in English.
To change the language settings for Office 2010:
- Click Start, All Programs, and then Microsoft Office.
- In the Microsoft Office 2010 Tools folder, click Microsoft Office 2010 Language Preferences.
Top of Page
How do I access Office files from a Web browser?
For business use: Office Web Apps will need to be installed on a server running SharePoint Foundation 2010 or SharePoint Server 2010. Once the Web Apps are installed, you will have the additional option in SharePoint to use Word Web App, Excel Web App, PowerPoint Web App, and OneNote Web App to view and edit your Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote files directly from a supported browser (Windows Internet Explorer 7 or later for Windows, Safari 4 or later for Mac, and Firefox 3.5 or later for Windows, Mac, or Linux) for files that are stored on SharePoint.
For personal use: You can access your Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote files by posting your documents online to a Windows Live SkyDrive folder. When you are ready to edit or view the documents online, simply log on to Windows Live from a supported browser, Internet Explorer, Safari, or Firefox. A Windows Live ID is required for accessing Windows Live accounts.
Top of Page
How do I access Office 2010 from my phone?
On Windows Phone 7 devices, you can access Office Mobile through the Start Screen or Application List. You can also open Office file attachments within your email or documents stored on your Windows phone directly. You can also access Office documents stored on a Microsoft SharePoint site.
If you have a Windows Mobile 6.5 phone, you can access Office Mobile 2010 from the Start menu.
Top of Page
1 An appropriate device, Internet connection, and supported Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari browser are required. Some mobile functionality requires Office Mobile 2010, which is not included in Office 2010 applications, suites, or Web Apps.
2 Access is dependent on network connectivity.
3 Supported browsers include Internet Explorer 7 or later for Windows, Safari 4 or later for Mac, and Firefox 3.5 or later for Windows, Mac, or Linux.
4 Supported mobile viewers for Microsoft Office Web Apps include Internet Explorer on Windows Mobile 5 or later, Safari 4 on iPhone 3G or later, BlackBerry 4.x, Nokia S60, NetFront 3.4 or later, Opera Mobile 8.65, and Openwave 6.2 or later.
5 Supported browsers include Internet Explorer 7 or later for Windows, Safari 4 or later for Mac, and Firefox 3.5 or later for Windows, Mac, or Linux.
