Windows 10 users often encounter the error ‘This action only applies to products that are currently installed’ when working with a version of the Office application suite. The error is not limited to a particular Office version. So how do you fix this dreadful bug that leaves you unaware?
Here is the short version. You have a trial version of Office installed. You like what you see and decide to purchase the official version and install it as well. You see the error – This action only applies to products that are currently installed. Now you need to get rid of the trial version and fix the official version to eliminate all possible conflicts.
Let’s start.
1. Uninstall Trial Version
Whether you have a single application such as Word or Excel or the entire Office suite, you cannot install and use both the trial version and the licensed version on the same machine. That’s when you see the error.
Search for and open Control Panel from the start menu.
Search for ‘uninstall’ in the search bar and click Uninstall a program.
Here you will see a list of all the apps and software installed on your Windows 10 computer. Look for the trial version of Office you have installed, not the licensed version. Then, select it and click Uninstall at the top. Uninstall any standalone trials of Office apps you may have installed here.
Don’t remember to install the trial version? A trial version may have come pre-installed on your Windows 10 computer. It is also possible that the application package was installed as part of another application that you downloaded and installed from the web. It’s sneaky but known to be. Sometimes, the error shows itself when the trial version has expired and not before.
In both cases, you uninstalled the trial version that caused a conflict with the licensed version of the Office suite resulting in the error ‘This action is only valid for products that are currently installed’.
Pro Tip: Working on something too urgent to wait? You can use the free version of Office in the browser. You can always come back later to continue the guide. You can bookmark this page so you don’t have to search again.
2. Repair Licensed Version
Why should you repair the licensed version of Office? This is because the conflict can result in corrupted files. These conflicts can keep throwing the validity error we saw above.
Reopen the Control Panel and navigate to the list of applications where you uninstalled the trial version of the Office application. Only this time select the licensed version and click Change.
Click Allow when prompted to allow the app to ‘make changes to this system’. You have two options in front of you.
Quick Repair will work offline and fix most problems with your Office installation. Only choose this if you’re in a hurry or don’t have an active internet connection. The second option is more recommended. It will require an internet connection. So make sure you are connected to a Wi-Fi network. This method will also take more time, so connect your computer to a power outlet. On the plus side, it will fix all the problems.
Click on Online Repair and after that follow the on-screen instructions. I would suggest restarting after the repair is complete before checking if Office is working properly.
Note: The old Office shortcut you may have been using will no longer work. Create a new shortcut for your Desktop and/or Taskbar and then launch the application.
3. Reinstall Licensed Version
Only perform this step if the second step above does not work. In both cases, the first step is mandatory. You should remove all copies of the trial version before waiting for the licensed version to work properly.
Now, since the repair failed, let’s uninstall the Office suite and install it from scratch. Removing applications from Control Panel may leave registry entries and some other unnecessary files behind.
I recommend using Revo Uninstaller. The app will cost you $25 and is worth every penny. Try the free version first. This will remove existing apps, but won’t touch junk files of apps that have already been uninstalled. If you don’t want to invest right now, there are other ways.
Microsoft provides a detailed guide on how to uninstall Office, and the page has a link for each Office version. Don’t be overwhelmed. Just read it completely once, understand it, and then review it step by step.
The steps are simple. Download and run the uninstaller and select the version of Office you want to uninstall. Restart your computer once when prompted and finally, the uninstaller will remove Office. You will see certain prompts/dialog box asking for permission, so read it and grant permission.
If the app was installed from Microsoft Store, you may need to uninstall it from there. Again, Microsoft has written a detailed yet easy guide to completely uninstall Office.
Once done, reinstall Office from scratch and enter the license code as you did last time to activate it. You can also install Office from the Office Setup page. Open it and follow the on-screen instructions from there.
And you’re done.
conflict of interest
The problem is pretty simple if you know what it is. Two different versions of Office installed on the same machine are competing for both operating systems and your attention. This never ends well, even in real life! Anyway, when you remove the trial version and do a clean install of Office or repair the old version there should be no problem.
Next: Want to install two different versions of Office on the same computer? Click on the link below to find out why it’s so troublesome and what you should consider before continuing.
