Do I need to delete Libreoffice before switching to MS Office?
Q
When Windows 10 arrived, I gave up Microsoft Office for Libreoffice. However, now that I’m in my 90s, I feel I’m too old to learn a different system. I think Microsoft Office 2019 would be a better choice for me. Would it be necessary to delete Libreoffice before I change over? James Smith
A
You asked us to keep your name private, so we have changed it. Windows 10 has been around for six years now, and Windows 11 is just around the corner. As such, we’re not sure if you’ve been struggling with Libreoffice for all that time or have only recently switched to a new computer with Windows 10.
Either way, you can install Microsoft Office without removing Libreoffice, and the two will happily coexist. Equally, it’s straightforward to remove Libreoffice before (or after) installing
Microsoft Office. To do this, click Start followed by the Settings cog, then Apps. Scroll through the ‘Apps & features’ list on the right-hand side to find Libreoffice. Click the adjacent Uninstall button (see screenshot), then confirm your decision by clicking Uninstall again.
We should warn you that while Office 2019 is currently the latest version of the suite that you can buy as a onetime purchase, Microsoft has announced that Office 2021 is on its way. Given its name, we’d expect it to be released very soon. For your purposes, however, we doubt there’s any great advantage in waiting – we think it unlikely that you’d want or need any new features it might contain. What’s more, the imminent arrival of a 2021 edition means you’ll probably be able to pick up Office 2019 for a bargain price.