Office 2021

Dro 0 Reputation points
2026-10-14T15:55:16.4966667+00:00

I purchased Office 2021 a year ago and need to download it to a new hard drive becasue the other one died. It was working perfectly. Office 2021 is listed in my purchases in my Microsoft account. I try to download it and the install fails when it tries to load Outlook. Help

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For home
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  1. Hornblower409 17,275 Reputation points
    2026-10-15T02:00:35.23+00:00

    @Dro said

    Office 2021 is listed in my purchases in my Microsoft account. I try to download it and the install fails

    You are using the instructions at
    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/lifecycle/officeinstall/download-and-install-or-reinstall-office-2021-office-2019-or-office-2016

    when it tries to load Outlook

    Sorry, I don't understand. The install fails? Or the install finishes but Outlook will not open? Can you open any other Office Apps (e.g. Word)?

    Any error messages? If so, a screen shot might be helpful.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-14T15:55:30.7266667+00:00

    Since Office 2021 is already associated with the Microsoft account, reinstall it from the account dashboard:

    1. Go to the Microsoft account dashboard and sign in with the same Microsoft account linked to the Office 2021 purchase.
    2. From Overview, select Office apps.
    3. Find Office 2021 and select Install.
    4. If needed, use the dropdown to choose a different language or the 64-bit version, then select Install.

    If the install keeps failing when Outlook is being installed, use this recovery path:

    1. Restart the PC and try the install again.
    2. If it still fails, run the Microsoft uninstall troubleshooter on the same Windows PC to completely remove any existing Microsoft 365, Office 2021, Office 2019, or Office 2016 components.
    3. When prompted, restart the computer.
    4. Reinstall Office 2021 from the Microsoft account dashboard.

    Important details:

    • The uninstall troubleshooter must be run on the same Windows PC where Office is installed.
    • Windows 10 or higher is required to run the troubleshooter.
    • If the troubleshooter does not completely remove Office, manual uninstall is the next step.
    • Office installs only to the system drive where Windows is installed, usually C:.
    • Office 2021 can be transferred to another computer that belongs to the owner if the previous drive failed or a new computer was purchased.

    If Office apps start but show a "stopped working" error, update Windows first, then check for updated video card, printer, mouse, and keyboard drivers before reinstalling Office.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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