This step-by-step article explains how to remove a Trial version of Office XP in order to reinstall an earlier version of Microsoft Office.

The Office XP Trial version license is only valid for approximately 30 days from the date of activation. Therefore, you must uninstall the Trial version at some point in time. The method that you use to uninstall the Office XP Trial version depends on the version of Office that you plan to install after the Trial version is removed from your computer. To uninstall the Trial version of Office XP and reinstall your earlier Office version, follow the steps in the appropriate section.

How to Reinstall the Earlier Office Version That Was Removed During the Office XP Trial Installation

If your earlier Office version was removed during the installation of the Office XP Trial version, you must uninstall the Trial version before installing your earlier Office version. To do this, follow these steps:

1. In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.
2. In the Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box, select the Office XP entry (for example, select Microsoft Office XP Professional), and then click Add/Remove.
3. In the Maintenance Mode Options dialog box, select the Uninstall Office option, and then click Next.
4. Click Yes to confirm the uninstall.
5. After the Office XP Trial version is uninstalled, run Setup.exe from the source for your earlier version of Office. This source may be a CD-ROM, a network administrative installation, or a floppy disk (for Microsoft Office 4.2, Microsoft Office 4.3, Microsoft Office 95, and Microsoft Office 97).NOTE: If you do not have your original Office source media, please contact the original vendor from which you purchased Microsoft Office.

How to Repair an Earlier Office Version That Was Not Removed During the Office XP Trial Installation

If you chose to keep your earlier Office version installed when you installed the Office XP Trial version, you may have to repair your earlier Office version installation after you remove the Trial version.

How to Repair Microsoft Office 2000

To repair Office 2000, follow these steps:

1. In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.
2. In the Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box, select the Office XP entry (for example, select Microsoft Office XP Professional), and then click Add/Remove.
3. In the Maintenance Mode Options dialog box, select the Uninstall Office option, and then click Next.
4. Click Yes to confirm the uninstall.
5. In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.
6. Double-click the Office 2000 entry in the Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box.
7. In the Office Maintenance Mode dialog box, click Repair Office.
8. In the Reinstall or Repair Microsoft Office 2000 dialog box, select Repair errors in my Office installation, and then select the Restore my shortcuts check box.
9. Click Finish.

How to Repair Microsoft Office 97 and Microsoft Office 95

To repair Office 97 and Office 95, follow these steps:

1. In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.
2. In the Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box, select the Office XP entry (for example, select Microsoft Office XP Professional), and then click Add/Remove.
3. In the Maintenance Mode Options dialog box, select the Uninstall Office option, and then click Next.
4. Click Yes to confirm the uninstall.
5. In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.
6. In the list of programs, click Microsoft Office 97, and then click Add/Remove.
7. In the Microsoft Office 97 Setup dialog box, click Reinstall.

For additional information about removing a Trial version of Office XP to install a non-Trial version, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

System Files Update

When you install a trial version of an Office XP product on either Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), the System Files Update installation may automatically run during the Office installation. In this situation, after you uninstall the Office XP Trial version, the System Files Update is still listed in the Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box. This is not a problem, and you can uninstall the System Files Update if you want to. However, if you uninstall the System Files Update, many of the files included with the System Files Update installation are not removed from your computer. The files included with the System Files Update are permanent system files and cannot be uninstalled.

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Reduced-Functionality Mode

If your Office XP Trial version license expires, you can start the Office programs a total of five times before the programs begin running in reduced-functionality mode. In reduced-functionality mode, you cannot make modifications to documents or create a new document, and additional functionality may be reduced. However, you can print your documents.

With a Trial version, you cannot quit reduced-functionality mode if your license has expired. Use one of the methods listed earlier in this article to uninstall the Trial version and reinstall your earlier Office version.

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: