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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteFor most Click-to-Run installations of Microsoft 365, Office 2024, and Office 2021, the installed Windows program files are in an Office16 folder. To reinstall Office, use Microsoft’s download page or an offline installer instead of copying that program folder.
Use the steps below to locate installed apps such as Word and Excel, or to download files for a new installation.
Find the installed Office program files on Windows
Close the Office application first if you plan to copy, replace, or inspect its files. Open File Explorer and paste the appropriate path into the address bar:
| Installation | Default folder |
|---|---|
| 32-bit Office on 64-bit Windows | C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\ |
| 64-bit Office on 64-bit Windows | C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\ |
The folder is normally called Office16 for Click-to-Run versions of Microsoft 365, Office 2024, and Office 2021. The name does not mean Office 2016 is installed. See Microsoft’s Office command-line switch and path guidance.
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Locate a specific Office executable
These are the usual executable names:
| Application | Executable |
|---|---|
| Word | winword.exe |
| Excel | excel.exe |
| PowerPoint | powerpnt.exe |
| Classic Outlook | outlook.exe |
| Access | msaccess.exe |
| New Outlook for Windows | olk.exe |
For example, the full path to Word in a 64-bit Click-to-Run installation is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\winword.exe.
Use the Run dialog to open an Office file
- Press Windows key + R.
- Enter the full path in quotation marks, such as “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\winword.exe”.
- Press Enter.
Quotation marks are required when a path contains spaces. You can also add an Office command-line switch. For example, this opens classic Outlook without the Reading Pane preview: “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\outlook.exe” /nopreview.
Check whether Office is Click-to-Run or Microsoft Store
The standard Office16 paths apply to Click-to-Run installations, but not every installation uses Click-to-Run.
- Open Word, Excel, or another installed Office application.
- Select File > Account.
- Under Product Information, select About.
- Check whether the information identifies the installation as Click-to-Run or Microsoft Store.
This page also displays the Office version and build number. If Microsoft 365 does not appear in Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, the installation may be the Microsoft Store type. See Microsoft’s instructions for checking and uninstalling Office.
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A Microsoft Store installation does not use the normal C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\ location. Microsoft directs users to move from the Store installation to Click-to-Run. The Microsoft 365 Apps installer detects and removes the Store installation before installing Click-to-Run. Feature updates for the Microsoft Store version stopped in October 2025, while security updates are scheduled to end in December 2026. See Microsoft’s Store installation support information.
Find New Outlook for Windows
New Outlook is not the same program as classic Outlook. Its executable is olk.exe, and it is installed in a versioned WindowsApps directory rather than the normal Office16 directory.
Open PowerShell and run:
(Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.OutlookForWindows).InstallLocation
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The returned folder follows this general pattern:
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.OutlookForWindows_<Version>_<Architecture>_8wekyb3d8bbwe\olk.exe
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Do not assume the versioned folder name: it can change when New Outlook updates. The PowerShell command retrieves the current installation location.
Find Office from a Start menu shortcut
If the application is installed but you do not know which path it uses, the shortcut can reveal the executable:
- Open Start and search for Word, Excel, or another Office application.
- Right-click the result and select Open file location.
- In the folder that opens, right-click the shortcut and select Properties.
- Read the Target field on the Shortcut tab.
This method is useful when Office was installed in a non-default location. It may initially show a shortcut rather than the program itself; select Open File Location again from the shortcut’s properties if necessary.
Download current Microsoft 365 or Office installation files
If by “installation files” you mean files needed to install Office again, use Microsoft’s current download page rather than copying the installed Office16 folder.
- Go to m365.cloud.microsoft/apps.
- Sign in with the Microsoft account or work/school account associated with the license.
- Select Install or Install apps.
- For a work or school account, select Microsoft 365 apps. In some organizations, first select Apps in the left navigation pane, then Install apps.
- Run or save the downloaded installer according to your browser’s label.
The download label varies by browser:
| Browser | Likely label |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer | Run |
| Google Chrome | Setup |
| Firefox | Save File |
The standard web installer downloads the required Office components during installation. It is not necessarily a large folder of setup files you can reuse on another computer. See Microsoft’s download and installation instructions.
Download an offline Microsoft 365 installer
For a personal Microsoft 365 plan, Microsoft provides an offline-image option. Downloading the image still requires an internet connection, but installation from the mounted image can proceed without repeatedly downloading Office components.
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- Open the Microsoft 365 installation page and select Install.
- In the installation window, open the Choose a version drop-down.
- Select Offline installer.
- Choose the installation language.
- Select Install and save the downloaded file.
The downloaded file is named O365HomePremRetail.img. To use it:
- Double-click O365HomePremRetail.img. Windows mounts it as a virtual DVD drive.
- If no window appears, open File Explorer and look for the new drive. It may be D:, E:, or another available drive letter.
- Open the mounted drive, then open its Office folder.
- Run Setup32.exe for 32-bit Microsoft 365 or Setup64.exe for 64-bit Microsoft 365.
The offline image is not the installed Office program folder. It contains setup files; the installed applications are placed in the Office installation directory after setup completes. See Microsoft’s offline installer instructions.
Download reusable files with the Office Deployment Tool
Microsoft 365 business installations can use the Microsoft 365 Deployment Tool (ODT). It is a command-line tool intended mainly for enterprise environments, but it can also create a reusable source for one device.
1. Extract ODT
- Create a folder such as C:\ODT.
- Download the Office Deployment Tool from Microsoft.
- Run the downloaded executable.
- Accept the license terms.
- When asked for a destination, choose C:\ODT.
The extracted folder includes setup.exe. See Microsoft’s ODT and offline installer guidance.
2. Create a configuration file
For 32-bit Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise in English (United States), create C:\ODT\installOfficeProPlus32.xml with this content:
<Configuration>
<Add OfficeClientEdition=”32″>
<Product ID=”O365ProPlusRetail”>
<Language ID=”en-us” />
</Product>
</Add>
</Configuration>
For Microsoft 365 Apps for business or Microsoft 365 Business Standard, replace O365ProPlusRetail with O365BusinessRetail. Replace en-us with the appropriate language identifier if needed.
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Open Command Prompt and run:
C:\ODT\setup.exe /download C:\ODT\installOfficeProPlus32.xml
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The setup window may appear mostly blank. When the download finishes, it closes and an Office folder appears in C:\ODT.
4. Install from the local source
Run:
C:\ODT\setup.exe /configure C:\ODT\installOfficeProPlus32.xml
For 64-bit enterprise Microsoft 365 Apps, change OfficeClientEdition=”32″ to OfficeClientEdition=”64″, save the configuration as installOfficeProPlus64.xml, and run:
C:\ODT\setup.exe /download C:\ODT\installOfficeProPlus64.xml
C:\ODT\setup.exe /configure C:\ODT\installOfficeProPlus64.xml
Find Office installation files on a Mac
macOS does not use the Windows Office16 directory or Office executable names. To install Microsoft 365 or Office 2024:
- Download the Mac installer from Microsoft.
- Open Finder > Downloads.
- Double-click Microsoft Office installer.pkg. The filename may differ slightly.
- Complete the installation steps.
After installation, open Finder > Applications to find Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and the other Office applications.
If macOS says the installer is from an unidentified developer, wait about 10 seconds, move the package to the desktop, then Control-click it and choose the option to open it. See Microsoft’s Mac installation instructions.
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Why the installation path may not work
- You have 32-bit Office: check Program Files (x86) instead of Program Files.
- You have the Microsoft Store version: it does not use the standard Click-to-Run path.
- You are looking for New Outlook: use the PowerShell command because its WindowsApps folder is versioned.
- You are mixing installation technologies: Click-to-Run and Windows Installer (MSI) versions are not supported together in the same configuration. Remove one before installing the other. See Microsoft’s guidance on Click-to-Run and MSI.
- You want to switch between 32-bit and 64-bit: uninstall the existing Microsoft 365/Office installation first, including stand-alone apps such as Project or Visio, before installing the other architecture.
- The download is slow or stuck: firewall, antivirus, proxy, slow internet, or other network restrictions can interfere. Microsoft recommends using the offline installer when the connection is unreliable.
- Install apps is missing: check that you used the licensed account, redeemed the product key, or have a Microsoft 365 license assigned. A work or school administrator may also have disabled desktop-app installation.
FAQ
What is the default Microsoft Office installation path?
For current Click-to-Run installations, it is usually C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\ for 64-bit Office or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\ for 32-bit Office on 64-bit Windows.
Why is my Office folder called Office16 when I have Office 2024 or Microsoft 365?
Microsoft continues to use the Office16 folder name for these Click-to-Run products. The folder name does not identify the installed product generation.
What is the Office executable for Word?
Word uses winword.exe. Excel uses excel.exe, PowerPoint uses powerpnt.exe, and classic Outlook uses outlook.exe.
Where is the New Outlook executable?
New Outlook uses olk.exe in a versioned WindowsApps folder. Run (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.OutlookForWindows).InstallLocation in PowerShell to retrieve its current location.
Can I copy the Office16 folder to another computer to install Office?
No. The installed program directory is not a complete installer. Download Office through Microsoft, use the offline image, or create a source with the Office Deployment Tool.
Can I change Office from 32-bit to 64-bit without uninstalling it?
No. Microsoft requires removing the existing Microsoft 365/Office installation first, including stand-alone apps such as Project or Visio.
The Bottom Line
For most Windows Click-to-Run installations, start with C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\ and check the Program Files (x86) version if Office is 32-bit. Confirm the installation type under File > Account > About before assuming that path applies. Use Microsoft’s download page, the offline O365HomePremRetail.img, or the Office Deployment Tool when you need installation files rather than the already-installed programs.
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