The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Yes, you can remove Office LTSC 2021 and install Microsoft 365 Apps without deleting Word, Excel, PowerPoint or other files created by users. Microsoft Support states that uninstalling Office removes the applications, not the documents, workbooks or other files created with them. The migration still needs planning: Office LTSC 2021 uses Click-to-Run, so it must be removed with the Office Deployment Tool (ODT) Click-to-Run removal path rather than the RemoveMSI option used for MSI-based Office.
Settings require a narrower promise. Microsoft’s RemoveMSI guidance says user settings, preferences and documents are retained in the MSI-removal scenario, but that is not a blanket guarantee for every custom configuration in an LTSC 2021 Click-to-Run migration. Inventory important Outlook data, templates, macros, add-ins and preferences, test a representative pilot, and verify them after installation.
Why migrate before Office LTSC 2021 support ends?
Microsoft lists October 13, 2026 as the end of support for Office LTSC 2021. After that date, Microsoft says technical support, bug fixes and security updates end. Microsoft recommends Microsoft 365 Apps for organizations that can adopt a subscription-based service and ongoing updates. Office LTSC 2024 is the on-premises alternative for organizations that cannot move to cloud-connected Microsoft 365 services.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →A migration is therefore more than an uninstall-and-install exercise. You are changing the licensing model, update behavior, identity and activation process, and potentially the way Office connects to organizational services. Treat it as a managed deployment, not as an individual application replacement.
#1 Best Overall
- Powerful Turbo Fan:CAGIWIRU Electric Air Duster have reached speed up to 130000RPM,Can efficient remove dust and debris.With LED light and Three Adjustable Speed to meet with different cleaning tasks.
- With Attached USB C Fasting Charging cable.Charing 3 hours,Enjoy up to 240 minutes of use on the lowest setting, For third speed can use for 25mins.with four charging options to meet with your needs.
- Wide Application: attached 5 different nozzles,making it suitable for a variety of scenes, such as car,pet, pc, keyboards, and other electronic devices. It also serves for office and home clean duster.
- Handy Design & Portable:Cordless air duster electric nozzle is Light weight and small size, design and comfortable to hold and space saving, convenient to carry around. You can put it in your room or inside the car without taking up space.
- Economical &Reusable: Built durable materials with a long-lasting battery,our CAGIWIRU air duster it's a sustainable alternative to disposable air cans.
What is preserved, and what still needs protection?
Your documents and workbooks
Uninstalling Office applications does not delete files created with Word, Excel, PowerPoint or other Office programs. Files stored in local folders, network shares, OneDrive, SharePoint or other locations remain in those locations. Removing the application does not format the drive or erase a user’s documents.
This guarantee concerns created files. It does not automatically prove that every Office preference, profile, add-in or local data store will be recreated exactly by the new installation.
User settings and preferences
Microsoft Learn’s RemoveMSI documentation says, “User settings, preferences, and documents are retained, even if you’re uninstalling all Office products.” That statement is specific to the RemoveMSI process for MSI-based Office installations. Office LTSC 2021 is Click-to-Run, so do not present the RemoveMSI statement as an unconditional guarantee for LTSC 2021.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
For a Click-to-Run migration, preserve and test business-critical state separately. Examples include custom ribbon or Quick Access Toolbar changes, Word templates, Excel add-ins, VBA projects, application preferences, language settings and default-file behavior.
Outlook profiles and local data
The Microsoft material for this migration does not provide a specific blanket guarantee that every Outlook profile, signature, autocomplete list, PST file, OST cache or local-only calendar item will carry over unchanged. That does not mean uninstalling Office necessarily deletes those items. It means the retention outcome for each item should be treated as an operational check rather than assumed.
Rank #2
- Screen Cleaner is Your Screen’s New Bestfriend! - EVEO is proud to present a screen cleaner that’s perfectly suited for your TV. Meet your new screen cleaner, computer screen cleaner, laptop cleaner, iPad cleaner, Macbook,tv cleaner or any other electronic device. Our screen cleaner spray and wipe along with the included plush microfiber cloth, easily removes dust, fingerprints & other smudges on the screen’s surface. Clean effectively for a streak-free screen
- Gentle on your Screens - Our screen cleaner spray and wipes is compatible to be used even for the most sensitive LCD, LED, CRT, and OLED screens in proper use. Be at ease knowing that this product is compatible with all the major brands: LG, SONY, Samsung, Sharp, iPad, iPhone, Android screens, Kindle, PC monitors - we’ve got you covered! Can be used as LCD screen cleaner, tv cleaner, smart tv screen cleaner, and more
- Premium Super Soft Plush Microfiber Cloth - Included in this efficient screen cleaning kit. This screen cleaner spray and wipe has our signature plush microfiber cloth specially designed to comply with screens and monitors and leave them streak-free. Has been shown to effectively absorbs stubborn stains, zero streaks, and no fiber shedding. Always use this together with our screen cleaner for the best results
- Easy-to-Use Screen Cleaner Kit + microfiber cleaning cloth - The EVEO Screen Cleaning Kit will easily be your new favorite tool when it comes to taking care of the things you love most, quick and easy solution for a streak-free screen. Simply screw on the sprayer gun on the screen cleaner bottle. Spray the cleaning liquid onto the microfiber cloth, then wipe the screen until desired cleanliness & shine is achieved.
- Quality Screen Care Kit Worth Purchasing - Enjoy a convenient Screen Cleaner anytime, anywhere you need it. Your satisfaction is our top priority. We stand behind the quality of our products and that’s why, you shouldn’t be worrying at all. We manufacture the Best Screen Cleaner. and can be used for laptop cleaning kit, laptop screen cleaner, tv screen cleaner for smart tv. MacBook screen cleaner, monitor cleaner or screen cleaner spray for electronic devices with microfiber cleaning cloth
Document the user’s Outlook account configuration and identify any local-only data before the change. Keep an organizationally approved backup or export where applicable, then test Outlook access and required data in the pilot.
Requirements to confirm before deployment
Licensing and identity
- Confirm that the organization’s Microsoft 365 plan includes Microsoft 365 Apps for the intended users.
- Assign an eligible license to each user who needs the desktop applications.
- Confirm that users can sign in with the organization’s identity system and complete activation.
- Decide whether user-based licensing, device-based licensing or shared-computer activation is appropriate for each device scenario.
- Record the required update channel and the organization’s policy for feature and security updates.
Microsoft 365 Apps is offered through multiple business and enterprise plans. Plan names, entitlements and terms change, so verify the current plan documentation rather than assuming that every Microsoft 365 subscription includes the desktop apps.
Operating systems and device readiness
Check that each Windows device meets the currently supported requirements for the selected Microsoft 365 Apps build. Include operating-system servicing status, available disk space, 32-bit or 64-bit architecture, network access, proxy or firewall rules, and the ability to reach Microsoft licensing and update services.
Inventory the applications that interact with Office. Microsoft specifically recommends reviewing business-critical VBA macros, third-party add-ins, complex documents and spreadsheets, operating systems, identity and licensing, distribution infrastructure, network bandwidth and required languages.
Application and document compatibility
- List add-ins used by finance, legal, engineering, manufacturing and other specialist teams.
- Identify macros that depend on trusted locations, ActiveX controls, COM add-ins or external data connections.
- Open representative complex workbooks and documents, not just simple test files.
- Record required proofing tools, display languages and authoring languages.
- Check integrations such as document-management systems, PDF tools, line-of-business applications and mail-merge workflows.
Use representative machines for a pilot. A pilot should include different hardware models, Windows versions, user roles, languages and add-in combinations rather than only an administrator’s clean test device.
Rank #3
- 【Large size】：Measuring 800 x 300 mm/ 31. 5×12 inches, which is wider and taller than others. Large mouse pad can perfectly fit your keyboard and mouse of any size, and there is also ample space for peripherals such as phones, tablets, etc.
- 【LED backlight mouse pad】：Blade Hawks RGB mouse pad provides 7 static modes and 7 dynamic modes will give you the options you are looking for. Power-off memory function remembers the last lighting mode you selected. The super glow fiber Chroma will give you a colorful gaming setup that you want.
- 【Anti-slip rubber base】：Made from Natural rubber, this gaming mousepad will firmly grip your desktop, allowing you to enjoy the ultimate precision in the games you are most passionate about. It also comes with a texture that enhances this ability even further.
- 【Smooth and waterproof surface】: Micro-textured cloth surface, for extremely precise mouse control and a smooth movement. When liquid splashes on the gaming mouse pad, it forms water droplets and slides down. Will not delay your work or gameplay.
- 【Plug and play】: This mouse and keyboard pad is powered by USB, plug and play, no driver required. One button control light modes. Press one time to change the lighting mode, press twice to change the brightness, press and hold about 3 seconds turn ON/OFF.
Choose a deployment method that fits the estate
Office Deployment Tool with configuration XML
For a managed fleet, Microsoft documents the Office Deployment Tool and a configuration file as the standard approach. The XML controls products, update channel, languages, installation source, removal behavior and application preferences. Microsoft 365 Apps can be installed from the Office Content Delivery Network (CDN), from a local network source, or through a software-distribution platform.
Recommended Free Tools
A configuration can also define defaults such as file locations, supported languages and application behavior. Store the XML in version control or another controlled administrative repository, and test any change on a pilot collection before broad deployment.
Configuration Manager or another software-distribution system
Organizations with Configuration Manager or another endpoint-management platform can sequence the migration, target device groups, enforce maintenance windows, report success and retry failed installations. Use inventory data to group devices by Office add-ins, department, architecture, language and network location.
Single-device or small-group installation
For a single computer or a small number of computers, use Microsoft’s standard Microsoft 365 installation or offline-installer guidance after licensing the users. Even in a small deployment, preserve the LTSC 2021 installation source or recovery route before removal. Microsoft warns that a volume-licensed Office copy may not be reinstallable if its original source files are no longer available.
Step-by-step migration procedure
1. Build an inventory
- Record the Office LTSC 2021 edition, architecture, installed language packs, update channel and installation path.
- List Office add-ins, VBA macros, templates, trusted locations, custom dictionaries and integrations used on the device.
- For Outlook users, record account types, profiles, signatures, rules, autocomplete requirements and any PST or other local-only data.
- Identify documents and workbooks that are business-critical, unusually large, macro-enabled or dependent on external connections.
- Record the user’s required file formats, default save locations and language settings.
2. Confirm licensing and deployment design
- Verify the Microsoft 365 Apps entitlement and assign the license to pilot users.
- Select the update channel and decide whether devices install from the CDN, a local source or a software-distribution system.
- Choose 32-bit or 64-bit Office based on application compatibility and organizational standards.
- Define maintenance windows, reboot behavior, rollback criteria and help-desk ownership.
- Prepare the ODT configuration XML and validate it on a non-production device.
3. Protect critical state
Do not rely on the uninstall process as your only safeguard. Use the organization’s approved backup, export or profile-management process for information that would be costly to recreate. Preserve copies of business-critical templates, macro-enabled files, signatures, custom dictionaries and add-in installers where policy permits. Make sure the user can still access documents stored outside the local computer, such as network or cloud repositories.
Rank #4
- 【Softer and More Comfortable】Vaydeer wrist rest has unique diamond pattern, which is the combination of softness and aesthetics. The materials of wrist rest are improved into higher quality memory foam and covered with silky smooth lycra. The computer wrist rest makes you as comfortable and cushiony as like rest your wrists on clouds.
- 【Ergonomic Wrist Saver】The wrist rests for keyboard and mouse comes with a 17.32×3.15×0.83 inch keyboard wrist pad and a 5.94×3.15×0.83 inch mouse wrist support. Based on ergonomic design, the unique concave shape is the perfect fit for your wrist joints. The wrist rest pad fits most computer keyboards and laptops, improve hand and wrist posture, release your wrist and arm stress.
- 【Non-Slip Rubber Bottom】Featuring an anti-skid silicone base on the bottom, this wrist keyboard support stays firmly in place on your desk, preventing the padding from sliding around, ensuring stable and consistent wrist support during extended computer sessions.
- 【Better Experience & Pain Relief】Our keyboard arm rest is beneficial to alleviate the soreness caused by direct contact and friction between your arm and a hard desk surface, reducing the risk of wrist fatigue or carpal tunnel. The soft texture of memory foam can evenly distribute the pressure around your wrists and provide good support with just enough give.
- 【Helpful in Multiple Scenarios】Whether you're working, studying, writing, typing, gaming, this keyboard and mouse rest combo is an essential accessory to add comfort and support to your hands and wrists. It’s also a great gift for men, women, family, friend, coworker, gamer, teacher, etc.
4. Run a pilot
- Select representative users and devices, including the most important add-ins and document types.
- Install Microsoft 365 Apps on the pilot devices using the same XML and distribution path planned for production.
- Remove LTSC 2021 through the Click-to-Run-aware ODT path, as described in the next section.
- Activate Microsoft 365 Apps with the licensed user account or the selected shared/device activation method.
- Have users open representative documents, run required macros, test add-ins and verify language and default-file behavior.
- Test Outlook sign-in, profile behavior, signatures, required mail and calendar access, and any local data scenario.
- Record failures, adjust the configuration or remediation package, and repeat until the pilot meets the acceptance criteria.
5. Remove LTSC 2021 using the correct technology
Office LTSC 2021 uses Click-to-Run. Microsoft’s LTSC deployment guidance points administrators to the ODT Remove element for Click-to-Run Office versions. The RemoveMSI element is for older MSI-based Office installations, including MSI deployments of Office 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016; it does not remove a Click-to-Run LTSC 2021 installation.
Use the removal configuration that matches your installed products and test it first. A generic ODT configuration might contain a removal element such as <Remove All="TRUE" />, but the exact XML must be combined with the organization’s installation, language and product settings and validated against Microsoft’s current ODT schema. Do not deploy a configuration containing only <RemoveMSI /> and expect it to uninstall LTSC 2021.
6. Install and activate Microsoft 365 Apps
- Run the tested ODT installation through the selected management system or administrative process.
- Install the required Microsoft 365 Apps product, languages and update channel.
- Apply organizational application preferences and policies.
- Open an Office application and sign in with the licensed account, or verify the configured device or shared-computer activation.
- Confirm that the device reports the expected product, build and update channel.
7. Validate before expanding the rollout
- Open representative Word documents, Excel workbooks and PowerPoint presentations.
- Test macro execution, add-ins, external data connections, printing and PDF workflows.
- Check templates, custom dictionaries, ribbon changes and default file locations.
- Verify required authoring and display languages.
- Test Outlook access, profiles, signatures, rules and required local data.
- Confirm that the user can create, save, reopen and share files in the expected locations.
- Check activation, update compliance and endpoint-management reporting.
8. Roll out in controlled waves
After the pilot passes, deploy by manageable groups rather than to every device at once. Sequence groups by department, location, network capacity or application dependency. Monitor installation failures, activation errors, add-in problems and help-desk tickets. Keep the tested recovery process and the LTSC source or reinstall route available until the rollout is accepted.
Click-to-Run versus MSI removal
| Installation technology | Typical removal mechanism | What not to assume |
|---|---|---|
| Office LTSC 2021 Click-to-Run | ODT Remove element and a configuration appropriate to the installed Click-to-Run products |
RemoveMSI will not remove this installation |
| Older MSI-based Office deployments | ODT RemoveMSI behavior, subject to Microsoft’s documented supported versions |
The MSI settings-retention statement is not a universal promise for every Click-to-Run migration |
Mixed environments are possible. A device can contain remnants of older MSI products, Click-to-Run products or separate language components. Inventory the actual installation before selecting a removal configuration, and test the result on the same type of device used in production.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
How to handle common settings and data
Word and Excel templates
Identify organization-wide templates and user-created templates before migration. Verify their locations, trusted status and compatibility after Microsoft 365 Apps is installed. Open a real document that uses each important template rather than checking only that the template file exists.
Best Value
- 【No Drill Mounted】Cable management tray can be assembled in as little as 3 minutes or less-simply. Side clips easily clampe the edge of desk, pass through the holes on the sides, and secure excess cables with baskets. Desk cable management supports inward or outward installation to meet your needs in different scenarios, and provides you with great convenience when collecting and organizing wires.
- 【Rubber Pad Protects Desk】Wire organizer under desk built-in soft rubber pads on the clamp protect your desk from scratches, so you will not damage your furniture or office.
- 【Sturdy and Beautiful】Cord management under desk is made of high-quality carbon steel and holds about 15 lbs. The wire basket has 2 holes on each side of the tray to enable your cables to pass freely. Cable baskets are suitable for desk thickness use from 0.4" to 2.4".
- 【Space Saving & Keep Organized】Desk cable management tray holds all your power cords, outlet strips, USB hubs and computer transformers hidden from your feet, and the data cables will not enter the vacuum cleaner to keep your desk clean and tidy. Desk wire organizer is also suitable for use in the kitchen and outdoors.
- 【Reduce Safety Risks】Cable tray under desk keeps all plugs away from your kids, no more worry about tripping. Using 2 holes wire tray saves extra space, helps you easily cabling and wire protection. The mesh design is not easy to accumulate dust, but avoids safety accidents caused by messy wires.
VBA macros and add-ins
Keep an inventory of macro-enabled files, trusted locations and third-party add-ins. Microsoft 365 Apps security and update behavior can expose compatibility or trust issues that were not visible in a static LTSC environment. Test digitally signed and unsigned macros according to organizational policy, and confirm that each add-in supports the selected Office architecture.
Customizations and preferences
Record custom ribbon tabs, Quick Access Toolbar commands, default fonts, proofing dictionaries, file associations and default save locations that matter to a user or department. Validate the settings after installation instead of treating them as guaranteed to transfer.
Outlook
Test each supported account type and the organization’s profile-management method. Verify signatures, rules, autocomplete behavior, shared mailboxes, delegated calendars and local data files where relevant. If a user relies on a PST or other local-only store, confirm that it is accessible and backed up before removing the old Office installation.
Troubleshooting migration failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| LTSC 2021 remains installed after the task runs | The configuration used RemoveMSI instead of the Click-to-Run Remove element. |
Identify the installation technology, correct the ODT XML and rerun it on a pilot device. |
| Microsoft 365 Apps installs but will not activate | The user lacks an eligible Apps license, sign-in is blocked, or activation mode is wrong for the device. | Check license assignment, identity sign-in, network access and the selected user, device or shared-computer activation model. |
| Add-in or macro fails | Architecture, trust, security policy or vendor compatibility differs from LTSC 2021. | Confirm 32-bit/64-bit requirements, trusted locations, signing and supported versions; update or remediate the dependency before widening deployment. |
| Required language is missing | The ODT configuration did not include the needed language or the source was unavailable. | Add and test the language in the configuration, then redeploy to the affected group. |
| Installation is slow or times out | Insufficient bandwidth, CDN restrictions or an unsuitable deployment window. | Use a local source or distribution cache, stage content, adjust maintenance windows and verify proxy/firewall rules. |
| Outlook appears different after migration | Profile, signature, add-in or local-data behavior was not covered by an automated migration guarantee. | Use the inventory and approved backup/export process, then rebuild or restore the required configuration and validate the user scenario. |
Microsoft 365 Apps or Office LTSC 2024?
Microsoft 365 Apps is not simply a newer build of LTSC 2021. The choices differ in licensing, update cadence and cloud assumptions.
| Decision axis | Microsoft 365 Apps | Office LTSC 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing | Subscription plans; many business and enterprise plans include Apps, but eligibility and user assignment must be verified. | One-time purchase through volume licensing, for one device per license. |
| Feature model | Ongoing feature updates delivered through selected update channels. | Fixed feature set from the release, intended for specialized devices or environments that cannot take regular feature updates. |
| Cloud readiness | Fits organizations adopting a Microsoft 365 subscription and service model. | Microsoft’s on-premises option for organizations not ready to move to cloud services. |
| Planning checks | Tenant plan, user licenses, identity, update channel, network, compatibility and application controls. | Volume-license requirements, fixed-lifecycle suitability and compatibility with the organization’s infrastructure. |
Choose based on support requirements, connectivity, licensing policy and the organization’s tolerance for ongoing feature changes. Do not select one solely because its application icons look familiar.
Production-readiness checklist
- Office LTSC 2021 end-of-support timing is documented, with October 13, 2026 treated as the deadline for support, bug fixes and security updates.
- Microsoft 365 Apps licenses are assigned to pilot and production users.
- Windows, architecture, network, identity and activation requirements are confirmed.
- Critical documents, macros, add-ins, templates, languages and integrations are inventoried.
- Outlook profiles, signatures and local data requirements are documented and protected where appropriate.
- The ODT XML has been tested, including product, language, channel and removal settings.
- The removal configuration uses the Click-to-Run
Removepath for LTSC 2021, not onlyRemoveMSI. - A representative pilot has passed document, macro, add-in, Outlook, activation and update tests.
- Users have a support route and the deployment team has a rollback or recovery plan.
- The original volume-license source or another supported reinstall route is retained until the migration is accepted.
Bottom line
Removing Office LTSC 2021 will not delete the Word, Excel or other files users created. The safe migration path is to verify Microsoft 365 Apps licensing, inventory compatibility and important user state, pilot the deployment, remove LTSC 2021 with the ODT Click-to-Run Remove element, install and activate Microsoft 365 Apps, and validate each critical workflow. Treat Outlook profiles, signatures, local data, macros, templates and custom preferences as items to check and protect—not as settings that Microsoft has universally guaranteed to transfer automatically.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
