Section: Microsoft Windows Tutorial: Windows / Office Version Compatibility Chart

We often hear: "Will Office 2003 run on my Windows 7 PC?" or "Can I install Office 2007 on Window 10? Windows 8.1? . We sure wish Microsoft had official easy-to-read compatibility charts! Well, they don't, so here's ours.

We've consolidated this information directly from Microsoft's websites and provided links where possible. (Please see our Disclaimer below.) Updated: July 3, 2017 .

Important Notes About Our Compatibility Charts

The ending support dates listed refer to Microsoft's Extended Support phase, which includes security updates and online technical information. Further in this tutorial we discuss the difference between Extended Support and Mainstream Support.

Be careful about upgrading the Windows operating system on your PC before ensuring that your Office product or Suite is compatible. This is especially true if you don't have any installation disks because you either purchased Office pre-installed on your computer, or your computer came with a Trial version of Office.

You'll notice we refer to the Windows Compatibility Center in our charts when providing Microsoft's official position on compatibility. Unfortunately, Microsoft took down their online tool in late 2015, as explained in this Microsoft Q & A.

Compatibility Chart for WINDOWS 10 and Microsoft Office Versions

Support ends 14-Oct-2025

Office 2000

Office 2003

Office 2007

Support ends 10-Oct-2017

Office 2010

Support ends 13-Oct-2020

EXCEPT for Office Starter 2010

Office 2013

Support ends 11-Apr-2023

Office 2016

Support ends 14-Oct-2025

Office 365

Compatibility Chart for Windows 8 and 8.1 and Microsoft Office Versions

Support ends 10-Jan-2023

Office 2000

Office 2003

Some claim it may run in a Virtual Machine with Professional and Enterprise editions

Office 2007

Support ends 10-Oct-2017

See Windows + Office. Some folks had problems with 8.1, so do research first.

Office 2010

Support ends 13-Oct-2020

Office 2013

Support ends 11-Apr-2023

Office 2016

Support ends 14-Oct-2025

Office 365

Compatibility Chart for Windows 7 and Microsoft Office Versions

Support ends 14-Jan-2020

Office 2000

Office 2003

Office 2007

Support ends 10-Oct-2017

Office 2010

Support ends 13-Oct-2020

Office 2013

Support ends 11-Apr-2023

Office 2016

Support ends 14-Oct-2025

Office 365

Compatibility Chart for Windows Vista and Microsoft Office Versions

Support ends 11-Apr-2017

Office 2000

Office 2003

Office 2007

Support ends 10-Oct-2017

Office 2010

Support ends 13-Oct-2020

Office 2013

Office 2016

Office 365

Compatibility Chart for Windows XP and Microsoft Office Versions

Support ended 8-Apr-2014

Office 2000

Office 2003

Office 2007

Support ends 10-Oct-2017

Office 2010

Support ends 13-Oct-2020

Office 2013

Office 2016

Office 365

* Windows XP users: Here is a good article at PC World with tips on staying safe using XP now that support has ended and no more security patches will be provided by Microsoft.

Buying Office Software Today

Let's discuss the changing landscape of software buying. Microsoft, like other software companies, now offers Office via a software "subscription", where one pays a monthly fee for the installation and continued use of the Office products. Microsoft calls this offering Office 365. An Office 365 Personal subscription is for one PC only and the Office 265 Home version supplies up to five PCs.

Regardless of where you purchase the Office 365 license, it is best to renew the product in subsequent years directly through your account at Microsoft rather than via a third party.

The current version of Office can still be purchased for a one-time fee, for one computer, on Microsoft's website and Amazon Digital Services. To see all available suites, go to the Microsoft website and click on Office under Products. If purchasing from a third party, read all the comments and install as soon as possible so you can get a refund if the product won't work on your computer.

If you have 24/7 reliable Internet service and don't mind storing all of your user files in Microsoft's cloud (OneDrive, formerly SkyDrive), you can use Office Online for free. You need to create a Microsoft account, or sign in with a work or school account.

Older Office versions and configurations may be available on third-party websites, but be careful. Some online stores sell an Office suite and show the retail box, but don't mention that the box contains only a product key for activating the software after establishing a Microsoft account and downloading the actual software.

Read purchasers' comments and questions, and understand the risks. Make sure the version you want to buy will run on your computer's operating system and attempt the install as soon as possible so the product can be returned if unusable. Also, investigate thoroughly how to install the version you wish to buy if your PC already has an older version installed (see below).

There are still a few vendors selling Office 2010 versions on DVD. There are a handful on Amazon.com like this one, but the price keeps going up! A be careful. Some say the product wouldn't validate because all the available copies were in use. These folks often note that the activation code was printed on a white sticker instead of an orange sticker with the Microsoft logo. Secondly, installing a later version of Office over an earlier version that contains products NOT in the new version (e.g. Outlook) can be hazardous. If not installed properly, the install will wipe out Outlook and other Office products not included in the new version. Read our tutorial How to Install Office 2010 on a Computer with an Older Version Already Installed first!

Lastly, if you purchase from a third-party vendor, make sure you can return the product if necessary and know your return window (often 15 or 30 days.) Be prepared to install early so if the product key doesn't work or the installation fails, you have time to return the product.

Purchasing or "leasing" software has become a complicated issue and a thorough discussion is beyond the scope of this tutorial. Please see our Disclaimer below.

Mainstream Support vs. Extended Support

Every Microsoft product support has a Mainstream Support phase and an Extended Support phase . Our compatibility chart lists the dates that the products' Extended Support phase ends because that is the support that is most important to our readers.

What is the difference? Extended Support provides security updates, paid-support, and online technical support via Microsoft's Knowledge Base or other support websites.

The mainstream phase of support includes the above, plus the ability to submit requests for product changes and features, and some complimentary support for selected products for certain enterprise customers.

Currently, Microsoft's official lifecycle dates (end of support) for Office are documented on this webpage. Go to Microsoft's Lifecycle Page if the previous link doesn't work.

How to Find Microsoft Office Product's Version and Service Pack Level

Office 2003 and Older Versions

• Open one of the Office products


• Click Help and click About

Office 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016

Open one of the Office products. If the left-most tab is File, then click "File" and click "Help". If there is no File tab, then follow the directions below:

• Click the Microsoft Office button in the upper left corner


• Click the Options button at the bottom


• Click Resources and then click About

Disclaimer: As always, we do our best to provide accurate, easy-to-understand information for our website visitors. However, we will not be held responsible for inadvertent errors, nor should any visitor infer that we are providing technical advice or guarantees. In addition, Keynote Support does not respond to technical questions or provide technical assistance. If you have questions about any information discussed in this article, use the appropriate Microsoft Forum.

We hope our Windows and Office compatibility tutorial has been helpful. Cheers!

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