On my Mac, do I need to remove an older version of Microsoft Office before installing a new one?

Note: If you are running Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later, UITS recommends using Office 2008 or 2011. Some third-party applications may not be compatible with Office 2008; consult the third-party support resources for compatibility information.

Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac OS X

Microsoft maintains that you don't need to uninstall Office 2008 before installing Office 2011. Office 2011 will replace Messenger 7 with Messenger 8 for connection to Windows Live accounts. Microsoft Communicator is a new application for the IU UniCom service.

Note: For Mac users, UITS recommends Lync for Mac to connect to UniCom at Indiana University. Communicator for Mac, available with Office 2011, still works with UniCom, but has fewer features. Messenger for Mac is not supported.

After installing Office 2011, you can remove old versions with the Remove Office tool, located inside the Additional Tools folder of Office 2008, which is in the Microsoft Office 2008 folder inside your Applications folder.

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac OS X

Microsoft maintains that you don't need to uninstall Office 2004 before installing Office 2008. During installation, you'll have the opportunity to safely remove old versions of Office if you wish. Or, after installing Office 2008, you can remove an old version with the Remove Office tool located inside the Additional Tools folder of Office 2008, which is in the Microsoft Office 2004 folder inside your Applications folder.

Note: For the removal tools to work properly, the folders on your hard drive must have the correct names (i.e., Microsoft User Data or Microsoft Office 2004).

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