You need to set up the folders first and then upon each installation, go into the File Locations options and set the folders for that version. Then run an Office repair for the version you want as your primary version to get your file associations to work with that as a default. I actually use the same workgroup templates folder for each version and most of my startup add-in templates are stored in one of the versions and I use file shortcuts in the startup folders for the other versions. If you do this, you want to make the overall Microsoft System Files folder a trusted location with sub folders also being trusted.

Search for the term “registry hack” on this web page and follow the directions. Use different Word versions together Reminder from Graham Mayor: Do not only attend to the registry hack, but address the problems of shared folders for templates and add-ins or you will have further issues. This is addressed on that page as well.


Note, Microsoft is designating Word 2016, Word 2019 and Word 365 as Word 16 and thus those three cannot be on the same computer at the same time. They all use the same registry.