Yesterday i received my MS Office Pro 2013 Product Key, and logged in to the office.com/getoffice web site to download the software. From what I had read, I was expecting to be given teh option of downloading either the 64 bit or the 32 bit version, but if that option was there, I missed it.



The next surprise was that once the download was complete, I found I had a setup file on my desktop. I thought this program was like a download manager since it downloaded very rapidly (i.e. it was small in size). I clicked it thinking I was downloading the install program to me computer (I was not ready to do an install as I wanted to purge my system of previous versions of Office). In short order the install was over 1/2 way complete and I was afraid to stop it in fear something bad would happen. So now I have three versions of Office on my system - the remains of a free trial version that came on the computer, the 2010 version I purchased on discs and installed, and 2013.

The only issue i have found so far is that Excel 2013 won't open a file when I click the short cut or file (but will open the same file from within the Excel program or if I "Open With Excel 2010").

So, if I purge my system of ALL versions of Office and start over from scratch with 2013, do I run into activation issues? When I uninstall 2013 does it let MS know this via the internet so their database can reflect it?

Also, somehow I ended up with the 64 bit version - I think. How can I check? Since the program files are all in the \Program Files\ Folder (rather than the x86 folder) I am thinking I have the 64 bit version, which I don't want. Please NOTE: the SETUP file has x86 in the file name FWIW.

Thanx.

Upon further investigation, I find I have the 32 bit version of Office 2013. Finding this information was not easy, it seems every version of Office things have to change so you don't know where to look. Try finding HELP | ABOUT in Office 2013 apps. Good luck. Go to the FILE tab, click OFFICE ACCOUNT, then click ABOUT (APP). Also it appears there is no Help file on the local computer, so if you are offline, you are out of help. Big improvement.

So, WHY is a 32 bit version of Office installed in the PROGRAM FILES 9folder rather than the PROGRAM FILES (x86) folder? This seems to vilate normal Windows structure, doesn't it?