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Introduction to Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office is the leading productivity suite used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide for tasks like word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, email, and more. It includes popular applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

The latest version is Microsoft Office 2021, which includes new features and enhancements for creating documents, analyzing data, building presentations, and managing communications across work and life. Upgrading or installing Office 2021 allows you to take advantage of the newest tools and security updates.

Benefits of Microsoft Office 2021 include:

• Improved accessibility features like text-to-speech and text spacing options
• Creative formatting tools in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Real-time collaboration capabilities on documents
• New data analysis functions in Excel
• Presenter Coach in PowerPoint to help prep presentations
• Enhanced search in Outlook and other apps
• Dark mode support across all programs
• Latest security patches and updates

This guide will walk through the key steps for how to download and install Microsoft Office 2021 on either Windows or Mac devices so you can start experiencing the new features.

How to Download Microsoft Office 2021

Before downloading and installing Office 2021, it's important to verify your system meets the minimum requirements for smooth performance. Here is what you need whether using Windows or Mac:

Check System Requirements

Windows

• Windows 10 or Windows 11 operating system
• 1 GHz 64-bit processor
• 4 GB RAM
• 4 GB available disk space
• 1280 x 800 display resolution
• .NET version 4.8 or later
• Reliable internet connection

Mac

• MacOS 10.14 Mojave or newer
• 4 GB RAM
• 10 GB storage space
• 1280 x 800 resolution
• Internet connection

Next, you'll want to decide which version of Office 2021 works best based on your usage needs and budget.

Choose Version

There are a few options when it comes to purchasing Office 2021, including:

Microsoft 365 - This subscription plan ensures you always have the latest updates to Office apps plus cloud storage space. It runs $9.99/month for home use or $12.50/month for business use per user.

One-time purchase - You can buy Office Home & Student 2021 one-time for $149.99 which allows install on one Windows device. Or get Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 for $249.99. No recurring fees.

Editions - Home edition has apps including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Teams. Business edition also has Outlook, Publisher, and Access.

64-bit vs 32-bit - Modern devices can run the 64-bit version whereas older hardware may need 32-bit.

Once you decide which route to take, it's time to purchase Office 2021 and acquire your product key for activation later. 

Purchase and Acquire Product Key

You can purchase Microsoft Office 2021 directly from Microsoft at office.com. They offer the ability to buy it as a one-time payment or as a recurring subscription.

Some other places you can purchase from include:

• Amazon
• Best Buy
• Walmart
• Staples
• Microsoft authorized dealers

For business and enterprise use, there are options to acquire volume licensing agreements. This allows for customizable installations across a large organization.

No matter where you purchase from, you will receive a 25-character product key that looks like XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. This key will be used later during installation to activate the software.

Save this product key in a safe place!

Download Installation File

Once you've acquired Microsoft Office 2021, visit Microsoft office again to download the installation file:

1. Select your language preference for the Office interface.
2. Choose the bit version to match your system's requirements - either 32-bit or 64-bit.
3. Click the "Install Office" button. This will download the .exe setup file to your Downloads folder.

Be sure to note the file location as you will need to access it again shortly for installation.

Now let's get Microsoft Office installed!

How to Install Microsoft Office 2021

With the setup file downloaded, you're ready to install Office 2021. We'll cover preparing your computer, running the installer, selecting preferences, letting the installation run, and finishing up.

Prepare for Installation

Before launching the Office 2021 setup file, it's good to prep your system a bit:

• Close all other open programs to clear up space and prevent conflicts
• Temporarily turn off or disable any antivirus software that could interrupt the install
• Backup your system and files in case any issues emerge
• Ensure you have administrative privileges to add new software
• Now your computer is ready to install Office smoothly.

Run Setup File and Enter Product Key

Locate the Office 2021 .exe file you downloaded earlier to your system:

• Double click the file icon to launch the setup
• Agree to the Microsoft license terms and conditions
• Enter your 25-character product key when prompted
• Keys typically start with "Product Key: XXXXX"
• Allow the setup wizard to continue

You may need to re-enter credentials or click "Yes" on admin permission prompts on some systems.

Select Installation Type

Next you can choose between a typical or custom install:

Typical Install - Automatically installs Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Teams and allows apps to update themselves. Recommended for most users.

Custom Install - Enables you to select which individual Office apps to install, the install locations, and more advanced options.

If changing the folder location for install files, be sure you have full read/write permissions there.

Once preferences are set, let the installation continue.

Installation Process

The Office 2021 installation wizard will now run a series of processes including:

• Copying install files to your computer
• Integrating apps with the operating system
• Adding software registry keys
• Setting up file associations and shared dlls

Do not disrupt the system during this processing or it could leave programs unstable. Approximate install times:

• Fast internet connection: 10-15 minutes
• Slower connection: 30-60 minutes
• Custom installs with many applications chosen: up to 2 hours

Be patient and allow everything to complete before using Office. A progress indicator will show status.

Finish and Activate

After installation finishes successfully, there are just a couple steps left:

Activate Office - This verifies your product key ownership with Microsoft servers. Internet activation is easiest but phone is an option if offline.

Check for Updates - Updates provide the latest features, security patches, and stability since the 2021 version was released. It's ideal to get updated before extensive usage especially if installing from a disc.

Once activated and updated, Microsoft Office 2021 suite is ready to use! Enjoy the new tools and capabilities.

Using and Customizing Microsoft Office 2021

Now installed on your computer, Microsoft Office 2021 opens up new possibilities for document creation, analysis, presentations, and communication.

Here are some ideas to explore:

• Use the Tell Me search bar in the ribbon to easily find features and commands across Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other apps just by typing
• Check out new data analysis functions in Excel like XLOOKUP for flexible lookups, IFS for multiple if statements, and Power Query data connections
• Take advantage of Presenter Coach in PowerPoint to practice talks and get AI feedback on pacing and filler words
• Enable Dark Mode for an eye-friendly Office theme and reduce screen glare
• Link mobile Office app accounts like Outlook to sync email, calendar, contacts and files across devices
• Browse the range of free Office templates online including resumes, newsletters, budgets, Gantt charts and more

Additionally, you can customize Office 2021 apps to best suit your workflow with options like:

• Adjusting ribbon menu visibility and placement
• Adding macros and quick access toolbars
• Changing default save locations
• Modifying autosave frequency
• Tweaking editing and calculation specifications

Spend some time getting familiar with settings before diving into heavy projects and tasks. Understanding the full capabilities from Word processing to professional presentations will enhance productivity.

Troubleshooting Issues

If you encounter issues downloading, installing or activating Microsoft Office 2021, there are several troubleshooting steps to try:

Check system requirements - Ensure your device meets the minimum specification thresholds for processor, RAM, operating system, etc. Upgrades may be needed.

Admin permissions - You must have admin access on the device to complete Office installs plus read/write authority on folders used.

Antivirus conflicts - Add an exception rule for Office files if your antivirus wrongly flags components as problematic during setup stages.

Network issues - Verify you have a working stable internet connection for downloading files from Microsoft servers plus activating licenses.

Product key problems - Double check the 25-digit key was typed correctly without extra spaces or characters. Purchase a new one if invalid.

Repair or reinstall - From the control panel, you can select to repair or reinstall Office which replaces corrupted files while retaining settings.

If these self-help tips don't resolve the problems, visiting Microsoft Support online to troubleshoot further, submit an error report, or contact tech experts about your unique situation.

Conclusion

Installing the latest Microsoft Office 2021 upgrade provides a bundle of new features and security enhancements for boosting productivity across applications like Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. Following step-by-step downloading, installation, activation and customization guidance makes the upgrade process quick and smooth on Windows 10/11 plus Apple macOS devices. Take full advantage of tools for document formatting, email management, data analysis and presentations in Microsoft Office 2021.