Move Office 2019 from C to D drive

[mpwAskWoody Plus]

Windows 10 will not let me move Office 2019 to my D HDD (data) drive.  It only says “Modify” under Apps and Features and I don’t know what that means.  I think Office 2019 will be safer on D if I ever have to reset Windows 10.

It took a lot to get every thing working right and my understanding is, if a reset is necessary on C drive, Office 2019 would be uninstalled and I would have to download it again from the Microsoft Store and start all over setting up outlook etc.

But the D drive does not change during reset so Office would not change or be uninstalled.

Am I right?  Is it safe to move Office 2019 to D drive?  How do I do it?

Thank you for your help.

[bAskWoody Plus]

You could do it with EaseUS Todo PCTrans (free for two apps):

How to Transfer Microsoft Office from One Hard Drive to Another

Windows 10 Pro Version 2004: Group ASAP (chump/pioneer)

[joep517AskWoody MVP]

If Office is uninstalled as part of a reset, you must reinstall regardless of where you chose to install it. Your program files may be OK but an install is required when there is a fresh registry. As long as you chose the “keep my files” option your data files will be fine too.

--Joe

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mpw, b

[Kathy StevensAskWoody Plus]

When I acquired Microsoft Office, I downloaded the installation file to my hard drive and then copied the file to a USB drive for safe keeping. I also retained a copy of the key code on the USB drive.

Re-installation moving forward is simply a matter of plugging in the USB drive and running the program.

• This reply was modified 5 days, 2 hours ago by  Kathy Stevens.

[abbodi86AskWoody_MVP]

Office ClickToRun (365, 2019, 2016 variant) is restricted to system drive C:

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mpw, b

[mpwAskWoody Plus]

Well this is confusing.  The people who offer the tool to move files, EaseUS Todo, say yes, move it with our tool.  I had seen that too in my searching.

But Microsoft says, “Office 2019 is installed on the system drive, which is usually the C: drive. The installation location can’t be changed.”

Per this – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployoffice/office2019/overview

As I read it, it has something to do with the new “click to run” installation method.  I have Office Home and Business 2019, not listed on this website.  I decided to request a call from Microsoft tech support and ask the people who downloaded it from the store, installed and set everything up if it was a “click to run” installation.  I am waiting for a call back now.  Sometimes they actually call.

Also, Windows 10 settings specifically says any reset or fresh install wipes out apps, including Microsoft Office.

I have backed up files and folders and an image with Windows backup.  I will start doing that weekly.  I have created a recovery usb drive but I did that early on, before office was installed.

Maybe I should do that again now that office is installed.  I don’t know if it would have anything other than the Windows 10 operating system aanyway.

Thanks for your responses. I will return and let you know if microsoft techs call.

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[bAskWoody Plus]

mpw wrote:

As I read it, it has something to do with the new “click to run” installation method.  I have Office Home and Business 2019, not listed on this website.  I decided to request a call from Microsoft tech support and ask the people who downloaded it from the store, installed and set everything up if it was a “click to run” installation.  I am waiting for a call back now.  Sometimes they actually call.

Microsoft documentation confirms that all editions of Office 2019 are Click-to-Run:

Microsoft Office 2019 client apps use Click-to-Run installation technology only. Microsoft Installer (MSI) is not a deployment methodology for Microsoft Office 2019 clients. We will continue to provide MSI for Microsoft Office Server products.
Office 2019 on-premises release details (published Feb 1, 2018)

Beginning in Microsoft Office 2019, we’ll expand the availability of Click-to-Run to all client products. … Beginning in Office 2019, Office client applications will no longer be available in MSI format.
A4: There will be no MSI releases for any Office client apps from 2019 onwards. All new Office client apps, including Visio and Project, will be distributed as Click-to-Run exclusively. However, Office Server will remain MSI-based only.
Office 2019 perpetual volume license products available as Click-to-Run

Windows 10 Pro Version 2004: Group ASAP (chump/pioneer)

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mpw

[mpwAskWoody Plus]

Yep.  No way to move Office 2019 to D drive because it is installed using click-to-run technology.

I did  talk to Microsoft tech though.  (I called them.)  The good news is from the beginning my pst files from my old computer were put on my D drive and Office 2019 connects to them from the C drive.

The tech I talked to said most of office settings, especially email, would still be on the D drive after new install and somehow office finds them.  He seemed to think the pst files had more than just outlook settings.  But if they only had that, I could bumble through getting Word to look like I like it again.

I also set Win 10 to have all new content go to the D drive so it is updating.

Thanks for the time you spent helping me.

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