Microsoft Office 2010 for Windows: Questions and Answers

Microsoft Office 2010 is a version of the Microsoft Office suite for Windows, released on 15 June 2010. People still search for an Office 2010 download for Windows because they own a licence or know its interface well, but Microsoft ended support on 13 October 2020, so the answers below explain what that means before you install it.

What is Office 2010?

It is a one-time-purchase edition of Microsoft's office suite. Depending on the edition, it includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, with OneNote, Access and Publisher in the larger packages. Office 2010 kept the ribbon interface introduced in the previous version and added the Backstage view behind the File tab, where saving, printing and sharing are gathered in one place. It also shipped in both 32-bit and 64-bit editions. Wikidata lists it for Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8, as well as Windows Server 2003 and 2008. The last service pack was Service Pack 2, build 14.0.7155.5001, released on 11 August 2015, and later updates brought the build to 14.0.7252.5000 in June 2020, shortly before the end of support. Documents in the modern formats docx, xlsx and pptx created in Office 2010 open without trouble in current versions.

Is Office 2010 still supported?

No. Since 13 October 2020, Microsoft no longer provides security updates, bug fixes or technical support for Office 2010. The apps still open, but every new vulnerability found in them stays unpatched. That matters most for Word, Excel and Outlook, which open files and mail from other people. Microsoft names Microsoft 365 as the successor.

Can I still download it?

Microsoft no longer sells Office 2010. If you have a retail product key, the official Office 2010 page explains what options remain; installers from unofficial sites are a common source of malware and cracked copies, so avoid them. Volume licence copies are installed by the organisation that owns them.

What are the system requirements?

Microsoft's note on Office 2010 Click-to-Run lists Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit), Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 (32-bit or 64-bit) and Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (32-bit). Office Starter 2010 requires Windows 7 or Windows Vista SP1, 32-bit version. The full package is about 730.40 MB according to catalogue data.

Should I use it on a modern PC?

Only if the computer is offline or used for simple documents that you create yourself. For daily work with mail and attachments, move to a supported suite. Keep your old files: they will open in newer versions, and Microsoft explains format differences on its compatibility page.

How much does it cost?

Office 2010 was a paid product; the catalogue lists it as a demo. There is no free edition from Microsoft today, and Microsoft 365 is sold as a subscription.

Pros and cons

• Pro: familiar interface, runs on old hardware.
• Pro: one-time licence with no subscription.
• Pro: files compatible with newer Office versions.
• Con: no security updates any more.
• Con: no new features or cloud collaboration.
• Con: not sold by Microsoft.

What are the alternatives?

The official successor is Microsoft 365 Office. Free options include LibreOffice and WPS Office on Windows, and Google Sheets in the browser for spreadsheets. If you only need one app, Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel can be used separately.