How to Restore Missing Office Apps, Emails & Documents After Upgrading to Microsoft 365
Question details
The user is unable to locate their installed desktop applications, old Outlook emails, and local documents after upgrading to Microsoft 365 from an older version of Office.
- Product
- Microsoft 365
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- The user has upgraded their Office subscription and is attempting to access their old locally saved files, previous email profiles, and traditional desktop applications.
- Observed behavior
- When the user clicks on application shortcuts, they are redirected to web versions (like Outlook.com and Word for Web) instead of desktop applications, leading them to believe their local files and email profiles have been deleted.
Ensure you have the login credentials for the Microsoft account associated with your active Microsoft 365 subscription, as well as the login details for any older email accounts you need to recover.
Install the Microsoft 365 Desktop Applications
Download and install the full desktop versions of Office applications to stop web browsers from opening and to access your local files directly.
Upgrading your subscription online does not automatically install the desktop software. If you are using shortcuts from the Microsoft 365 app side panel, they may default to launching cloud-based web applications instead of your local programs.
Navigate to www.office.com in your web browser and click 'Sign in'. Log in using the Microsoft account that is linked to your active Microsoft 365 subscription.
On the Office home page dashboard, locate and click the 'Install Office' or 'Install' button. This will download the official Microsoft 365 setup file to your computer.
Locate the downloaded installer file in your device's Downloads folder and run it. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation of the desktop applications.
Once the installation finishes, do not use the Microsoft 365 web dashboard. Instead, use your device's native search bar (like the Windows Start menu) to search for specific applications like 'Word' or 'Outlook' and launch them from there.
Locate and Restore Missing Outlook Emails and Local Documents
Reconnect your original Outlook profile and locate your locally stored documents that the new installation did not automatically load.
Try WPS Office: A Lightweight, Free Alternative with Seamless Desktop Apps
Avoid the confusion of web versus desktop applications entirely. WPS Office provides a free, lightweight, and unified desktop application suite that automatically manages your local files without forcing you into cloud-only web browser interfaces.
- 1. Download the Application: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free desktop installation package.
- 2. Install WPS Office: Run the lightweight installer to quickly set up the suite on your computer without affecting your existing document locations.
- 3. Open Your Files Directly: Launch WPS Office and directly open your existing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents locally with complete format compatibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Word and Outlook open in my web browser instead of the desktop app?
This typically occurs when you click application icons from the Microsoft 365 web dashboard or a cloud-based side panel shortcut, which defaults to the online versions (like Outlook.com). To fix this, you must download the desktop versions via the 'Install Office' button at office.com, and launch them directly from your computer's Start menu or local Applications folder.
Did upgrading to Microsoft 365 delete my Office 2013 files?
No, upgrading to Microsoft 365 does not delete your locally saved documents, presentations, or Outlook data files. They remain safely stored on your hard drive. However, you must open them using the newly installed desktop applications or your file explorer instead of searching for them within the web-based applications.
How do I recover my old Outlook emails in Microsoft 365?
If your old emails appear missing in the new Outlook desktop app, it might be synced to a new or blank profile. Open the Outlook desktop application, navigate to File > Account Settings > Manage Profiles, and either re-add your previous email account or point the application back to your original local Outlook Data File (.pst).
Can I use both Microsoft 365 web apps and desktop apps at the same time?
Yes, your Microsoft 365 subscription includes access to both. You can use the web applications through your browser for quick edits on the go, while using the fully featured desktop applications installed on your local computer for comprehensive offline work and accessing legacy local files.
