How to Add Access LTSC 2021 to Office Home and Student 2021
Question details
The user wants to know how to install and add Microsoft Access LTSC 2021 to an existing installation of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021.
- Product
- Microsoft Office 2021 / Microsoft Access
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to expand a basic Office suite with a standalone database application.
- Observed behavior
- Access cannot be seamlessly added to Office Home and Student 2021 because they use different licensing channels and editions, which prevents concurrent installation.
Ensure you have your product keys or Microsoft account credentials ready, as resolving this licensing conflict typically requires uninstalling and reinstalling your Office suite.
Upgrade to Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021
The most complete solution is to use an Office edition that includes Access natively, as different licensing channels cannot be mixed on the same device.
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021 and Office LTSC 2021 use different installation technologies and licensing channels. Because of these restrictions, you cannot simply install Access LTSC alongside Home and Student.
Office LTSC Standard does not include Access, but Office LTSC Professional Plus does. To resolve the conflict, you must remove the basic suite and install the comprehensive version.
Click the Start menu, go to Settings, and select 'Apps' followed by 'Apps & features' (or 'Installed apps' in Windows 11).
Locate 'Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021' in the app list, click on the three dots (or right-click), and select 'Uninstall'. Follow the prompts to completely remove it.
Reboot your PC to ensure all background services and registry entries from the previous installation are fully cleared.
Download and run the installer for Microsoft Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 from your volume licensing center. This package will install Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access together under one unified license.
Use Microsoft Access 2016 Runtime as an Alternative
If you only need to open and run existing Access databases and do not need to design them, the free Runtime version is a practical workaround.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy Microsoft Access as a standalone application?
Yes, Microsoft Access can be purchased as a standalone application. However, installing it alongside Click-to-Run versions of Office like Home and Student 2021 can cause installation conflicts if they use different installation technologies.
Does Office Home and Student 2021 include Microsoft Access?
No, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021 only includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Microsoft Access is primarily included in Professional editions or Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions.
What is the difference between Access LTSC and Access Runtime?
Access LTSC is the full, paid version of the software used to create, design, and manage databases. Access Runtime is a free version that only allows users to open and interact with existing databases without the ability to modify the database architecture.




