Office Compatibility Issues

How to Open Files in Office 2010 After Installing Microsoft 365

WPS Content Manager Sep 30, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users want to open their PPTX and XLSX documents using Office 2010 by default instead of the newly installed Microsoft 365 apps.

How to Open Files in Office 2010 After Installing Microsoft 365

Product: Microsoft Office
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Managing default file associations and applications after installing a newer Microsoft Office suite alongside an older version.
Observed behavior: Files automatically open in Microsoft 365 applications, overriding the user's preference to use Office 2010, despite both being installed.

Before you start

Ensure you know whether your Windows system is 32-bit or 64-bit, as this will slightly change the file path when locating your Office 2010 installation folder.

Solution 1Recommended

Set Office 2010 as the Default App via the Open With Menu

This method restores your default file associations, forcing Windows to use Office 2010 for specific formats like XLSX and PPTX without requiring you to uninstall Microsoft 365.

When multiple versions of Microsoft Office are installed on the same computer, Windows typically assigns default file associations to the most recently installed version. You can manually override this behavior.

Right-click the target file

Locate a file with the format you want to change (such as an XLSX or PPTX file), right-click on it, and hover over 'Open with' in the context menu.

Choose another app

Select 'Choose another app' (or 'Choose default program' on older Windows versions) from the menu to open the application selection dialog.

Enable the permanent association

Check the box at the bottom that says 'Always use this app to open .xlsx/.pptx files' before proceeding.

Locate the Office 2010 executable

If Excel 2010 or PowerPoint 2010 is not visible in the initial list, click 'More apps', scroll down, and select 'Look for another app on this PC'. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14 (or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14 for 32-bit systems).

Select the application file

Choose the respective application executable, such as EXCEL.EXE for spreadsheets or POWERPNT.EXE for presentations, and click 'Open' to apply the change.

Set Office 2010 as the Default App via the Open With Menu

Compatibility Mode Not Required: You do not need to run your software in compatibility mode to achieve this. Applying this default app setting is sufficient to route your files to the older application.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have both Microsoft 365 and Office 2010 installed at the same time?

Yes, Windows allows you to install multiple versions of Microsoft Office side-by-side. However, they may share certain system resources, and the most recently installed version will usually take over default file associations.

Why isn't Office 2010 appearing in my list of available apps?

Windows sometimes hides the older executables if it detects a newer version like Microsoft 365. You can bypass this by manually browsing to the installation folder (C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14) to select the app directly.

Do I have to uninstall Microsoft 365 to fix this issue?

No, uninstalling Microsoft 365 is completely unnecessary. You can manually reassign your default apps for specific file extensions back to the Office 2010 applications using the 'Open with' menu.

Will Office 2010 open newer file formats correctly?

Office 2010 fully supports standard modern formats like .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx natively. You will not lose access to these files by reverting your default app to the 2010 version.

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