HCHTech
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 4,298
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA - USA
I have had to do this a few times in the past. Initially, I would call MS support, jump through the hoops, explain my situation (usually some LOB software not compatible) and they would issue me a 2013 key and download link.
Then, somewhere along the way, it became possible to do this without calling support. Log in to the MS account you are registering Office with, click on Install, advanced options or something like that, and you could choose your "preferred version". You picked 2013 and it downloaded and would activate just fine.
I think it's been maybe 6 months since I did this last.
So anyway, I tried to do it today - I have a lawfirm that is delaying their upgrade of Timeslips until EOY. Their version (2014 or 2015, I think) isn't compatible with Office 2016. It works, but you can't do the things that use hooks to Outlook (email this report, etc.).
First I tried to do the download thing - that option is no longer presented. The only choice offered is to download 2016. Then, I tried a live chat - after I finally got an agent to explain the situation to, they said you could not downgrade. There was no choice but to install 2016. He did say that you could purchase 2013 directly from Microsoft if you called the sales support, but you couldn't downgrade an already-purchased 2016.
This was only one person, so I don't know if that's the real answer, but it seems like the policy has changed. Head's up.
Then, somewhere along the way, it became possible to do this without calling support. Log in to the MS account you are registering Office with, click on Install, advanced options or something like that, and you could choose your "preferred version". You picked 2013 and it downloaded and would activate just fine.
I think it's been maybe 6 months since I did this last.
So anyway, I tried to do it today - I have a lawfirm that is delaying their upgrade of Timeslips until EOY. Their version (2014 or 2015, I think) isn't compatible with Office 2016. It works, but you can't do the things that use hooks to Outlook (email this report, etc.).
First I tried to do the download thing - that option is no longer presented. The only choice offered is to download 2016. Then, I tried a live chat - after I finally got an agent to explain the situation to, they said you could not downgrade. There was no choice but to install 2016. He did say that you could purchase 2013 directly from Microsoft if you called the sales support, but you couldn't downgrade an already-purchased 2016.
This was only one person, so I don't know if that's the real answer, but it seems like the policy has changed. Head's up.
