Suppose you have a Microsoft Office trial copy installed on your computer and are trying to install another instance of the retail copy. In that case, there is a chance of getting this error on a Windows computer. This error occurs when you try to open a Microsoft Office application such as Word, Excel, etc. The whole error message says – This action is only valid for products that are currently installed.
Do you have a trial Office version installed?
The error message or window appears when the already installed trial copy has expired. In the meantime, you install another instance of Microsoft Office and try to open Excel, Word, etc. This results in a conflict between expired and fresh Microsoft Office installations. Whether it is a retail copy or you are using an online installer or installing an offline package, you can get the same error message on your Windows computer.
This problem can occur with any version of Microsoft Office, including Microsoft Office 2019 and Office 365.
Read: How to activate Microsoft Office 365 on Windows
This action is only valid for products that are currently installed
To fix This action is only valid for products that are currently installed error while opening Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc., you should follow these suggestions-
- Uninstall the trial version of Microsoft Office
- Repair new Microsoft Office installation
- Uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Office
To solve it completely, you need to follow all the steps.
1] Uninstall the trial version of Microsoft Office
You can uninstall any version of Microsoft Office you are using on your Windows computer from the Windows Settings Apps section.
- Open Windows Settings > Apps
- Search for the trial version, and click on the three-dot menu.
- Click the Uninstall option.
2] Repair new Microsoft Office installation
if, after uninstalling the trial version, the issue persists, you must repair the latest Microsoft Office installation. Since there was a conflict between two instances of Microsoft Office, repairing should fix the problem.
- Open Control Panel > Uninstall a program
- Select the Microsoft Office from the list and click the Change button. You might have to select Yes in the User Account Control window.
- In the pop-up windows, select Quick Repair or Online Repair
The Quick Repair method doesn’t require an internet connection, which should solve your problem. At first, use this method and follow the screen instructions accordingly. If it doesn’t do anything well, you must connect your computer to an internet connection and use the Online Repair option. It takes more time than Quick Repair, and it is more effective.
3] Uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Office
If the problem persists even after using the built-in repairing tools, it is time to uninstall the new installation of Microsoft Office and reinstall it. This time, do it using Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant to uninstall it completely.
I hope these solutions will be helpful to you.
How do we fix this file that does not have an app associated with it performing this action?
First, you need a program installed on the PC to open the file. If you want to open the file type with a specific program, change it in the default apps section.
Read: Free Uninstaller Software for Windows
How do you check what process is using a file?
You can use the Resource Monitor to locate the Associated Handles section and search for the file’s name or folder of interest.
