Solved Do I Need to Uninstall a Trial Version?

Hi,
I currently have a trial version of MS Office 2010 Student & Home on my system right now for evaluation (stepping up from Office 2003). I have decided to purchase; but I always buy the boxed version never downloads or just keys.
Do I have to uninstall my trial copy and is there a MS file cleaner that I have to use before I install the paid version?
Thanks,
Jakeman97

It seems you can convert without uninstalling the trial using a box with a CD as long as you buy the same version as the trial. See: Convert your trial to a full-product version - Buy Office - Microsoft Office. This explains the process. I assume that you simply use the Product Key from the box to activate the purchased product. Since that can be done, there's no need to go into how to uninstall the trial software - but post back if you want that information anyway and I'll see if I can find something.

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

Hello Lorien,
That link is for Office 2007. The information is most likely relevant for 2010 and it seems to indicate to me that a downloaded trial is going to have a purchased Product Key sent by eMail in order to activate and will not be compatible with the retail boxed CD version. I guess the safe way would be to uninstall the trial before installing the CD version. May need an office 2010 file cleaner...I'll see if one is available.
Thanks,
Jakeman97
Addendum:
Found what I needed here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301

Glad to see you found what you wanted. In that other article (admittedly for Office 2007 but as you said probably still applicable to 2010) it included the following statement:

You can convert from the trial to the full-product version either by purchasing the full product from a retail location or converting it online. A true conversion, in which you do not have to uninstall the trial and then manually install the full-product version, occurs when you convert to the same language and suite as the trial version. For example, if the trial is Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 and in English, the full-product version should be Office Small Business 2007 and in English as well.
In some cases, you can convert trial software from one Office 2007 suite to another. For example, if you have a trial of Microsoft Office Professional 2007, you have the option to convert to Microsoft Office Basic 2007, Office Small Business 2007, or Office Professional 2007.

Click to expand...

Perhaps I'm reading it wrong, but that definitely suggests to me that you can convert using a full retail product - especially the first sentence. To save time, if I were you I'd simply try to convert using the new Product Key and see if it works before going through the process of uninstalling and re-installing - but that's up to you. I'd personally prefer to keep all my settings and everything the way they are if I could (and avoid the extra time it will take to uninstall and re-install), so I'd probably at least try it to see if it works. I don't see where you have anything to lose by trying. Anyway, whether you want to try is up to you.

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

Thanks Lorien...I will take your advice and take the key that comes with my retail version and try to convert my trial version prior to any attempt at an uninstall. The worst case scenario...it won't fly. Then I will uninstall if necessary.
Thanks for your insight.
Jakeman97