Microsoft Word Download
...get the Microsoft Word free trial

Get a free Microsoft Word download so you can try out Word 2010 before you buy it. (The Word 2007 free trial download is no longer available.)

The free trial period is longer than most, so you have plenty of time to test the new features and maybe even complete your term paper before the trial runs out!

This article covers everything you need to know to download and install the free trial:

• Read about the free trial
• Determine the Microsoft Office 2010 minimum software requirements
• How to know if your system meets minimum requirements
• NEW! Download the Microsoft Office 2010 free trial
• NEW! Installing Microsoft Office 2010

I recommend that you take a few minutes to read about the system requirements before you start the Microsoft Word download and installation.

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Free Software?

Not quite! Although there are free open-source word processing programs available, Microsoft Word is not one of them!

But there is one legitimate way to use Word for free…download the Microsoft Word 2010 free trial. (The Word 2007 free trial download is no longer available.)

A Microsoft Word download is not available as a standalone, but you can download Microsoft Office 2010 and try it out for 60 days.

WARNING: The software locks when the free trial period expires, so be sure to save your files as another format before the 60-day trial runs out. If you want to use Microsoft Office after the trial period ends, you need to buy it.

Like any trial software, you will receive notices when it is about to expire. You have the option to buy at that time, or wait until the trial period ends and discontinue using the software.

You do not have to uninstall Office 2010 when it expires. Even though you can’t modify, save, or make new files, you can still use it as a viewer if you don’t have the compatibility pack or Word viewer installed.

The advantage of leaving it installed is that if you buy Word 2010 at a later time, you don’t have to download and install it again —you can just reactivate the software with the CD key you purchased.

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Determining System Requirements

Before you start the Microsoft Word download and installation, make sure your system will run the software.

The difference between meeting minimum system requirements and recommended system requirements is sometimes the difference between a frustrated user and a happy one.

If your system barely meets the minimum requirements, be prepared to accept slower performance and unavailability of some features.

To use Microsoft Office 2010, you need the following:

• 500 megahertz (MHz) processor or higher
• 256 megabyte (MB) RAM; 512 or higher recommended *
• 3 gig available space on hard drive
• CD-Rom or DVD drive
• 1024x768 or higher resolution monitor
• Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack (SP) 3 (32-bit only), Windows Vista with SP1, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003 R2 with MSXML 6.0, Windows Server 2008, or a later 32- or 64-bit operating system

* I highly recommend 1 GB of RAM for best performance.

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Finding Your System Specifications

Before you start your Microsoft Word download, make sure it will run on your computer. It doesn't do any good to know what the software requires if you don’t know how to check your system specifications to make sure they meet the minimum requirements.

To find your system specs, do the following:

1. Click Start.
2. Select Control Panel.
3. In Windows Vista, select System and Maintenance. In Windows XP, select Performance and Maintenance. (If you use Classic View in Control Panel, you can skip this step.)
   
4. Click the System icon.
   
5. In Windows Vista, your system information is listed under the System section. In Windows XP, select the General tab to find your system information.

Compare your processor speed, installed RAM, and operating system with the software requirements. If your system meets or beats the minimum requirements, go to the next step to download!

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The Newest Microsoft Word Download

Microsoft Office 2010 Free Trial

The newest version of Microsoft Office is here! You can't get the Microsoft Word download by itself, but you can try it out by downloading the Microsoft Office 2010 free trial.

Once you have determined that Microsoft Office 2010 will run on your computer, all you need to do is follow the download link to the Microsoft website. (See the section above, Determining System Requirements, for more information BEFORE you try to download and install the software.)

Get your free Microsoft Word download
(60-day Microsoft Office 2010 free trial)

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Install the Office 2010 Free Trial

Follow these steps to download and install the Office 2010 free trial (you may want to print out these instructions before closing your browser):

1. Download the installation file to your desktop.
2. Print the screen that shows your Trial License Product Key (it is a 25-digit number). You must have the product key to install the software.
3. Close all open programs.
4. Double-click the installation file located on your desktop. Installation will begin immediately. (If the installation does not start, you may need to turn off your firewall.)
   
   
5. Enter the 25-digit product key obtained in Step 2, then click Continue.
6. Read and Accept the License Agreement, then click Continue. Follow the prompts to complete the installation.

If you have a previous version of Microsoft Office installed, you will be presented with an Upgrade screen.

You must decide whether you want to install the Office 2010 free trial alongside Office 2007, or overwrite all previous version(s).

Yes, you can run the two Office versions side-by-side! So you can save money by purchasing a downgraded version of Office 2010 and keeping some of your Office 2007 programs.

Tech Note: You cannot have two different versions of Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Sharepoint Workspace installed on the same computer. You must select which version you want during installation.

Make the decision whether you want to keep any Office 2007 programs, then follow these steps (if you aren't sure what to do, install Office 2010 alongside Office 2007):

1. To completely uninstall all previous versions of Microsoft Office and install Office 2010, click Upgrade. (Caution: this option deletes all previous versions of Microsoft Office software you have installed on your computer.) Installation will begin immediately. Follow the prompts to complete installation.
   
   -OR-
   To install Office 2010 alongside Office 2007, click Customize.
2. Click the Upgrade tab, then choose an upgrade option from the list.
   
   
   
3. Click the File Location tab. Enter a new file location for the Office 2010 installation so it does not overwrite your Office 2007 files. (I named the new directory "Microsoft Office 2010 Trial" so it would be easy to find.)
   
   
4. Click Install Now.
5. To use Word 2010, click Start > Microsoft Office > Microsoft Word 2010.
   
   

For more information, read the Free Trial FAQ on the Microsoft website.

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