There are no niggling restrictions to printing, saving or sending: this is a fully fledged word processor. Rather surprisingly, you can even take Office Starter with you on your travels — why Microsoft has opted to offer this feature with its most basic edition but not with the full version is beyond us. You then just plug the drive into a PC and follow the prompts.
When the device is removed from a PC, Office Starter is also removed. Conditional formatting is one obvious example. In a similar fashion, Sparklines can add instant trendlines to a row of data, allowing you to pick out the winners and losers at a glance.
We suspect some users could use Excel Starter for a decade and never miss one of the features that have been dropped. Word Starter and Excel Starter include features for basic authoring and editing, but lack more powerful features like the ability to track comments and changes in your documents; password protect your documents; create tables of contents, footnotes, citations or bibliographies; perform advanced data analysis such as with pivot tables; and the ability to customize the Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar.
Office Starter has the same file support as full Office You will be able to easily send documents back and forth from Office Starter to other people using the full versions of Word and Excel and vice versa. Starter provides full fidelity viewing, so people who are using Office Starter will still be able to see features that are not included in Office Starter.
Starter was designed to be ad-supported and provided free to consumers. The 'Transition OPK' is now the only download available," said one of my contacts, who requested anonymity. I've asked Microsoft if the company has any more to say about the apparent discontinuation of Office Starter. No word back yet. If you don't get CD and you format your computer, you probably don't have an option to get your free MS Office back on your computer.
Office is not a trial software. You can use it as long as you want. The only restriction is, the features are limited and you can unlock certain features only if you buy a paid license. Also, the free Starter edition is Ad supported. Major features missing or disabled in Office starter edition There is no PowerPoint software included, so you cannot use Powerpoint presentations. Microsoft has made it clear in the documentation.
Ads are supposed to stay as long as you enjoy the free starter edition.
We understand that you have certain expectations of Office and that those include that it will be secure, reliable, capable, and that your data and privacy will be respected. Important: If you're using version , or newer, of Microsoft Office then your privacy options have moved.
For information about accessing them, please see Account Privacy Settings. To view the privacy options in a Microsoft , Office , Office , or Office app on Windows follow these easy steps:. Send personal information to Microsoft to make improvements to Office. When you check this box, you are helping to improve the quality, reliability, and performance of Microsoft. Microsoft automatically collects information from your computer, including error messages and hardware and software information.
Any information that is sent to Microsoft is anonymous. When you check this box, you allow Microsoft to collect information about your use of the online services and sites provided by Microsoft and its partners. Remove personal information from file properties on Save. This option automatically removes personal information from the file properties when you save the file. For the programs with the option turned on, the option is available only if you are working with a document created in an earlier version of Office, and you used this option in that version to remove personal information.
Use Translate Options to choose settings for online bilingual dictionaries and machine translation. Use Research Options to activate multilingual reference book and research site services. When you check the Connect to Office. You must be connected to the Internet to receive the downloads. When you check the Download a file periodically that helps determine system problems box:. You allow a file to be downloaded from Office.
You allow Microsoft to ask you to send error reports for certain types of error messages you might get. When you send a report, the data can help Microsoft understand and try to fix the problem. You allow Microsoft to provide you with up-to-date Help content that helps to troubleshoot the problem on your computer.
For more information, see Change Office Diagnostics settings. When you check the Sign up for the Customer Experience Improvement Program box, you are helping to improve the quality, reliability, and performance of Microsoft Office. You never have to complete a form, fill out a survey, or answer a telephone call. In general, this information is collected once each day.
When you check the Automatically detect installed Office applications to improve Office. When you check the Check Microsoft Office documents that are from or link to suspicious Web sites box, you turn on the spoofed Web site detection to help protect you from phishing schemes. When Office detects a link to a website with a spoofed domain name, you are notified in a security alert. The spoofed Web site detection check is performed locally on your computer.
For more information, see Enable or disable security alerts about links to and files from suspicious websites. When you check the Allow the Research task pane to check for and install new services box, you allow the Office program to automatically check for and install new research service. When you check the Allow sending files to improve file validation box, you allow Microsoft to collect information about files that fail the file validation.
By default a dialog box periodically asks you to send your files to Microsoft. Applies to Excel Starter and Word Starter only. When you check the Allow personalization of advertisements in Microsoft Office Starter box, you allow Microsoft to collect information about your use of the online services and sites provided by Microsoft and its partners. This information is used to predict which ads will be of interest to you. When you check the Warn before printing, saving, or sending a file that contains tracked changes or comments box, you get a warning message if you try to print, save, or send a document that contains tracked changes.
When you check the Store Random number to improve merge accuracy box, you increase your chances of getting the best results when you merge tracked changes from multiple reviewers. When you check the Make hidden markup visible when opening or saving box, you see all tracked changes that still remain in a document when you open or save the document. This way you can remove any unwanted tracked changes before you send the document out for review.
To remove personal information from this document, click Inspect Document. To remove personal information and other hidden data from files created in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, click Inspect Document. For more information about the Document Inspector, see the following articles:. Remove hidden data and personal information by inspecting documents, presentations, or workbooks.
To read our privacy statement visit Microsoft Privacy Statement. This article was updated by Ben on June 5th, as a result of your comments. If you found the information helpful, and especially if you didn't, please use the feedback controls below to let us know how we can make it better.
View my options and settings in the Trust Center. Connect to Office. Download a file periodically that helps determine system problems When you check the Download a file periodically that helps determine system problems box: You allow a file to be downloaded from Office.
Sign up for the Customer Experience Improvement Program When you check the Sign up for the Customer Experience Improvement Program box, you are helping to improve the quality, reliability, and performance of Microsoft Office. Automatically detect installed Office applications to improve Office. Allow the Research task pane to check for and install new services When you check the Allow the Research task pane to check for and install new services box, you allow the Office program to automatically check for and install new research service.
Allow sending files to improve file validation Applies to Word and Word Starter only. Allow personalization of advertisements in Microsoft Office Starter Applies to Excel Starter and Word Starter only When you check the Allow personalization of advertisements in Microsoft Office Starter box, you allow Microsoft to collect information about your use of the online services and sites provided by Microsoft and its partners.
Warn before printing, saving or sending a file that contains tracked changes or comments Applies to Word and Word Starter only. Store random numbers to improve Combine accuracy Applies to Word only. Make hidden markup visible when opening or saving Applies to Word and Word Starter only.
For more information about the Document Inspector, see the following articles: Remove hidden data and personal information by inspecting documents, presentations, or workbooks.
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