Windows - Software Lifecycle - Upgrade Microsoft Office (MSI) to Microsoft 365

What the Office MSI to Microsoft 365 Upgrader does

This Automox Worklet™ automates the migration from legacy Microsoft Office MSI installations (2016 and 2019 editions) to Microsoft 365 Click-to-Run. The Worklet follows Microsoft's recommended upgrade path using the Office Deployment Tool (ODT) with the RemoveMSI element in a dynamically generated configuration file.

The Worklet detects Office editions including Home and Business, Home and Student, Personal, Professional, Professional Plus, and Standard from both 2016 and 2019 versions. It uses the Automox Windows Detection Kit to identify MSI-based installations specifically, as Click-to-Run installations require a different approach.

During remediation, the Worklet downloads the latest ODT from Microsoft, extracts the setup executable, generates an XML configuration based on your parameters, and executes a silent migration. All Office applications are force-closed during the upgrade process. The entire process may take up to 30 minutes depending on endpoint specifications and network speed.

Why migrate from Office MSI to Microsoft 365

Microsoft Office 2016 and 2019 are approaching or have passed their end-of-support dates. Unsupported Office versions no longer receive security updates, exposing your organization to vulnerabilities in applications that handle sensitive documents. Microsoft 365 provides continuous security updates and compliance with modern security standards.

The Click-to-Run deployment model provides faster updates, smaller installation footprints, and side-by-side installation capabilities. Users gain access to the latest Office features and cloud-connected services. Organizations benefit from centralized license management through the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Automating this migration through Automox lets you schedule upgrades during maintenance windows and track progress across your fleet. You avoid the manual effort of touching each endpoint individually while maintaining control over the specific Microsoft 365 product, language, and update channel deployed.

How Office MSI to Microsoft 365 migration works

1. Evaluation phase: The Worklet uses Get-Win32App with the IsMSI property to detect Microsoft Office 2016 or 2019 editions installed via MSI. It checks for Home and Business, Home and Student, Personal, Professional, Professional Plus, and Standard editions. Endpoints with detected MSI installations are flagged for remediation. Click-to-Run installations are not matched.

2. Remediation phase: The Worklet creates a cache directory, downloads the latest ODT from Microsoft, extracts setup.exe, and generates a configuration XML with your specified productId, clientEdition, languageId, channel, excludeAppIds, and ignoreProductIds. The ODT runs silently with FORCEAPPSHUTDOWN enabled, removes the MSI Office using RemoveMSI, and installs Microsoft 365. The Worklet verifies installation by checking for Microsoft 365 app entries.

Office to Microsoft 365 migration requirements

• Windows workstations with Microsoft Office 2016 or 2019 installed via MSI (not Click-to-Run)

• Internet connectivity to download ODT and Microsoft 365 installation files from Microsoft CDN

• Valid Microsoft 365 license for the target productId

• TLS 1.2 enabled for secure downloads

• Configurable parameters: productId (default O365ProPlusRetail), clientEdition (32 or 64), languageId (default en-us), channel (default Current)

• Optional: excludeAppIds to skip specific apps, ignoreProductIds to preserve specific Office products

• Sufficient bandwidth for downloading Microsoft 365 installation files (consider network impact for large-scale deployments)

Expected state after Office to Microsoft 365 migration

After successful remediation, the endpoint runs Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise (or your specified product) instead of legacy Office MSI. You can verify this change by checking the specific setting this Worklet modifies. The installation appears in Add/Remove Programs as Microsoft 365 Apps or similar depending on your productId. Users can launch Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Office applications immediately.

Installation media and logs are preserved at C:\ProgramData\amagent\WorkletCache\WSE-903 for troubleshooting. If migration fails, the Worklet exits with error code 1603 and error details in the activity log. For Office 2007-2013 MSI versions, use the Office Scrub tool instead. For existing Click-to-Run installations, use the Office Click-to-Run Uninstaller Worklet.

How to validate upgrade microsoft office (msi) to microsoft 365 changes

1. Run this Worklet on a pilot Windows endpoint and review evaluation output for upgrade microsoft office (msi) to microsoft 365.

2. Confirm Automox activity logs show successful completion and exit code 0.

3. Verify endpoint state using checks aligned to evaluation script logic, such as Click-To, Office-IT, Pro-Deployment.

4. Validate remediation effects from script operations such as Click-To, Office-IT, Pro-Deployment, then rerun evaluation for compliance.