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For those of you who have downloaded and tried out the Office 2010 Beta over the last year or so – something like 9 million of us did download it – the end of the road has come for those who might still be using the beta.

It officially expires today – 31 October 2010 – which also happens to be Halloween here in the United States – so no treat for beta users today – no last minute extension of use of the beta.  You only have a couple of choices at this point.  Either upgrade to the final version of Office 2010 or revert back to your previous version of Office.

Of course one other option is to enter our giveaway for a free copy of Office 2010 Home and Business as we celebrate recently passing our 2,000th post here at WindowsObserver.com.  You can get more details here – 2,000th Blog Post At WindowsObserver.com

So as you prepare for this transition from the beta to the final release or a previous version here is some very helpful FAQ’s from Scott who is a Microsoft Support Moderator at the Answers forums.

Does the Beta version of Office 2010 expire after a certain time?

The beta version of Office 2010 will expire on October 31, 2010.

What happens to my Office 2010 Beta applications after the expiration date?

Office 2010 Beta software is designed so that it will no longer function after October 31, 2010. After the expiration date, the applications in the Office 2010 Beta suite will display a message on startup that states the beta software has expired. Closing this message will return you to your desktop. To continue using Office 2010 after the expiration date, we recommend that you remove the Office 2010 Beta and install the retail version of Office 2010.  To learn more about the Office 2010 beta expiration, visit our Office blog: http://blogs.office.com/b/office_blog/archive/2010/10/11/the-office-2010-beta-is-about-to-expire-are-you-ready.aspx .

How do I remove Office 2010 Beta?

The Office 2010 Beta can be removed from your computer by using the Programs and Features option from Control Panel. If you had selected Upgrade to Office 2010 Beta directly instead of Customize to set the Beta to co-exist with your original Microsoft Office version during the download process, you have to manually reinstall your previous version of Microsoft Office to resume your original setup.  For more information about how to remove the Office 2010 Beta from your computer, direct your browser to  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2292287.

Where do I obtain the final version of Office 2010?

There are several ways to obtain Office 2010.  You can purchase the full version of Office 2010 from  http://www.office.com. You can also visit  http://www.microsoftstore.comto purchase Office.  You can also purchase Office 2010 at most major retail stores that carry computer software.

Why do I receive an error stating I cannot upgrade from a pre-release version of Office?

This means that you still have the Office 2010 Beta installed on your computer.  You cannot install the full version of Office 2010 until you remove the Office 2010 Beta.  Point your browser to  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2292287for more information about how to resolve this issue.

Where does Microsoft Outlook 2010 save my information and configurations?

To learn about Outlook data files, their names, and where they are stored, visit  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/where-does-microsoft-outlook-2010-save-my-information-and-configurations-HP010354943.aspx and  http://www.microsoft.com/showcase/en/us/details/9f0eb3d6-2e0c-4eb3-b74b-c1348122f00a

My Windows version is 64-bit. So, does that mean I have to install 64-bit Office?

You do not have to install 64-bit Office because you have 64-bit Windows. The Microsoft Office 2010 system is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The 64-bit version enables you to work with much larger sets of data. This need is especially true when you are working with large numbers in Microsoft Excel 2010. To learn more about both versions of Office 2010, visit  http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee691831.aspx .

Why do I receive the error "You cannot install the 64-bit version of Office 2010 because you have 32-bit Office products installed" when I try to install Office 2010?

You cannot install 64-bit versions of Microsoft Office 2010 products and 32-bit versions of Microsoft Office 2010 products on the same computer. For example, if you install the 32-bit version of Microsoft Office Professional 2010 and then try to install the 64-bit version of Microsoft Project Professional 2010, you will receive the error message. For detailed information on resolving this error, point your browser to  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2269468.