how to download Access app without affecting the existing office apps

Hi abdo elbarbary

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand you would like to install Microsoft Access without affecting your existing Office applications.

Please confirm which Office version and subscription you currently use. When it comes to Microsoft Access, the installation depends entirely on the type of license and installation technology you are currently using:

• If your current Microsoft 365 subscription includes Access (for example, Microsoft 365 Apps for Business, Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, Office 365 E3/E5), you can install Access directly.
• If your subscription or perpetual Office version does not include Access (for example, Office Home & Student 2021, Office Home & Business, or certain academic plans like A1), you must purchase a standalone Access license before installing it.

You can install Access separately using the Office Deployment Tool (ODT) only if your license supports Access and your current Office installation uses the same installation technology (Click-to-Run). However, ODT cannot bypass license or compatibility rules. If your existing Office apps are from a different edition (Retail vs. Volume) or a different technology (MSI vs. Click‑to‑Run), Windows will block the installation to avoid product conflicts.

Regarding your previous attempt, the tool likely uninstalled your apps for one of two reasons:

• Your XML tried to install Access on a different update channel than your installed Office.
• You tried to install 32-bit Access on 64-bit Office (or vice-versa).

If you need the full Access app and must use ODT, please refer to the configuration below. Ensure the Channel and OfficeClientEdition match your existing installation.

1, Create the XML configuration and save the following code as InstallAccessOnly.xml:

<Configuration>  
<Add OfficeClientEdition="64" Channel="Current">    
<Product ID="Access2021Volume" >      
<Language ID="en-us" />      
<ExcludeApp ID="Excel" />      
<ExcludeApp ID="OneNote" />      
<ExcludeApp ID="Outlook" />      
<ExcludeApp ID="PowerPoint" />      
<ExcludeApp ID="Publisher" />      
<ExcludeApp ID="Word" />      
<ExcludeApp ID="OneDrive" />    
</Product>  
</Add>  
<Display Level="None" AcceptEULA="TRUE" />
</Configuration>

2, Run the installation:

• Download Office Deployment Tool from Official Microsoft Download Center.
• Save the InstallAccessOnly.xml file in the same folder as the ODT.
• Run the following in an admin command prompt: setup.exe /configure InstallAccessOnly.xml

For further reference:

• Remove existing MSI versions of Office when upgrading to Microsoft 365 Apps
• Overview of the Office Deployment Tool
• Use the Office offline installer

Please let me know how you get on, as your feedback is valuable to the community. 

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