Apache OpenOffice

ApplicationApache Software Foundation

Also called openoffice, ooo, apache openoffice, openoffice.org

Apache Software FoundationProductivity

The older OpenOffice line now hosted at Apache. Calc's Windows image is scalc.exe. LibreOffice is the more active fork. They are not the same download.

What you need to know

Apache OpenOffice is the older line. LibreOffice is the active fork.

openoffice.org still ships Apache OpenOffice. scalc.exe is Calc in that suite. LibreOffice is The Document Foundation's fork with a different version number and a different website.

What is it?: The older Apache OpenOffice suite
Same as LibreOffice?: No. LibreOffice is the active fork
Calc process?: scalc.exe in this suite

Feex says

If the About box says Apache Software Foundation, this is OpenOffice, not LibreOffice. I would not treat a 4.1 installer as a current TDF build.

What is Apache OpenOffice?

Apache OpenOffice is the Apache-hosted office suite. Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Math, and Base ship together. This article uses scalc.exe because that is the TSV process for Calc. LibreOffice is a different foundation and a different release train.

If you have never used it

If a guide still says "download OpenOffice", check the site. Apache OpenOffice lives at openoffice.org and stays on the 4.1 line. LibreOffice is the 2010 fork that still ships frequent Windows 64-bit builds. They do not share an installer. Calc is scalc.exe in this suite.

What is it used for?

Calc spreadsheets

scalc.exe is OpenOffice Calc. LibreOffice Calc is a different binary from a different vendor folder.

Writer and Impress

Documents and slides in OpenDocument formats. Microsoft OOXML export is weaker than LibreOffice's current builds.

Legacy OpenOffice templates

Old .ott / .ots files from the 2000s still open here. That is the reason some shops never moved.

Who is it for?

Orgs pinned to an Apache OpenOffice image
People following a 2010s "get OpenOffice" handout
Anyone who should switch the download to LibreOffice unless they have a reason not to

Current status

Maintenance releases on the 4.1 line. The Document Foundation and Apache both say the projects diverged. This article is Apache OpenOffice on Windows.

How old is it?

OpenOffice.org 1.0 shipped in 2002 from Sun's StarOffice line. Apache took the project in 2011. The last major feature line is still 4.1, with occasional maintenance. LibreOffice left in 2010 and is the more active descendant.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Apache OpenOffice 4.1 line

OpenOffice.org 3.x

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	Windows versions Apache lists for the 4.1 installer you download
RAM	Enough for Windows plus the suite. Large Calc books want more

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows what you open inside the app
RAM demand: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
scalc.exe	OpenOffice Calc. Writer and Impress are sibling exes in the same suite
soffice.exe	Suite launcher on many installs
swriter.exe	OpenOffice Writer

Startup components

OpenOffice starts when you open a document. A quickstarter option can linger. That is this suite, not LibreOffice.

File locations

Common Apache OpenOffice locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenOffice 4\program\scalc.exe

File formats

ODTODSODPDOCXLSPPTPDF

Common problems

Guides mix the two names

A page that says OpenOffice and links to libreoffice.org is describing the fork. This article is Apache's tree.

Security and 64-bit Windows

TDF's comparison calls out slower updates and no official Windows 64-bit / Apple Silicon story versus LibreOffice. Read both vendor pages before you standardize.

Getting unstuck

Read the About box

Apache OpenOffice names the Apache Software Foundation. LibreOffice names The Document Foundation. If those strings match the other article, you installed the sibling.

Install only from openoffice.org/download if you truly want this line

A "OpenOffice free" search ad is a junk path. The Apache project page is the source.

If you wanted current OOXML export, use LibreOffice instead

That is a project choice, not a Windows repair. Uninstall this suite before you stack both on the same file types.

Alternatives

LibreOffice is the usual replacement. Microsoft 365 and ONLYOFFICE overlap for documents. Do not install both OpenOffice and LibreOffice as "the same app".

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	www.openoffice.org/download/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	www.openoffice.org/support/ Vendor support
Official site	www.openoffice.org/ Start here, not a random exe host
Apache project	openoffice.apache.org/ Incubator / project home at Apache

Related hardware

The suite runs on modest PCs. The limit is usually file fidelity and update pace, not a GPU.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Apache OpenOffice official site · Vendor product page
Apache OpenOffice help · Vendor support
LibreOffice vs OpenOffice (TDF) · The fork's comparison table
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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