[Solved] Troubleshoot installing Office (Microsoft) - BEST Antivirus KBS : Largest Anti-Malware Knowlegde Base and Support

The issues you encounter when trying to install Microsoft 365, or Office 2021, 2019, 2016 or 2013 and how you fix them depends on whether your product is part of an Office for home or Office for business plan.

In addition, with Office for business plans only admins responsible for managing Microsoft 365 in their organization can do certain tasks. Therefore, admins should view the issues and solutions listed under both the Office for business and Microsoft 365 Admin tabs.

Not sure what plan you have?

Click here to see what products are included in Office for home or Office for business.

Tip: If you purchased Office through a company benefit, see Office through the Home Use Program (HUP).

Microsoft 365 for home

If your Office product is one of the follow, you have a Microsoft 365 for home product. This can be an Microsoft 365 subscription, or a one-time purchase of Office or individual Office application. These products are usually associated with a personal Microsoft account.

Microsoft 365 subscriptions: The following products include the fully installed Office applications.

Microsoft 365 Family
Microsoft 365 Personal

Office 2021, Office 2019, Office 2016, or Office 2013 versions available as one-time purchases: The following products include the fully installed Office applications.

Office Home & Student
Office Home & Business
Office Professional

Stand-alone Office 2021, Office 2019, 2016, or 2013 apps available as one-time purchases

Word
Excel
PowerPoint
OneNote*
Outlook
Access
Publisher
Project
Visio

Tip: *The desktop version of OneNote is only available in Microsoft 365, 2021, 2016, and 2013 versions. In Office 2019, OneNote for Windows 10 is the default OneNote experience. See the FAQ.

Microsoft 365 for business

If your Office product is one of the following, you have a Microsoft 365 for business product. These products are usually associated with a work or school account, and your Office license (if your subscription has one) came from the organization where you work or go to school.

Microsoft 365 Subscriptions: The following products include the fully installed Office applications.

Microsoft 365 Apps for business
Microsoft 365 Business Standard

Office 365 A5

Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise
Office 365 Enterprise E3
Office 365 Enterprise E4
Office 365 Enterprise E5

Microsoft 365 Business Standard (Nonprofit)
Office 365 Nonprofit E3
Office 365 Nonprofit E5

Office 365 U.S. Government Community G3
Office 365 U.S. Government Community G5

Project Online Professional
Project Online Premium

Visio Online Plan 2

Microsoft 365 Subscriptions without fully installed Office applications:

Tip: With these Microsoft 365 subscriptions, there are no desktop applications to download and install, but in most cases you can still access and use online versions of Office apps in your web browser. Learn more Free Office Online apps.

Microsoft 365 Business Basic
Office 365 Enterprise E1
Office 365 A1
Microsoft 365 Business Basic (Nonprofit)
Office 365 Nonprofit E1
Office 365 U.S. Government G1
Project Online Essentials
Visio Online Plan 1

Volume license versions of Office LTSC 2021, Office 2019, Office 2016, or Office 2013

Office Professional Plus

Select the tab for your plan:

Office for home

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Guided support can provide digital solutions for Office problems

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How do I download and install Office?

If you’re looking for the steps to download and install the latest version of Office such as Microsoft 365, Office 2021, Office 2019, or Office 2016, see Install Office on your PC or Mac.

If you want to download and install Office 2013 or Office for Mac 2011, see Install Office 2013 on a PC or Install Office for Mac 2011.

How do I reinstall Office?

If you’re reinstalling Office on a different computer than the one where you originally installed Office, note the following:

For Office 365 subscriptions: You can install Office on all your devices and sign in to Office on five devices at the same time.
For a one-time purchase of Office such as Office Home & Business, Office Home & Student, or Office Professional: You can install Office on only 1 PC or Mac. However, you may transfer Office 2021, 2019, 2016 or 2013 to another computer that belongs to you if you experience a hardware failure or you buy a new computer. For more information, see the Microsoft License Terms for your product, or see this blog post, Office now transferable.

When you’re ready to reinstall Office, sign in at https://www.office.com/signin with the same Microsoft account you originally associated with your Office product when you first installed it. You can also find installation steps here:

For the latest version of Office, see Install Office on your PC or Mac.

For Office 2013 or Office for Mac 2011, see Reinstall Office 2013 on a PC or Reinstall Office for Mac 2011.

Problems while trying to install Office

If you encountered a problem while installing Office on a PC, try restarting your computer and then attempting to install Office again. If that didn’t help, use this easy fix tool to uninstall Office completely. After your uninstall is complete, try reinstalling Office.

Uninstall Office using easy fix

Select the button below to download and install the Office uninstall support tool.
Follow the steps below to download the uninstall support tool according to your browser.

Tip: The tool may take a few minutes to download and install. After completing the installation, the Uninstall Office products window will open.
Edge or Chrome
- In the lower-lower left corner right-click SetupProd_OffScrub.exe > Open.
Edge (older) or Internet Explorer
- At the bottom of the browser window, select Run to launch the SetupProd_OffScrub.exe.
Firefox
- In the pop-up window, select Save Fileand then from the upper-right browser window, select the downloads arrow > SetupProd_OffScrub.exe.
Select the version you want to uninstall, and then select Next.
Follow through the remaining screens and when prompted, restart your computer.
After you restart your computer, the uninstall tool automatically re-opens to complete the final step of the uninstall process. Follow the remaining prompts.
Select the steps for the version of Office you want to install or reinstall. Close the uninstall tool.
Microsoft 365 | Office 2021 | Office 2019 | Office 2016 | Office 2013 | Office 2010 | Office 2007

If Office still won’t install, check that your computer meets the system requirements to install Office. For example, you can’t install Office on computers running Windows XP or Windows Vista.

If you’re still unable to install Office following the steps in Download and install or reinstall Office try using the offline installer.

The Office offline installer may help bypass potential proxy, firewall, antivirus, or Internet connection issues that might occur during an Office installation.

For steps to install an offline version of Office, see Use the Office offline installer and select the correct tab for your version of Office.

Computers running Windows Vista or Windows XP don’t meet system requirements to install Office

You can’t install Office 2016 or Office 2013 on computers running Windows Vista or Windows XP as these operating systems don’t meet the system requirements for Office. Attempting to install Office on a computer running an unsupported operating system will result in an error. (If you’re interested in learning more about the latest version of Windows, see Windows 10 specifications for details.)

If your computer can’t install the full desktop version of Office because your computer doesn’t meet the system requirements, you can try using Office Online in your computer’s browser. See the supported browser section on the system requirements page.

Can I install Office on a Chromebook?

You can’t install the desktop PC or Mac versions of Office on your Chromebook, but depending on your Chromebook you may be able to install the Office mobile apps. See Install Microsoft Office on a Chromebook.

You don’t want to install all the Office applications

When you install Office 2016 or Office 2013, all the applications that came with your particular Office product are installed at the same time. You can’t custom select which Office applications you want to install or not install, nor you can’t delete individual applications after your installation is complete. However, you can delete shortcuts to applications you don’t plan to use.

Tip: If you discover you need an application that didn’t come with your Office product, you have the option to purchase a stand-alone application. For example, you may decide you need Access or Outlook, but those applications weren’t included in your product. To purchase a stand-alone application, go to https://products.office.com/ and do a search for the app you want to buy.

You want to install Office on a drive other than the C: drive

You can only install Office on the system drive where your operating system is installed. That’s usually your C: drive.

Install the 64-bit version of Office instead of the 32-bit version

You may get an error if you try to install the 64-bit version of Office and you currently have the 32-bit version installed (or vice versa).

Therefore, if you previously installed the 32-bit version of Office on your PC, but decide you now want the 64-bit version, or vice versa, you’ll have to uninstall the bit version you don’t want and then reinstall the bit version you do want instead. Use this easy fix to uninstall Office.

Select the button below to download the Office uninstall support tool.
Follow the steps to open the download according to your browser, and when you’re prompted in the Application Install window, select Install, and then I agree for the Microsoft Services Agreement.

Tip: The tool may take a few minutes to download and install. After completing the installation, the Uninstall Office products window will open.
Edge or Chrome
- In the lower-lower left corner right-click SetupProd_OffScrub.exe > Open.
Edge (older)
- At the bottom of the browser window, select Run to launch the SetupProd_OffScrub.exe.
Firefox
- In the pop-up window, select Save Fileand then from the upper-right browser window, select the downloads arrow > SetupProd_OffScrub.exe.
From the Uninstall Office products window, select the version of Office you want to uninstall, and then select Next.
Follow the prompts on the remaining screens and when prompted, restart your computer.
After you restart your computer, the uninstall tool automatically re-opens to complete the final step of the uninstall process. Follow the remaining prompts.

If you’re looking for the steps to install the 64-bit version of Office, see the section, Step 1: Sign in to download Office.

For Office 2013, see Install Office 2013 on a PC.

If you’re not sure how to decide between 64-bit or 32-bit, see Choose the 64-bit or 32-bit version of Office 2016.

Install Office through Microsoft HUP

If your organization subscribes to the Home Use Program (HUP) find information about how to buy and install Office at, Install or reinstall Office through Microsoft HUP.

I’m a student. How do I install Office?

If you’re a student or teacher, and you don’t see an option to install Office through your institution, you may be eligible for Office 365 Education, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. All you need to get started is a valid school email address. For more information, see Get Office 365 for free.

Known issues with Office and Windows 10

See Known issues with Office and Windows 10.

Unsupported operating system error

You see the following error message after selecting the Install button from office.com/myaccount:

Unsupported Operating System error indicates you can't install Office on your current device This error can occur if:

You’re on a PC and you’re trying to install the Mac version of a one-time purchase of Office, such as Office Home & Student; or you’re trying to install the PC version of Office on a Mac.
For solutions to this, see Unsupported operating system error when installing Office.
You’re trying to install Office on a mobile device, such as an iPad or iPhone, or a Chromebook.
The Install button available after signing in at office.com downloads the version of Office designed to run on a PC or Mac. To install Office on a mobile device see Set up Office apps and email on a mobile device.

To install Office on a Chromebook, see Install Office on a Chromebook
You’re trying to install the desktop version of Office on an unsupported operating system such as Windows XP or Vista.
Check the system requirements for Office to see what operating systems are supported.

Office is taking very long to install

If Office is taking a long time to install you may be on a slow connection. See Office is taking long to install or Office hangs at 90% for possible solutions.

You get a KERNEL32.dll error when trying to install Office and other system requirement issues

If you’re trying to install Office on a computer running Windows XP or Windows Vista, you may get an error that says the dynamic library KERNEL 32.dll can’t be located. This occurs because newer versions of Office aren’t supported on these versions of Windows. For more information, see Why can’t I install Office 365, or Office 2019, 2016, or on Windows XP or Windows Vista?

Check that your computer meets the minimum system requirements to install Office. See System requirements for Office for a list of additional requirements.

If you’re not sure which operating system you have, see Which Windows operating system am I running? or Find the OS X version and build number on your Mac.

If your computer can’t install the full desktop version of Office because it doesn’t meet the system requirements, you can try using Office Online in your computer’s browser.

Install button doesn’t install Office

If the Install button is grayed out, your Office 365 subscription might have expired. See Renew Office 365 for home.

For other solutions, see Install button doesn’t install Office.

I get a “Stop, you should wait to install Office 2016” error

This error can occur if you haven’t updated Office 2013 to the latest version or you have a standalone 2013 app which is already included in the newer Office 2016 suite of apps. See Error: Stop, you should wait to install Office 2016. We’ll have to remove the following if you continue for steps on how to resolve.

If you connect to an Exchange 2007 mailbox (which reached End of Life on April 11, 2017), you might want to stay on Office 2013 until you upgrade from Exchange 2007. See the following:

Error messages when installing Office

You might get an error that has a number and maybe some descriptive text. Although the messages are hard to understand, there are often solutions. Try these links if you get these errors.

Not every error is listed here. If there’s a Learn More link on the error message, select that. If there’s no link, let us know what error you got and where you were in the install process when you received it. Leave us a comment at the bottom of this page to let us know more about your issue.

Upgrade or update Office issues

If you have an Office 365 subscription you already have the latest version of Office or the most up-to-date channel your Office 365 administrator has set. For non-subscription products such as Office Home & Business, you have the option to subscribe to Office 365 or purchase the latest version. For more information see:

Upgrade or switch Office 365 plans

It’s possible to switch between Office 365 Home, Personal, or University, or to switch from an Office 365 home plan to a business plan. For more information on how to do this, see :

How do I install Office updates?

Keeping Office up-to-date ensures that you have the latest security updates and fixes. For information about installing updates, see Install Office updates.

Where to sign in to Office 365 or My Office Account

Microsoft has more than one kind of Office 365 service and each service has its own sign-in page. Where you sign in from your web browser depends on which service you’re using. See Sign in to Office or Office 365.

You forgot the account you associated with Office

In most cases, if you have an Office product listed under Office for home you need a Microsoft account to sign in to install Office or manage your Office 365 subscription. If you don’t remember what Microsoft account you associated Office with, see I can’t remember the Microsoft account I use with Office.

Share your Office 365 Home subscription

See How to share your Office 365 Home subscription with up to four people.

Cancel a subscription

If you want to cancel your subscription, see Cancel or turn off recurring billing for a Microsoft subscription.

For trial subscriptions, see Cancel your free trial of Office 365 Home

Troubleshoot activation failures

If you have an Office 365 plan, to keep it active, you have to sign in at least once every 30 days. If your subscription hasn’t expired, Office will reactivate the subscription the next time you log in.

Also see:

Help with Office product keys

See Help with your Office product key

Deactivate an install

You can activate Office on up to five computers. If you’ve used up your five installs and want to install Office on another computer, you have to deactivate an installation. Deactivation doesn’t remove Office from the computer, but you can’t use Office on that computer until you activate it. See Deactivate an Office 365 install.

Where to install Office on a Mac

If you’re looking for where to install Office on a Mac, see Install Office on your PC or Mac.

Download and installation issues on a Mac

For download and installation issues on a Mac, see What to try if you can’t install Office 2016 for Mac.

I can’t find the apps on my Mac

When you install Office 2016 for Mac, the app icons aren’t automatically added to the dock. To add to the dock, drag the app icon from the Launchpad or the Applications folder. See Add the Office for Mac app icon to the dock.

Uninstall Office for Mac

Select the version of Office you want to uninstall.

Activate Office on a Mac

To activate Office on a Mac, see Activate Office for Mac

Mac activation issues

To troubleshoot Mac activation issues, see the “Activation” tab on What to try if you can’t install or activate Office for Mac.

Install updates on a Mac

Microsoft AutoUpdate makes sure your copy of Office will always be up-to-date with the latest security fixes and improvements. To install or check for updates on your Mac, see Check for Office for Mac updates automatically

To check what the latest update is, see Update history for Office for Mac.

Install Office apps and set up email on a mobile device (iOS, Android, or Windows phone or tablet)

The Office apps for Android, iOS (iPhone or iPad), or Windows mobile devices are available to download from the app store for your device. For details on how to download Office apps and set them up, select your device from below:

You can’t set up email on your mobile device

For help with troubleshooting email setup on your phone or tablet, see Troubleshoot email setup on mobile.

You can’t edit documents using Office apps on your mobile device

In most cases you can do basic editing on most of these devices, however if you have a qualifying Office 365 subscription, you get access to the apps’ extra features. If you discover you can’t make edits to certain documents, see What you can do in the Office apps on an Android, iOS, or Windows mobile device with an Office 365 subscription.

You can’t find the Office applications after installing Office

If you can’t find the Office applications after installing Office, or you’re not sure your install worked, see Can’t find Office applications in Windows 10, Windows 8, or Windows 7?

Office “stopped working” message appears when you start an application

You might see an “<application> stopped working” error when you try to start one of these Office applications: Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, or Visio. Older versions of add-ins might cause this type of problem.

To resolve, first make sure you installed the latest Office update.

If the application still isn’t working, try the options in, Why do I get a “stopped working” message when I start my Office application?

What version of Office am I using?

See What version of Office am I using?

Install older versions of Office

For steps to install or reinstall Office 2010, see Install Office 2010. For Office 2007, see Install Office 2007.

Contact support

If you’re still having trouble installing Office, see Contact Office Support.

Leave us a comment

We value your feedback. Please let us know if you found any of these solutions helpful by leaving us a comment below. If it didn’t, tell us more about your issue, including any error messages your received and where you were in the install process when you received it. We’ll use that information to help investigate your issue further.

Office for business

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Try this first

Tip: To help with issues you might encounter when installing Office, download and run the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant tool.

Recovery tool didn’t help? Select from below:

Common questions

How to install Office
How to install Project or Visio
I don’t want to install all the Office applications
I want to install Office on a different drive
Install 64-bit instead of 32-bit
Can I install Office on a Chromebook?

Common issues

Problems during install
You can’t install Access
You don’t see an option to install Office
You’re a student or teacher and can’t install Office
Can’t install on Windows Vista or Windows XP
Office install hangs or is stuck at 90%
Known issues with Office and Windows 10

Error messages

Install button doesn’t install Office
I got a KERNEL32.dll error during install
“Stop, you should wait to install Office 2016”
Error messages when installing Office

Upgrade or update issues

Upgrade Office

How do I install Office updates?

Account or sign in issues

I can’t sign in
I forgot my password

Activation or unlicensed product

Troubleshoot activation failures
Deactivate an install

Mac install or activation issues

Where do I install Office for Mac?
Download and installation issues on a Mac
I can’t find the apps on my Mac
Uninstall Office for Mac
Activate Office on a Mac
Mac activation issues
Install updates on a Mac

Office on a mobile device

Set up email on an Android
Set up email on an iPhone or iPad Set up email on a Windows Phone or tablet Troubleshoot email setup on a mobile device
Can’t edit documents using Office apps on mobile

Issues after install

Can’t find Office applications
Switched Office 365 plans and now can’t use Office
Office “stopped working” message appears
Don’t know what product or license I have

Additional help or contact us

Outlook
Skype for Business
OneDrive for Business
SharePoint
Contact us

How do I download and install or reinstall Office?

If you’re looking for the steps to download and install the latest version of Office, see Install Office on your PC or Mac.

After February 28, 2017 you won’t be able to install Office 2013 as part of your subscription. See Office 2013 will no longer be available for installation with an Office 365 subscription for more details including what the Office 365 admin in your organization can do if you must reinstall Office 2013.

I have a subscription for Project or Visio. How do I download and install them?

Project and Visio aren’t currently supported on a Mac.

To install Project Online Professional or Project Online Premium on your PC, see the section Download and install Project.

To install Visio Pro for Office 365 on your PC, see Download and install Visio Pro for Office 365.

After February 28, 2017 you won’t be able to install Project 2013 or Visio 2013 as part of your subscription. See Office 2013 will no longer be available for installation with an Office 365 subscription for more details including what the Office 365 admin in your organization can do if you must reinstall the 2013 versions of Project or Visio.

You don’t want to install all the Office applications

When you install Office 365, all the applications that came with your particular Office product is installed at the same time. You can’t custom select which Office applications you want to install or not install, nor you can’t delete individual applications after your installation is complete. However, you can delete shortcuts to applications you don’t plan to use.

You want to install Office on a drive other than the C: drive

You can only install Office on the system drive where your operating system is installed. That’s usually your C: drive.

Install the 64-bit version of Office instead of the 32-bit version

If you previously installed the 32-bit version of Office on your PC, but decide you now want the 64-bit version, you’ll have to uninstall 32-bit and then reinstall the 64-bit version of Office. To uninstall the 32-bit version use this easy fix to uninstall Office.

Select the button below to download the Office uninstall support tool.
Follow the steps to open the download according to your browser, and when you’re prompted in the Application Install window, select Install, and then I agree for the Microsoft Services Agreement.

Tip: The tool may take a few minutes to download and install. After completing the installation, the Uninstall Office products window will open.
Edge or Chrome
- In the lower-lower left corner right-click SetupProd_OffScrub.exe > Open.
Edge (older)
- At the bottom of the browser window, select Run to launch the SetupProd_OffScrub.exe.
Firefox
- In the pop-up window, select Save Fileand then from the upper-right browser window, select the downloads arrow > SetupProd_OffScrub.exe.
From the Uninstall Office products window, select the version of Office you want to uninstall, and then select Next.
Follow the prompts on the remaining screens and when prompted, restart your computer.
After you restart your computer, the uninstall tool automatically re-opens to complete the final step of the uninstall process. Follow the remaining prompts.

If you’re looking for the steps to install the 64-bit version of Office, see the section, Step 1: Sign in to download Office.

If you’re not sure how to decide between 64-bit or 32-bit, see Choose the 64-bit or 32-bit version of Office 2016.