MS Office update disabled Word and other apps

Many many with the same issue, myself included.

I was on the phone with MS Support for 5 hours (not a typo) to no avail so out of frustration I ended up buying Office 2024 for $180 + tax.

I should have tried this first. It should work for you:

Uninstall all MS apps from Mac

Download/Remove the MS License (used the Microsoft_Office_License_Removal_2.7.pkg from the MS website),

Download Office 2021 again from:

learn dot microsoft dot com / en-us / officeupdates / update - history - office - for - mac

>>> Use the 16.113 (26100421) release, NOT the latest 10/22/26 version which causes the problem

Install and activate it.

Disable the autoupdate feature so it does not update again (if it does update you will have the problem again).

Then disable the annoying Autoupdate banner with this:

Rename the auto update app by prefixing it with a “_”

'/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/MAU2.0/_Microsoft AutoUpdate'

neuroanatomist wrote:

If you purchased the perpetual license for Office 2021, then it will not expire. Support for Office 2021 ended earlier this month (no more updates) but the software itself will run on Sequoia, Tahoe and Golden Gate. The issue is with your license.

This does not appear to be an issue with macOS. You might try your question on the Microsoft Forums:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/tags/831/m365-office  

The issue is that the latest version of Office 2021, October 22, 2026 16.114.1 (26102031), disabled the ability to edit and save files. The files open but no further action is allowed. Hard to believe but after 5 hours on the phone with lousy MS Support including a supervisor they told me that O 2021 will no longer work on MacOS but should work with W11.

The options are to buy Office 2024 (like I did), or 365, or do as I suggested above and reinstall a previous version of 2021. The reinstall can be done from either MS as I wrote or from a Time Machine backup prior to the latest update of 10/22. But the autoupdate needs to be disabled quickly, if it autoupdates the issue will return.

You don't understand the issue. My mac is running 27.0.1, that is not the problem. The latest autoupdate for Office 2021 bricked it. Deleting the Office apps and reinstalling an earlier version, as already mentioned on this thread, works. But one has to also disable the autoupdate or the issue will return. All explained on earlier posts.

If you purchased the perpetual license for Office 2021, then it will not expire. Support for Office 2021 ended earlier this month (no more updates) but the software itself will run on Sequoia, Tahoe and Golden Gate. The issue is with your license.

This does not appear to be an issue with macOS. You might try your question on the Microsoft Forums:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/tags/831/m365-office  

This occurred to me as well. It was really a “forced” update. Had installation issues so I deleted the older versions of Word, Xcel, PPoint, Meet etc. Did the reinstall, from the downloaded .pkg file, it then connected to my Hotmail address and validated the license. It installed and I had no update issues, I did the first time which is why I thought of deleting the old files. If I get a new MacBook Pro, do I have to buy another license? I don’t know how anyone can support Microsoft.

Details here:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/6046822/office-2021-perpetual-version-no-longer-working?page=1&orderby=helpful&comment=answer-13013833&translated=false

+1 for LibreOffice. I transitioned 5 years ago with no real problems apart from toolbar buttons being in different places and, in Word, a slightly different approach to some formatting and setup which I'm sure annoyed me at the time but today I can't even remember the details. There's a decent help forum too.

neuroanatomist wrote:

If you purchased the perpetual license for Office 2021, then it will not expire. Support for Office 2021 ended earlier this month (no more updates) but the software itself will run on Sequoia, Tahoe and Golden Gate. The issue is with your license.

Microsoft Support – Update Microsoft 365 or Office on your macOS or iOS device

"Starting July 13, 2026, some users may notice that Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or OneNote) can open and print files, but cannot edit, save, or create new files – called “reduced functionality mode”. This happens when support for Microsoft Office apps is no longer continued for older operating systems or devices."

Sounds like you're hosed if have a copy of Office 2019 that goes into "reduced functionality mode" … or if you have a copy of Office 2021 that goes into this mode, and your Mac can't run update as far as Monterey.

I have LibreOffice on a W11 machine and it is no panacea. There are issues with it as well including the file formats which are incompatible with MS Office or Apple Pages/Numbers. You can edit the file formats but that also comes with some issues. Try saving a Word file on LibreOffice and see if you can open it on any other suite.

The LibreOffice spreadsheet is great for transitioning from Excel. I did it 5 years ago expecting trouble with some of my macro-tastic spreadsheets but found that they all worked once I'd installed Java. The only things I had to fiddle with were the formatting of some charts - colours, line weights and grids.

neuroanatomist wrote:

To each their own, I suppose. I have no problems with my MS365 subscription, I keep the apps updated and they keep working.

That's my approach also. We have a family license for Microsoft 365. Like it or not, Microsoft Office programs are the standard in the commercial world and we have several small businesses operating here and need to be able to handle documents in their native formats.

I have an ancient 2013 MacBook Air running Big Sur, its latest OS, and we cannot validate Microsoft 365 on that OS anymore, although it still works in some sort of legacy way on that laptop for users who had it installed already. For other users on that laptop, they can use Pages, Numbers, and Keynote which can open Microsoft files and save in Microsoft format, but those substitute apps do not have all the capabilities of the native Microsoft apps.

So for the small businesses we run, we are using the up to date Microsoft 365 apps on modern Mac platforms with up to date macOS versions. MS 365 apps update in the background and we always have the latest versions and all bug fixes. My employer also requires Microsoft 365 to be used for all its stuff.

Got very frustrated with Libre Office writer and after saving a few Word docs in their .odt format, I followed your directions to resinstall MS Office again and when I open a doc, there are banners relating to auto update not working. I simply click the X to get rid of them. What's odd is two of the docs I saved in their format disappeared so I'm trashed Libre Office and hopefully MS Office will function with or without the banners I mentioned. I would think I'm safe since it is NOT auto updating and MS Office update shows turned off in Preferences>General>Log In Items

..anyone else experience this?

Experience what exactly? Using Libre Office (or any number of alternatives) rather than deal with MS greed, yes, absolutely. Decades ago in my case. Paying for the continued privilege of opening my own documents is contrary to my business expectations.

Life is better without Microsoft.

jontalk1 wrote:

Today after updating MS Word I was notified the 2021 license expired and required to subscribe to MS 365 rather than MS Office. Worse yet all of the Office files were disabled making them unusable. I installed Libre Office rather than deal with MS greed..anyone else experience this?

There have been at least two post on this matter.

This would be more of a Microsoft issue.

Have you check Microsoft's forum yet?

Thanks..for some unknown reason I was unable to log into the MS account and after numerous tries gave up. Needless to say I was angered that after updating all functions of Word were grayed out and I was unable to enter anything. As a result, I've installed Libre Office. I appreciate the reply

thanks..I've already put the MS files in the trash including One Drive. And as stated originally I've installed Libre Office which seems to work as good or better than MS.. Its hard to count how many issues I'd had with Word so this is a breath of fresh air

elcpu wrote:

To each their own. I have no problems with Word although I could manage with just Pages. Numbers is another matter, it does not hold a candle to Excel and thus my need for Office.

Indeed, for me it's PowerPoint. Hard to collaborate on a slide deck across an organization using Keynote.

Thank you so much for this detailed explanation. It is very helpful. Do I just need to uninstall the MS Office apps by dragging into the trash and emptying it. Or do I need to dive into the Library folder and also delete all of the associated files before reinstalling version 16.113?

Hi Elcpu

Thanks so much for your advice. I last upgraded 13 Oct to 16.113.4 (26100421) and had no intention of letting MS access my computer ever again. Certainly that action is confirmed by your warning. I have always had autoupdate deselected as a default.

Thanks again for the critical warning not to initiate a further update and also your simple solution to stop “the annoying autoupdate banner”.

Begreen9 wrote:

I wish Libre Office was a good alternative, but the formatting and font differences are too extensive. Problems crop up when sharing documents and in successive edits, comments, etc.

It helps if people are more careful how they format their documents. I read a great article many years ago, but have been unable to ever find it again. From the more recent articles I've read to help make documents more compatible when switching between office apps, it seems the trick is to use a font common to each platform and to place all formatting at the beginning of the document whenever possible. That way if formatting is an issue, then there should be only one place that needs to be edited (or at least fewer locations).

I also understand that with the more complex formatting of documents/spreadsheets that differences between apps can become more significant & harder to overcome. Plus I understand users who only know & use MS Office have no motivation to do anything to assist in this matter.

Thanks John..I completely agree..I found it odd that MS disables use of the apps in spite of the expiration..Libre Office seems to work fine that it will take some getting use to

Thanks..for unknown reasons I'm unable to log into the MS account having made numerous attempts. I've installed Libre Office and it appears to work as well if not better

Just went to the community site and it appears there's plenty of other having the same problem..so glad I installed Libre

To each their own, I suppose. I have no problems with my MS365 subscription, I keep the apps updated and they keep working.

Yes, that is what MS wants everyone to do, subscribe to MS365.

Again, I appreciate the response and details..were I to not have so many issues with Word I would give it a try

To each their own. I have no problems with Word although I could manage with just Pages. Numbers is another matter, it does not hold a candle to Excel and thus my need for Office.

I wish Libre Office was a good alternative, but the formatting and font differences are too extensive. Problems crop up when sharing documents and in successive edits, comments, etc.