[Article] Fix Microsoft Office / Microsoft 365 Application Flaws on Mac OS

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Microsoft Office / Microsoft 365 vs Mac OS

 

Troubleshooting Disclaimer: We will perform a deep troubleshooting for activation of Microsoft Office/365 on a Mac Machine. This operation might create a problem for some data associated with Office Products, we recommend backing up your files in advance or create a Time Machine backup before following the instructions below.

Choose a right product.

 

It is very common that most of Mac users prefer to use Microsoft Office suites because of its efficiency and commodious design. It is also evident that we receive distinct issues using Microsoft Office on Mac and sometimes encounter bizarre application flaws supported and resolved by Microsoft Support. When it comes to installation or activation or usage of Microsoft products on Mac, it is advised to use them with latest three versions of Mac OS and it also depends on support age of Microsoft products with respect to Macintosh. However, Microsoft products can be used with any version of Mac OS provided a correct product compatibility and versions supported either by Microsoft products or Mac OS. We need to choose whether to sign up to a subscription or buy the full version compatible with your Mac, since Microsoft products limited to an age supported on Mac, it is recommended to choose a subscription product for Mac because If you subscribe, you benefit from the fact that you always receive the latest updates to the software, without a challenge of buying the whole program or suite again. The Office apps available from the Mac App Store provide the very latest version of Office on the Mac. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook require a Microsoft 365 subscription to activate. OneNote and OneDrive do not require a Microsoft 365 subscription, but some premium features may require a Microsoft 365 subscription.

 

Troubleshooting & Compatibility of Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 on Mac

 

This article helps you to overcome most common problems with Microsoft Office products on Mac. There are hundreds of articles available out there on web, which may ask you to uninstall the entire program and reinstall it, which is indeed easy however those tricks do not always work. The Microsoft Office products are segregated into three major categories, the first category include base applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc. the second category includes the Microsoft Outlook (An email client) and the third category includes the OneDrive (cloud storage). Microsoft AutoUpdate is only used to get updates for apps that you download directly from Microsoft. If you download Office from the Mac App Store, then the App Store will provide you with future updates of Office. You may have other Microsoft apps installed on your Mac, and AutoUpdate will continue providing updates just for those apps.

 

Step 1: Troubleshoot Individual Office Apps with General Steps and Awareness

 

When it comes to troubleshoot Microsoft Office’s base applications like Work, Excel, PowerPoint Etc. The first thing we can try is to follow support articles mentioned below for resolving general problems and there is also a possibility of an ongoing/known issue or a bug which can be potentially responsible for specific issue with a specific application.

 

Microsoft Word

Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Word for Mac - Microsoft Support

Microsoft Excel

Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Excel for Mac - Microsoft Support

Microsoft PowerPoint

Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in PowerPoint for Mac - Microsoft Support

Microsoft OneNote

Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in OneNote for Mac, iPhone, and iPad - Microsoft Support

 

 

Step 2: Validating Fonts on Mac

 

• Open Font Book: Start by opening the Font Book app, which is located in your Applications folder. You can access it by opening Finder and clicking on Go in the menu bar, then selecting Applications.

Select All Fonts: Once the Font Book app is open, select all fonts by clicking on one font and then pressing Cmd+A to highlight all fonts.

 

 

Validate Fonts: Right-click on any of the selected fonts and choose Validate Fonts from the context menu.

 

 

 

Review Validation Results: After the validation process is completed, a new window will display the status of your fonts.

A green icon indicates that the fonts are in good condition.

A yellow icon signifies warnings about the font.

A red icon means that validation has failed.

Take Action: To address any warnings or errors, please refer to the article provided below for further instructions:

Install and validate fonts in Font Book on Mac - Apple Support

 

Step 3: Boot Mac in Safe Mode

Boot MAC in safe mode and then run Repair disk using Disk Utility on Mac.

 

Restart and Boot in Safe Mode:

Restart your Mac.

Immediately Press and hold the Shift key.

Release the Shift key when you see the login window. Your Mac is now in Safe Mode.

Run Repair Disk Using Disk Utility:

Open Disk Utility from the Applications folder under Utilities.

In the Disk Utility window, select your startup disk from the list on the left.

Click on the First Aid tab.

Click Run to start the disk repair process. Disk Utility will check and repair any issues with your disk.

Check Application Behavior:

After the disk repair process is complete, restart your Mac normally.

Check the behavior of the applications you were experiencing issues with to see if the problem is resolved.

 

This should help you ensure that your Mac's disk is in good condition and any issues with applications are addressed. Check the Application(s) behavior, if the issue persists then move to next steps.

 

Step 4: Change Dock Settings

Changing Dock settings in Mac can help resolve Microsoft Office issues by improving system performance and reducing potential conflicts.

 

Open System Settings: Click on the Apple Icon located on the left-hand side at the top of your screen. From the drop-down menu, select System Settings.

Navigate to Desktop and Dock: In the System Settings window, select Desktop and Dock from the sidebar.

Change Minimize Windows Effect: Under the Minimize windows using section, change the effect from Genie effect to Scale effect.

Disable Animations:

Disable Animate opening applications by unchecking the box next to it.

Disable Automatically hide and show the Dock by unchecking the box next to it.

Turn Off Reduce Motion:

Go back to the main System Settings window and select Accessibility.

In the Accessibility settings, find and turn off Reduce motion using the toggle switch.

 

Step 5: Reset NVRAM

 

NVRAM, stores key settings which your Mac can’t obtain from internal disk storage during the early part of the boot process, and some information which can’t otherwise be kept between startups.

 

Launch Terminal: Open the Terminal application. You can find it in the Applications folder under Utilities.

In the Terminal window, type the following command and press Enter:

nvram -c

Restart Mac: After executing the command, restart your Mac device.

Once your Mac has restarted, check the behavior of the applications you were experiencing issues with to see if the problem is resolved.

 

Step 6: Reset SMC

This process should help reset the SMC and potentially resolve any issues you are experiencing with Microsoft Office applications on your Mac.

 

Shutdown Mac, begin by shutting down your Mac completely.

Once the Mac is shut down, unplug the power cord from the Mac.

Leave the Mac unplugged for at least 15 seconds.

After waiting, reconnect the power cord to the Mac.

Wait for an additional 5 seconds after reconnecting the power cord.

Start Mac, finally, start your Mac by pressing the Power Button.

 

Step 7: Disable Startup items

 

Open System Settings: Click on the Apple Icon located on the left-hand side at the top of your screen. From the drop-down menu, select System Settings.

In the System Settings window, select ‘Users and Groups’ from the sidebar.

Select Username: On the left-hand side, select the username for which you want to disable startup items.

Access Login Items, On the right-hand side, select the Login Items tab.

Unlock the settings by clicking the lock icon on the left-hand side at the bottom of the window. You may need to enter your administrator password to proceed.

Disable Startup Apps, uncheck all the apps listed under the Login Items tab and click OK to proceed.

Restart Mac: Restart your Mac device.

After restarting, check the behavior of the Microsoft Office applications you were experiencing issues with to see if the problem is resolved.

 

Step 8: Clean Desktop

If you have a lot of items saved on your desktop, it is recommended to clean the desktop by organizing all the items into a single folder. This can help improve the performance of your Mac and resolve any issues you might be experiencing with Microsoft Office applications.

 

Create a New Folder: Start by creating a new folder on your desktop. You can do this by right-clicking on the desktop, selecting New Folder, and giving it a name, such as "Desktop Cleanup".

Move Items to the Folder: Select all the items on your desktop by clicking on one item and then pressing Cmd+A to highlight all items. Drag and drop the selected items into the newly created folder.

Organize the Folder: Open the folder and organize the items as needed. You can create subfolders within the main folder to categorize your files and keep everything tidy.

 

Step 9: Reset Microsoft base applications on Mac

 

Microsoft Word:

Quit all Office applications.

  Open Finder and navigate to ~__**/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates**__.

  
     Move the file __**Normal.dotm**__ to the Desktop.

     
        Go to ~__**/Library/Preferences**__ and locate the files __**com.microsoft.Word.plist**__ and __**com.microsoft.Office.plist**__.

        
           Move these files to the Desktop (Word will rebuild them).

           
              __**Restart**__ your Mac and then open Microsoft Word to check if the issue is resolved.

Microsoft Excel:

Quit all Office applications.

  Open Finder and navigate to __**~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates.**__

  
     Move the file __**Normal.dotm**__ to the Desktop.

     
        Go to __**~/Library/Preferences**__ and locate the files __**com.microsoft.Excel.plist**__ and __**com.microsoft.Office.plist**__.

        
           Move these files to the Desktop (Excel will rebuild them).

           
              __**Restart**__ your Mac and then open Microsoft Excel to check if the issue is resolved.

Microsoft PowerPoint:

Quit all Office applications.

  Open Finder and navigate to ~__**/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates**__.

  
     Move the file __**Normal.dotm**__ to the Desktop.

     
        Go to ~__**/Library/Preferences**__ and locate the files __**com.microsoft.PowerPoint.plist**__ and __**com.microsoft.Office.plist**__.

        
           Move these files to the Desktop (PowerPoint will rebuild them).

           
              __**Restart**__ your Mac and then open Microsoft PowerPoint to check if the issue is resolved.

Note: You can use a similar process to reset other Microsoft Office applications.

This should help you reset the base applications and address any issues you are experiencing with Microsoft Office on your Mac.

 

Step 10: Manual Uninstall Office

 

Boot Mac in Safe Mode:

Restart your Mac.

Immediately press and hold the Shift key.

Release the Shift key when you see the login window. Your Mac is now in Safe Mode.

Manually Uninstall Office: Please refer the article mentioned below for steps ensuring manual rip.

Manually uninstall Office

Search for ‘com.Microsoft’ Files and Folders:

Open Finder and navigate to Macintosh HD.

Use the search bar to search for com.Microsoft.

Move any files and folders that appear in the search results to the Trash.

Empty the Trash:

Right-click on the Trash icon in the Dock and select Empty Trash.

Confirm that you want to permanently delete the items in the Trash.

Restart Mac:

Restart your Mac normally.

 

Step 11: Uninstall any Antivirus or Cleaner Software from Mac.

 

Uninstall Antivirus or Cleaner Software:

It is advised to uninstall any sort of antivirus and/or cleaner software from your Mac. To do this, open Finder and navigate to the Applications folder. If you prefer to keep your Antivirus program, you can reinstall it after your issue gets resolved.

Locate the antivirus or cleaner software you have installed, right-click on it, and select Move to Trash.

If prompted, enter your administrator password to confirm the action.

Search for ‘com.Antivirus’ Files and Folders:

Open Finder and navigate to Macintosh HD.

Use the search bar to search for ‘com.Antivirus’. Here, the word ‘Antivirus’ can be replaced by the name of the antivirus or any additional security software installed on your Mac.

Move any files and folders that appear in the search results to the Trash.

Empty the Trash:

Right-click on the Trash icon in the Dock and select Empty Trash.

Confirm that you want to permanently delete the items in the Trash.

Restart Mac:

Restart your Mac device to ensure all changes take effect.

 

 

Step 12: Reinstall Microsoft Office /Microsoft 365 Suite

 

Download Office:

Visit the [Microsoft Account] website.

Access the Services & Subscriptions section.

Click on Install to download the desired Office suite.

Install and Activate Office:

Once the download is complete, open the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install Office on your Mac.

After installation, open any Office application (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Sign in with your Microsoft account to activate Office.

Restart Mac:

Restart your Mac device to ensure all changes take effect.

Check Application Behavior:

After restarting, check the behavior of the Microsoft Office applications you were experiencing issues with to see if the problem is resolved.

 

Therefore, the above-mentioned troubleshooting steps should resolve any issue(s) with Microsoft Office, whether the issue still exists, it is advised to Contact Us for resolving your issues with Microsoft products.

 

Please note that it is essential to understand the compatibility of Microsoft Office with Mac systems. Due to differences in design and updates, Microsoft Office performs optimally on the latest Mac models and the three most recent versions of macOS.

Whether your Mac system is outdated or MacOS can’t be upgraded to latest version, it is recommended to perform a manual rip and install an older version of Microsoft Office/365 on your machine. Please refer a link mentioned below for downloading older Microsoft 365 versions.

Update history for Office for Mac - Office release notes | Microsoft Learn

Troubleshooting Steps to resolve issues with Microsoft Outlook

 

Microsoft Outlook stands diverse in nature with respect to other Microsoft Office applications. It is obvious that similar troubleshooting steps may not work or resolve issues with Outlook. It is advised to refer the support article mentioned below for resolving general problems and there is also a possibility of an ongoing/known issue or a bug which can be potentially responsible for specific issue with an Outlook application.

 

Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Outlook for Mac - Microsoft Support

 

Basic Troubleshooting for Microsoft Outlook on Mac

 

 Check Work Offline Option:

Go to the Outlook menu and check if the Work Offline option is selected. If it is, deselect it to go back online.

 Check Exchange Account Connection:

Click on Tools in the menu bar and select Accounts.

Check the color of your Exchange account. It should not be orange/amber. If it is, this indicates a connection problem.

 Update Outlook for Mac:

Click on Help in the menu bar and select Check for Updates.

In the Microsoft AutoUpdate wizard, select Automatically to ensure that Outlook stays up to date.

Generate an App Password and Reconfigure Account:

If you are still experiencing issues, try generating an App Password for your configured email account.

Reconfigure your account on Outlook using the new App Password.

 

 

Rebuild Office database

 

 Close Outlook and Other Office Applications:

Ensure that Microsoft Outlook and all other Microsoft Office applications are closed before proceeding.

 Locate Microsoft Database Utility:

Open Finder and navigate to the Applications folder.

Go to Microsoft Office {version/year} and then to the Office folder. The default location for the Microsoft Database Utility is within this folder.

Launch the Utility:

Open the Microsoft Database Utility by double-clicking on it.

Select the Identity to Rebuild:

In the Microsoft Database Utility window, you will see a list of identities (databases) associated with your Office applications.

Select the identity of the database you want to rebuild.

Rebuild the Database:

Click on the Rebuild button to start the rebuilding process.

The utility will begin rebuilding the selected database. This process may take some time, depending on the size of the database.

Check Application Behavior:

Once the rebuilding process is complete, restart your Mac.

Open Microsoft Outlook and other Office applications to check if the issues have been resolved.

 

Please refer an article mentioned below for a detailed information.

Rebuild the Office database - Microsoft Support

 

Reset Outlook on Mac

 

Quit All Office Applications: Ensure that all Microsoft Office applications are closed before proceeding.

Open the Finder application on your Mac.

Navigate to Templates Folder:

Go to ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates.

Move the file Normal.dotm to the Desktop. This will allow Outlook to rebuild the template file.

Locate Preference Files:

Go to ~/Library/Preferences.

Locate the files com.microsoft.outlook.plist and com.microsoft.Office.plist.

Move these files to the Desktop. Outlook will rebuild these preference files upon restart.

Restart Outlook and Your Mac:

Restart your Mac to ensure all changes take effect.

  Open Microsoft Outlook to check if the issues have been resolved.

Restart Outlook and Machine

 

Reference articles on General Troubleshooting for Outlook on Mac

Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Outlook for Mac - Microsoft Support

Troubleshoot printing problems in Microsoft 365 apps - Microsoft Support

Manage profiles or identities in Outlook for Mac - Microsoft Support

Clear the cache in the new Outlook for Mac - Microsoft Support

Troubleshoot An Issue With Search Results Using Microsoft Outlook On Mac

Import a .pst file into Outlook for Mac from Outlook for Windows - Microsoft Support

The new Outlook for Mac - Microsoft Support

 

In case you find it hard to follow above mentioned troubleshooting or articles in reference, you can always reach Microsoft Support. If your product is eligible for a support, you will certainly get assistance.

Contact Us - Microsoft Support

This article was republished on Saturday, January 4th, 2025, 1559 IST.