
Like many programs, Microsoft Office’s tools can be extended by third-party add-ons. You can try uninstalling or disabling any you’re aware of. Exactly how you do this will depend on the specific add-on. If you’re not sure, the Installed Apps list we started with is a good place to look.
- A progress bar appears and shows progress while the repair happens.
- Come with me as I write this article in real time as I try to resolve the issue.
- Watching my network access while this was underway, I saw the typical on-again, off-again download behavior for Windows Update occurring here.
- Click Yes, and the built-in Office repair window appears.
- After the list of installed apps populates (it can take some time, depending on how much you have installed), scroll down and look for Microsoft 365 (Office).
- Even on my 2012 vintage test machine, it was done in under a minute (on a healthy Office installation, I cheerfully confess).
- The steps to access the repair tool vary depending on your operating system.
Automatically create a recovery file at set intervals

The installer window changed to an animated display that included what’s shown in Figure 8. If you have any Office applications open, you’ll be asked to close them before the repairs can complete. On my test machine, for example, I had Outlook open. This provoked the request shown in Figure 4 (where, of course, I clicked Continue to close Outlook so repairs could work through to completion).
Step 4: Wax off, wax on (remove and replace Office)
How do I run full Office repair?
Unzip to a folder of your choosing, then run the file named SaraSetup.exe to install the program. You’ll see a dialog box like the one shown in Figure 9 open up and ask you to confirm installation. Just before the progress bar completed, a notification popped up to tell me that my Office install was
Outlook loading profile fix complete.
Recover data when the workbook is open in Excel

What a reset does is reset settings, history, and perhaps more that is specific to the configuration of the program. A recovery file of your workbook also helps ensure you'll have access to your data if your workbook is deleted accidentally or if it becomes corrupted. If neither automatic nor manual repair works, there are some recovery methods that might help salvage your data. Once you’ve installed the program, the home screen opens up, as shown in Figure 10. It includes options for Teams, Office, the Outlook desktop client, Outlook on the web, advanced diagnostics, and more. Then it took another 4 minutes and 24 seconds for the (genuine) progress bar shown above to download all the files.
Repairing Office
Find solutions to common problems or get help from a support agent.
With the Quick Repair radio button selected, click the Repair button near the bottom right corner of the window. Please relax, and don’t give in to panic or upset. This sort of thing does occur from time to time, and it is often quite easy to repair. If one or more Office apps is acting glitchy, work your way through this series of repair maneuvers, starting with the simplest.
Recover data from a corrupted workbook
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support. If a Microsoft 365 application such as Word or Excel isn't working correctly, sometimes restarting it will fix the problem. If that doesn't work, you can try repairing it.