my brand new 365 account is not working at all

Patricia McMillen 20 Reputation points
2025-12-07T07:19:36.3566667+00:00

I was working on an excel spreadsheet and couldn't save it. Apparently I was using a now discontinued 2019 Microsoft application, so I followed the prompts and purchased Microsoft 365 thinking the 2019 spreadsheet would transfer to the new program but it didn't. Instead, when I tried to install the new programs, they said I had to quit excel & word (which meant I'd lose an hour or so's work on the one excel spreadsheet that was open - so I saved it as screen shots and then dumped the revised excel spreadsheet in order to install the new Microsoft 365 programs. But now I can't open anything on the new programs: I get an error message "Microsoft Excel [or Word] quit unexpectedly" and that's it. I'm working on a Macbook air, OS vn sequoia 15.6.1. What to do??

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | iOS
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Answer accepted by question author
Kai-H 28,235 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2025-12-08T08:35:13.1766667+00:00

Hi, Patricia McMillen

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

Sorry for this frustrating situation that you're having. Here are some workarounds you can try to resolve this issue:

Fix Microsoft 365 apps crashing on macOS Sequoia (Excel/Word quit unexpectedly)

Confirm your macOS is supported and up‑to‑date

  • Microsoft 365 for Mac supports the three most recent macOS versions, including macOS Sequoia. New installs require a modern macOS, and the best experience comes when macOS itself is fully updated.

Fully quit all Office apps before updating

  • If Word/Excel are open, updates can fail or leave files locked. Use Apple menu > Force Quit, select any open Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook) and Force Quit them, then proceed. (Note: unsaved changes won’t be saved when you force‑quit.)

Run Microsoft AutoUpdate to repair and refresh the apps

  • Open any Office app and go to Help > Check for Updates (this launches Microsoft AutoUpdate). Install all available updates. AutoUpdate keeps the Mac apps current and often resolves “quit unexpectedly” crashes after an upgrade.

If updates don’t appear, verify Office is correctly installed in Applications

  • Open Go > Applications and confirm the Microsoft (Office) apps are present there. AutoUpdate relies on the apps being in /Applications to detect and update them correctly. If they aren’t, move the Office apps into Applications, then re‑run Check for Updates.

Re‑run updates after moving/closing anything that could interfere

  • Background apps (including backup utilities) can sometimes interfere. After ensuring Office is in Applications and everything is closed, run Help > Check for Updates again and apply updates.

Try a fresh reinstall if crashes persist

  • Because Sequoia is supported, a clean reinstall followed by AutoUpdate typically clears damaged components from an older Office 2019 install path. Install Microsoft 365 for Mac, then immediately run Help > Check for Updates to pull the latest build.

Hope this helps. Feel free to get back if you need further assistance.

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  1. Patricia McMillen 20 Reputation points
    2025-12-09T02:04:06.7733333+00:00

    I feel Microsoft should have been clearer about how to move to a new system without losing a 2019 version. They do this all the time with Word documents so why not Excel?

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  2. AI answer

    2025-12-07T07:20:44.7466667+00:00

    It sounds like you're experiencing issues with Microsoft Excel and Word on your Mac after transitioning to Microsoft 365. The error message "Microsoft Excel [or Word] quit unexpectedly" can occur due to several reasons, including corrupted preferences or application files. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem:

    1. Check for Background Programs: Sometimes, other applications running in the background can interfere with Excel and Word. Try closing any unnecessary applications before launching Excel or Word again.
    2. Repair Office: You may need to repair your Office installation. To do this:
      • Open the Control Panel.
      • Go to Programs > Uninstall a program.
      • Select Microsoft 365 and click Change.
      • Choose Online Repair and follow the prompts. You might need to restart your computer after this process.
    3. Remove Excel Preferences: If the preferences for Excel are corrupted, you can try removing them. This can often resolve startup issues.
      • Go to ~/Library/Preferences/ and look for files named com.microsoft.Excel.plist and com.microsoft.Word.plist. Move these files to the Trash and then restart Excel or Word.
    4. Reinstall Microsoft 365: If the above steps do not work, consider uninstalling and then reinstalling Microsoft 365. Use the Microsoft 365 Uninstall troubleshooter to ensure a clean removal before reinstalling.
    5. Check for Software Updates: Ensure that your Mac and Microsoft 365 applications are up to date. Sometimes, updates can fix bugs that cause these issues.

    If you continue to experience problems after trying these steps, you may want to consult Microsoft's support documentation or reach out to their support team for further assistance.

    References:

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