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Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | Other | Windows
Processes in Microsoft 365 for setting up Office apps, redeeming product keys, and activating licenses.
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Hello,
The symptoms you describe are worth investigating, especially because you have Event ID 11724 entries showing removal of Office Click-to-Run components immediately around the time the Office applications disappeared.
There is also another Microsoft Q&A report from September 24 describing a very similar sequence involving an existing Office 2016 Click-to-Run installation and the Windows Update entry shown as “Click-to-Run Update Support.” However, based on the currently published Microsoft documentation, I would not consider Microsoft to have officially confirmed that update as the cause of this incident.
One important point is that KB5122878 and “Click-to-Run Update Support” should not be treated as the same update. KB5122878 is the September 2026 Windows 10 cumulative update. The “Click-to-Run Update Support” entry appears to be a separate Office/Click-to-Run-related update component.
Since Office is no longer listed under Installed Apps and the Office executables are actually missing, Quick Repair is not applicable at this point.
Before reinstalling anything
I would recommend preserving the current state first:
- Do not reset Windows or delete your Office-related folders.
Keep your accounting documents and other personal files backed up.
Check whether a Microsoft Office folder still exists under: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\
or
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\
Check whether Office is still associated with your Microsoft account or whether it was an OEM/perpetual Office license supplied with the Dell.
Keep the Event Viewer records showing the MsiInstaller Event ID 11724 entries.
About the Office license
The fact that Office was already installed when you purchased the Dell does not by itself establish that the Office license is tied to your Microsoft account.
Depending on how Dell supplied Office, it could have been:
an OEM/preinstalled entitlement,
a perpetual Office license,
a Microsoft 365 trial/subscription,
or another bundled license.
Therefore, I would not recommend purchasing another Office license until the original entitlement has been identified.
If the original license is recoverable, reinstalling the corresponding Office edition should not require purchasing Office again.
Recommended next step
Because you have evidence that Office components were actually removed rather than merely missing from the Start menu, I recommend opening a Microsoft Support case for Office installation/licensing investigation and providing the Event Viewer evidence.
Include:
Windows 10 22H2
Dell model
exact Office edition if known
date/time Office disappeared
Windows Update history
the exact name of the “Click-to-Run Update Support” entry
Event ID 11724 details
whether C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\ still exists
whether any Office license/product key or Dell documentation is available
Microsoft's current KB5122878 documentation does not list Office being removed as a known issue, so the available evidence currently supports reporting this as a suspected incident rather than stating that the update is confirmed to be responsible.
Most importantly, your existing Word/Excel/PowerPoint documents are separate from the Office program installation. Removing Office does not normally remove the .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx files themselves. Make a backup of those files before attempting further recovery.Hello,
The symptoms you describe are worth investigating, especially because you have Event ID 11724 entries showing removal of Office Click-to-Run components immediately around the time the Office applications disappeared.
There is also another Microsoft Q&A report from September 24 describing a very similar sequence involving an existing Office 2016 Click-to-Run installation and the Windows Update entry shown as “Click-to-Run Update Support.” However, based on the currently published Microsoft documentation, I would not consider Microsoft to have officially confirmed that update as the cause of this incident.
One important point is that KB5122878 and “Click-to-Run Update Support” should not be treated as the same update. KB5122878 is the September 2026 Windows 10 cumulative update. The “Click-to-Run Update Support” entry appears to be a separate Office/Click-to-Run-related update component.
Since Office is no longer listed under Installed Apps and the Office executables are actually missing, Quick Repair is not applicable at this point.
Before reinstalling anything
I would recommend preserving the current state first:
Do not reset Windows or delete your Office-related folders.
Keep your accounting documents and other personal files backed up.
Check whether a Microsoft Office folder still exists under:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\
or
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\
Check whether Office is still associated with your Microsoft account or whether it was an OEM/perpetual Office license supplied with the Dell.
Keep the Event Viewer records showing the MsiInstaller Event ID 11724 entries.
About the Office license
The fact that Office was already installed when you purchased the Dell does not by itself establish that the Office license is tied to your Microsoft account.
Depending on how Dell supplied Office, it could have been:
an OEM/preinstalled entitlement,
a perpetual Office license,
a Microsoft 365 trial/subscription,
or another bundled license.
Therefore, I would not recommend purchasing another Office license until the original entitlement has been identified.
If the original license is recoverable, reinstalling the corresponding Office edition should not require purchasing Office again.
Recommended next step
Because you have evidence that Office components were actually removed rather than merely missing from the Start menu, I recommend opening a Microsoft Support case for Office installation/licensing investigation and providing the Event Viewer evidence.
Include:
Windows 10 22H2
Dell model
exact Office edition if known
date/time Office disappeared
Windows Update history
the exact name of the “Click-to-Run Update Support” entry
Event ID 11724 details
whether C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\ still exists
whether any Office license/product key or Dell documentation is available
Microsoft's current KB5122878 documentation does not list Office being removed as a known issue, so the available evidence currently supports reporting this as a suspected incident rather than stating that the update is confirmed to be responsible.
Most importantly, your existing Word/Excel/PowerPoint documents are separate from the Office program installation. Removing Office does not normally remove the .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx files themselves. Make a backup of those files before attempting further recovery.
