Disable Microsoft AutoUpdate on Mac running MacOS27

Question

Disable Microsoft AutoUpdate on Mac running MacOS27

Karen Brown 25

I want to trash Microsoft AutoUpdate on my Mac running MacOS27. The instructions that result from a search do not return the correct answer [To delete Microsoft AutoUpdate on macOS, open Finder, go to "Go" > "Go to Folder," and enter /Library/Application Support/Microsoft/. Locate the "MAU" or "MAU2.0" folder, drag "Microsoft AutoUpdate.app" to the Trash, and empty the Trash to complete the removal.] The Application Support folder does not, in fact, contain a Microsoft folder. I found 4 for Microsoft Edge, plus a OneDrive folder.

Why remove? Because I have Office 2024 for Mac and in the past the AutoUpdate has signed me out and forced me to subscribe to Office 365. I don't want to go through the hassle of getting my Office 2024 back again! And...the constant popup to run AutoUpdate is SO irritating!

Suggestions?

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Answer 1

Microsoft AutoUpdate is typically installed at the system Library level, not the user Library. If the Microsoft folder is missing where it was checked, the likely issue is that the user Library was opened instead of the system Library.

Try this path in Finder:

Open Finder.
Press Command + Shift + G.
Go to: /Library/Application Support/Microsoft/
Look for the MAU2.0 folder, which contains Microsoft AutoUpdate.app.

If the goal is only to stop the pop-ups, the safer option is:

Open any Office app such as Word.
Select Help > Check for Updates.
Clear Automatically keep Microsoft Apps up to date.

Removing Microsoft AutoUpdate can prevent Office apps from receiving security updates and feature improvements. Administrator credentials might be required if the MAU2.0 folder is removed.

If Microsoft AutoUpdate is failing or behaving incorrectly, installing the latest version of AutoUpdate is the documented fix for issues caused by missing helper files or incorrect permissions.