Excel and Word docs are opening as read only after transferring from time machine

Question

Excel and Word docs are opening as read only after transferring from time machine

elisa argenzio 0

I have transferred Microsoft Office 365 from my Time Machine after my Apple lap top crashed and now all excel and word docs are read only and will not save.

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2 answers

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Answer 1

elisa argenzio 0

MacOS Golden Gate 27.0.1

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Answer 2

Estrella721 46,525 Independent Advisor

Hi,

This issue may be related to this recent update: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/lifecycle/officeinstall/update-m365-office-macos-ios

To help isolate the issue:

Which version of macOS are you currently using, such as Ventura 13, Sonoma 14, Sequoia 15, or Tahoe 26?

elisa argenzio 0 Reputation points

2026-10-05T05:58:40.19+00:00

macOS Golden Gate 27.0.1
Estrella721 46,525 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-05T06:29:55.7066667+00:00

Thanks for the reply. Since your macOS version is later than macOS 12 Monterey, your operating system is supported. The issue is likely related to the Office installation after the Time Machine restoration.

Since your Office apps are opening files as Read Only, please update Microsoft 365/Office first.

Open Word or Excel, then go to Help > Check for Updates and install all available updates. Once updated, restart the Office app and check if you can edit and save your files normally.

If the issue persists, use the Office License Removal Tool to remove the existing Office license from your Mac:https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-to-remove-office-license-files-on-a-mac-b032c0f6-a431-4dad-83a9-6b727c03b193 and run the license removal tool.

Then sign in to your Microsoft account that has Microsoft Office 365 at https://m365.cloud.microsoft/apps. Click Install apps in the top right, then open Word and sign in with the same account to activate Office.