Office no longer working

Paul Donahue 0 Reputation points
2026-10-09T15:13:27.74+00:00

I have a 2020 mac and have always used my subscription and now I haven't been able to use it in over a month.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | MacOS
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  1. DaveM121 937.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-09T15:46:54.7166667+00:00

    1

    There are some ongoing problems with the Office apps on an Apple Mac device caused by a recent update, what error is indicated in the Office apps, is it an 0x0 error?

    2

    If your Mac is from 2020, that was most likely pre-installed with MacOS Big Sur, at the top left of your Mac desktop, click the Apple icon and select 'About this Mac', what version of MacOS is installed on your computer?

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-09T15:13:43.2066667+00:00

    For a 2020 Mac, the most likely causes in this scenario are an update/licensing issue or an Office installation problem.

    Try these steps in order:

    1. Update Office and macOS
      • Office on macOS should be on macOS 12 or higher.
      • Close all Office apps.
      • Open Finder > Applications > Microsoft AutoUpdate.
      • Install Update All.
      • Then open an Office app again and test.
      • If Office was installed from the App Store, open App Store > Updates and update the Microsoft apps there instead.
    2. Check whether the subscription is active
      • Go to the Microsoft account Services & subscriptions page and sign in with the account associated with the subscription.
      • Confirm that Microsoft 365 is listed as active.
      • If the subscription is expired, renew it.
    3. If Office shows an account notice or payment problem
      • Go to Payment options in the Microsoft account and check whether the payment method has an error.
      • Update the payment method if needed, then restart Word or another Office app.
    4. If the apps are updated but still do not work
      • Create a new macOS user account from System Settings > Users & Groups.
      • Sign in to that new account and test Word or Excel.
      • If Office works there, the issue is likely with the Office setup in the original macOS account.
    5. Reinstall Office for Mac
      • If the problem continues, uninstall Office for Mac and reinstall it from the Microsoft account Subscriptions/Services page.
      • If reinstalling, use the Microsoft account install source rather than the Mac App Store version when the license is tied to the Microsoft account.
    6. If Office says the license is not found or shows Unknown Error 0x0
      • Updating Office through Microsoft AutoUpdate is the documented fix for that issue on macOS.

    If the subscription was purchased through Apple/App Store, first verify the subscription under Apple subscriptions. If active, try restoring the previous purchase. If it still fails, contact Microsoft Support.


    References:

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