How can I get my MS office for Mac 2021 back????

kathy sacco 20 Reputation points
2026-10-25T23:38:17.9366667+00:00

I own MS office for Mac 2021 and all of a sudden I can't save or edit. I followed instructions on how to get it back and now I can't even open files. I don't want MS Office 365. I want to use MY Excel and Work. Please help! I have my license for it that I purchased in 2022.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | MacOS
Answer accepted by question author
EmilyS_726 33,820 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2026-10-26T00:10:28.73+00:00

Please uninstall your Office apps. To uninstall, you move all Office apps, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams to trash bin.

Then install this slightly older version 16.114: https://res.public.onecdn.static.microsoft/mro1cdnstorage/C1297A47-86C4-4C1F-97FA-950631F94777/MacAutoupdate/Microsoft_365_and_Office_16.114.26101123_BusinessPro_Installer.pkg?atp=ets

This is legitimate URL extracted from official source: https://learn.microsoft.com/officeupdates/update-history-office-for-mac

After that, open any Office app, such as Word or Excel. From the top menu, select Help > Check for Updates. When Microsoft AutoUpdate opens, uncheck Automatically keep Microsoft apps up to date, then confirm by clicking Turn Off.

That should work. If for any reason it doesn't, open one of the apps, for example, Excel > About Microsoft Excel > More Info > Refresh License.

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