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Just installed latest Microsoft 365 on my imac but none of the apps open, word, excel etc.

Athena 0 Reputation points
2026-02-21T23:50:09.01+00:00

I just installed microsoft 365 onto my imac yr2017 with macOS Ventura 13.7.8. The message I received when I was notified of updates to word, excel and so forth was that I needed to upgrade to version 14 or later. When I go to update my operating system, it says it has the latest at 13.7.8. I'm assuming my 2017 doesn't support the new operating system. It is useless if I can't use something I paid the year for. How do I fix this?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | Other | MacOS
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  1. John Korchok 231.4K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-02-22T18:32:39.65+00:00

    Apple's policy is to stop upgrading the OS on computers that are 9 to 10 years old. Microsoft's policy is to support Office for the three most recent versions of macOS. In effect, the combination of these policies forces users to keep buying new Macs to have access to the current edition of Office.

    If you haven't been able to install Office, you can use the steps in this article to download, install and activate version 16.100: Most Recent Office You Can Run - Best Practices Your Microsoft 365 license works with that version, but you won't receive further updates. Fortunately, very little has changed with Office for Mac since the 16.100 edition was released.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
  2. Q&A Assist
    2026-02-21T23:50:17.7066667+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    It seems that your iMac running macOS Ventura 13.7.8 may not be compatible with the version of Microsoft 365 you installed, as it requires macOS version 14 or later. Since your operating system is up to date but does not support the required version, you have a couple of options:

    1. Check for Compatibility: Verify if your iMac can be upgraded to a newer version of macOS that supports Microsoft 365. If it can be upgraded, consider doing so.
    2. Use an Older Version of Office: If upgrading is not an option, you might need to revert to an older version of Office that is compatible with your current macOS. You can check if your subscription allows you to activate an older version that runs on your Mac.
    3. Reinstall Microsoft 365: Sometimes, reinstalling the applications can resolve issues. You can uninstall Microsoft 365 and then reinstall it from your Microsoft account.

    If you continue to have issues, you may want to reach out to Microsoft support for further assistance.

    References:

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