Blank password login screen for all Office apps on Mac

Question

Hello,

I set up my old 2010 MacBook yesterday, wiping the SSD and reinstalling macOS Sierra (10.12.6, newer Versions do not work on it); meaning this is a clean PC. Before the reinstall I ran the same OS and my Office worked just fine. I then successfully installed Office Version 16.29.1, however, when trying to login with my personal Microsoft account, after entering my email, the page where I would normally enter my password is shortly loading and then turns blank with a small back button in the bottom corner. This is the case for every application (Word, Excel and so on).

The weird part is, when logging in with my Uni Microsoft email, it works and leads me to the password page (to the Microsoft Uni Server with my Unis logo at the top), where I can successfully login (Sadly this account has no license for desktop apps).. This leads me to conclude that this is a problem caused by Microsoft or the office software itself and not by my hardware or any other software, since the verification for m uni account runs on a different server than the personal one I assume. I can also login normally with my personal account over the browser.

I also already tried to troubleshoot by reinstalling, booting in safe mode, logging in with a different account from my brother, checking system preferences for possible proxy settings, installing different office versions (16.30, 16.29, 16.26, and even Office 2011 from an old installer); nothing helps, I always get the same result: a blank password page. Upgrading my macOS is not an option, also Office 16.16-16.29/16.30 should all be compatible with my macOS version (according to multiple sources).

Pls help me, as I really need Office to run and I can't afford to buy a new mac rn.

TIA and a happy new year.

Answer 1

Hi David / Hi Adrian,

I’ve been facing the same issue since January 2025 with my 2011 MacBook (before it was up and running). I’ve tried everything you proposed, plus from other forums including Reddit, with no success. Have you found any hints or solutions?

Best,

Marcin

I have been having the exact sam problem on High Sierra - inadvertantly logged out of uni login on Office for Mac 16 so I could use my 365 subscription - now only blanl password page.

Have tried all the steps above to no avail - any ideas anyone........Peter

Answer 2

Hi David / Hi Adrian,

I’ve been facing the same issue since January 2025 with my 2011 MacBook (before it was up and running). I’ve tried everything you proposed, plus from other forums including Reddit, with no success. Have you found any hints or solutions?

Best,

Marcin

Answer 3

Hi,

Thanks for the suggestions.

Tried steps 1 to 3 with no success. Setup is now MacOs Sierra Version 10.12.6, Microsoft Word for Mac Version 16.29.

Tried step 4, but got a mixture of 'command not found' and 'Illegal instruction: 4'

Step 5 worked, but is not a solution.

Is there anything else to try?

Richard.

Answer 4

Hi David Haussmann

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

I realize that you've encountered a problem with " Blank password login screen for all Office apps on Mac ", and I understand how you feel. Don't worry, I'll do my best to help you.

Based on the situation you described, it seems that the version of Office you downloaded should be compatible with your Mac OS version. The issue you're encountering with the blank password login screen may be related to several factors. Since you mentioned that everything works fine when using the Microsoft Uni account, the problem appears to be focused on using your personal Microsoft account. Here are some potential solutions you can try:

1. Clear Office Cache Files

This is one of the most common causes. Office applications sometimes store temporary files that can prevent the login page from displaying correctly. Try the following steps to clear the cache:

1. Quit all Office applications.
2. Open Finder, press Command + Shift + G, and enter: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office.
3. Delete all files in this folder.
4. Restart your Mac and try logging in to Office again.

2. Uninstall and Reinstall Office

Although you have already tried reinstalling, it's important to ensure that all related files are completely deleted during the uninstallation process. You can use the following method to thoroughly remove Office:

1. Quit all Office applications.
2. Open the "Applications" folder in Finder and drag the Office applications to the Trash.
3. Then, press Command + Shift + G to open the "Go to Folder" dialog, and enter:

~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.* ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office 4. Delete all contents in these folders. 5. Restart your computer and reinstall Office.

3. Reset Office Activation via Terminal

Sometimes, there might be issues with Office activation, and you can try resetting it via Terminal commands.

Steps:

1. Open Terminal (found in Applications > Utilities).
2. Enter the following commands and press Enter:

sudo rm -rf /Library/Group\ Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Group\ Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office 3. This will delete all Office activation and cache data. After deleting, restart your Mac and reopen the Office applications to log in again.

4. Test Running as Administrator

If you haven't tried running Office with administrator privileges, this might resolve permission issues. You can start Office as an administrator by opening "Terminal" and entering the following command:

sudo /Applications/Microsoft\ Word.app/Contents/MacOS/Microsoft\ Word

If you can log in successfully, it may be due to permission settings.

5. Try Using Office Online

If these methods still don't resolve the issue, you can temporarily try using Office Online (i.e., using Office applications through a browser) as an alternative solution. While not as convenient as the desktop applications, it allows you to continue working without purchasing a new Mac.

Visit Office Online and log in with your personal Microsoft account to see if you can use it normally.

Happy new year!

I hope these suggestions have been helpful to you!

Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions or need any further help.

Best regards

Adrian.C-MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist