my office 365 personal service quit working

Question

Today (February 7, 2026) when I clicked on Microsoft Word in order to open an existing document, I received an error message; same thing when I clicked to open an existing Excel document.

First error message WINWORD.EXE - Bad Image C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\AppVisvSubsystems64.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error. Try installing the program again using the original installation media or contact your system administrator or the software vendor for support. Error status 0xc000012f.

Second attempt to open and got this: OfficeClickToRun.exe - Bad Image C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun\C2RUI.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error (and the rest of the verbiage reported on first error message).

Answer 1

None of those worked, can't uninstall office either, I get a C2RUI.dll error... what absolute ridiculousness.

Answer 2

Hi Regina Gregory,

Thank you for sharing the detailed error messages with Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand how disruptive this is, especially when Word and Excel suddenly stop opening.

The WINWORD.EXE / OfficeClickToRun.exe – Bad Image (error 0xc000012f) messages usually indicate that some Office or Windows system files (DLL files) have become corrupted, often after a Windows or Office update, or an incomplete installation.

Please try the steps below in order:

Step 1: Repair Microsoft Office

1. Close all Office applications
2. Go to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features
3. Select Microsoft 365 / Microsoft Office and click Change
4. Choose Quick Repair and let it complete
5. Restart your computer and try opening Word or Excel

If the issue continues, repeat the steps above and choose Online Repair instead (this is more thorough and reinstalls Office components).

Step 2: Repair Windows system files

1. Right‑click the Start menu and choose Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin)
2. Run the following command and wait for it to finish:

      sfc /scannow
   

3. Restart your computer once it completes

Step 3: Check for Windows updates

• Go to Settings > Windows Update
• Install any pending updates and restart the device

Step 4: Reinstall Office (if needed)

If the error still appears:

1. Uninstall Microsoft Office completely
2. Restart your computer
3. Sign in with the account that owns the license
4. Download and reinstall Office

If this problem started immediately after a recent Windows update, please let me know, as that can help narrow down the root cause further.

Once you’ve tried the steps above, please tell me which step you reached and whether the error message changed. I’ll be happy to continue assisting you.

Answer 3

It appears that you are encountering issues with Microsoft Office applications, specifically Word and Excel, due to corrupted files or installation problems. Here are some steps you can take to resolve the issue:

1. Repair Office Installation: You can attempt to repair your Office installation. To do this, go to the Settings app, select Apps, find Microsoft Office, and choose the option to modify or repair the installation. You can try both the quick repair and the online repair options.
2. Reinstall Office: If repairing does not work, you may need to uninstall Office completely and then reinstall it. Make sure to restart your computer after uninstalling before reinstalling Office from your Microsoft account.
3. Check for Windows Updates: Ensure that your Windows operating system is up to date, as updates can sometimes resolve compatibility issues with Office applications.
4. Run System File Checker: You can also run the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files. Open Command Prompt as an administrator and type sfc /scannow.
5. Check for Disk Errors: If the problem persists, check your hard drive for errors. You can do this by running chkdsk in Command Prompt.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider contacting Microsoft support for further assistance.

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References:

• You receive an error message when you try to open an Office document