Persistent errors with no workable answer

Question

1- Error message about Endnote CWYW pops up at startup and Endnote bundle shows up in list of add-ins and cannot be taken out with minus sign even though Endnote has been completely removed from everywhere including the Library.

2- Auto Update keeps giving error about Silverlight, which has also been completely removed and the auto update app is the newest.

Answer 1

For both issues, the underlying cause is usually leftover, obsolete Office/Mac components that AutoUpdate and Word still see, even though the main apps (EndNote, Silverlight) were removed.

1. EndNote CWYW add‑in still listed in Word

The context does not provide a specific EndNote removal procedure, but it does show that Office for Mac components can persist in system folders (for example, fonts and receipts under /Library). When an Office component is fully removed, the remaining references (icons, bundles, receipts) must also be deleted so Office stops loading them.

For Word/EndNote CWYW, the equivalent cleanup is:

• Remove any remaining EndNote add‑in files from the Office add‑ins location (for example, any EndNote CWYW bundle in the Word startup/add-ins folders).
• Remove any remaining Office-related icons or references from the Dock after uninstalling, as shown for Office for Mac 2011 icons:
  • Hold down CONTROL and click the Word (or other Office) icon in the Dock.
  • Select Options > Remove from Dock.

If the add‑in is still listed but cannot be removed with the minus sign, that typically means Word is still seeing a file or registration entry. The documented pattern for Mac cleanup is to manually delete residual Office components from Library locations and then restart the Mac so Office rebuilds its configuration. This is the same approach used when completely uninstalling Office for Mac 2011 before reinstalling.

2. Microsoft AutoUpdate keeps trying to update Silverlight / old components

The context describes two closely related scenarios on macOS:

• Old Office components (such as Microsoft Error Reporting 2.2) remain in /Library/Application Support/Microsoft/MERP2.0, and Microsoft AutoUpdate keeps trying to update them until the folder is deleted.
• Another user found that right‑clicking the icon next to an entry in the AutoUpdate error list and choosing Show in Finder reveals the stale file; deleting that file stops AutoUpdate from trying to update it.

Applied to Silverlight:

• Open Microsoft AutoUpdate.
• In the list where Silverlight (or another obsolete component) shows an error, right‑click the icon next to that entry and select Show in Finder.
• This opens the folder containing the stale component. Delete that file or folder.
• Alternatively, navigate manually to the system Library path used for old Office components and remove the obsolete folder, following the same pattern as for MERP2.0:
  • Open Finder and go to the system-level /Library/Application Support/Microsoft/ folder (not the user ~/Library).
  • Locate the folder corresponding to the obsolete component (for example, MERP2.0 in the documented case) and delete it.

After deleting the stale component, rerun Microsoft AutoUpdate. It should no longer attempt to update Silverlight or the removed component.

This approach is consistent with the documented guidance for removing obsolete Office/Mac components and stopping AutoUpdate from repeatedly failing on them.

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References:

• Troubleshoot Office for Mac 2011 issues by completely uninstalling before you reinstall
• Get rid of Microsoft Error reporting 2.2 on Mac - Microsoft Q&A
• AutoUpdater trying to update ancient office components, eg Silverlight (Office for Mac) - Microsoft Q&A

Answer 2

Since you posted as Education it's possible that your are using Office under an organization's license. In that case the software may be managed by that organization's IT group. If so you need to contact them.

Answer 3

Hi Henry Forman

Based on your description, I understand that the EndNote CWYW add-in is still appearing in Word and Microsoft AutoUpdate continues to prompt for Silverlight even after both have been removed. 

Before proceeding further, could you please confirm the following so I can better understand your scenario:

• Your macOS version  
• Your Microsoft Word version 

Regarding the EndNote CWYW add-in: 

1.Manually check Word Startup locations (common source of persistent add-ins) 

Even if EndNote has already been removed from the Library, this behavior may still occur if any residual add-in files remain in certain Word-specific startup locations, which can sometimes be easy to miss. 

Since you’ve already removed EndNote from the Library, could you please confirm if the following Word-specific startup locations have also been checked:

-Quit all Office apps  

-In Finder, select Go > Go to Folder, then check:  

~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Startup/Word 

~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/Word/Startup 

-If you find any files related to EndNote, please remove them 

 2. Restart your Mac and test Word again 

Regarding the Silverlight error in AutoUpdate: 

If the issue persists after confirming that no Silverlight-related files remain, you may also consider resetting Microsoft AutoUpdate:

• Quit all Office apps 
• Go to: ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/ 
• Delete the folder: MAU2.0 
• Restart your Mac and check again 

In some cases, this behavior has been observed when related files exist outside the main system Library (for example, on external drives or in backup folders). In such scenarios, removing those leftover files resolved the issue.

Reference: How to Stop AutoUpdate from Trying to Update Silverlight - Microsoft Q&A 

Please understand that our initial reply may not always immediately resolve the issue. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.     

I look forward to your update.   

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