Microsoft office 2021 - Word for Mac

Question

Mac went in for repairs and they replaced the motherboard. Lost all programs, reinstalled Microsoft Office 2021. Then Word was throwing errors: Run-time error '53':

File not found: /Library/Application Support/Adobe/ MACPDFM/MacPDFM.framework/Versions/A/MacPDFM

Help pages said to uninstall and re-install both Word and Adobe.

Did both, and now Word crashes on open. I tried to re-install again and nothing changes.

Tried again and in the "Intstall Microsoft 365 and Office for Mac" if you select "Custom Install" to see what it is installing, it only wants to install Microsoft Defender and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Microsoft Word and the others are greyed out.

How can I get Word working again?

Called customer support, and it is non-existent, the only way to get help it to post here.

Thank you in advance to anyone who can help me.

Answer 1

The MacPDFM file needs to be removed but Adobe its location varies based on Word & macOS versions. Your best bet is to contact Adobe Support – They're most familiar with the nuance pertaining to their product.

Answer 2

Word is back up, thank you, but I still have the Run-time error '53':

File not found: /Library/Application Support/Adobe/ MACPDFM/MacPDFM.framework/Versions/A/MacPDFM

Answer 3

Based on similar Mac cases, the crash and the greyed‑out apps in the installer usually indicate a damaged Office installation or a licensing/background-permissions issue after macOS or hardware changes.

Try these steps in order:

1. Check macOS background permissions for Office licensing
   A replaced motherboard can cause macOS to block some background services needed for Office licensing.
   1. Open System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions.
   2. Under Allow in the Background, make sure entries such as Microsoft Corporation and Microsoft Office Licensing are turned ON.
   3. If anything was off, turn it on, restart the Mac, then try opening Word again.
2. Fully uninstall all Office for Mac apps
   Since Word now crashes on open and the installer shows apps as greyed out, remove the current Office apps completely:
   1. Open Finder > Applications.
   2. Command‑click to select all Microsoft Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.).
   3. Control‑click the selection and choose Move to Trash.
   4. Empty the Trash.
3. Reinstall Office from the Microsoft account
   Reinstalling from the account ensures the correct license and full app set are installed:
   1. Sign in to the Microsoft account that owns Office 2021 at the Microsoft account dashboard.
   2. On the Overview or Services & subscriptions page, locate the Office 2021 product.
   3. Select Install and download the Office for Mac installer.
   4. When the download finishes, if the .pkg is in Downloads, move it to the Desktop, then double‑click it to launch.
   5. Complete the installation wizard.
4. If the installer .pkg will not launch or fails
   If the installer does not open or shows errors:
   1. Confirm the download completed (file size around 1.5 GB).
   2. If it still will not launch, delete the .pkg, empty Trash, and redownload using Safari from the Office portal.
   3. If you see an unidentified developer or Install Failed error, follow the steps in the Office for Mac install/activation article (move the file to Desktop, Control‑click > Open, and ensure macOS is up to date).
5. Launch Word and complete activation
   1. Open Launchpad and click Microsoft Word.
   2. When the What’s New window appears, click Get Started and sign in with the same Microsoft account used above so Office 2021 can activate.
   3. If activation fails, follow the troubleshooting steps in the Office for Mac activation article.

If Word still crashes after these steps, test in a new macOS user account (System Settings > Users & Groups) to see if the issue is tied to the current macOS profile. If it works in the new profile, the problem is with the original macOS user profile and Office’s user‑level data there.

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References:

• Office 2021 license does not work and ist not anymore in the portal listed - Microsoft Q&A
• What to try if you can't install or activate Office for Mac
• Download and install or reinstall Office 2021, Office 2019, or Office 2016
• Microsoft Office activation and the Mac App Store
• 365 apps crash - Microsoft Q&A