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When I opened up my laptop this morning (8/16/14) there was a pop-up on the screen telling me there was an update available for Microsoft Word Starter 2010 and asking me if I wanted to download it. It did not look like the typical Windows or Office update notification. I closed the pop-up and opened Windows update and ran it. There were some updates available, but none that said they were for Word Starter. IS there a new Update for Word Starter or is this someone trying to get me to download a virus?
***Office Product moved to Office 2010 by the Moderator.***
A family of Microsoft word processing software products for creating web, email, and print documents.
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
Microsoft has posted a Knowledge Base article describing and explaining this popup and providing a solution. Find it at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3016799.
Hi everyone,
We heard back from the product group. The dialog is expected for a legitimate Office 2010 starter update. It appears for click to run scenarios where the path is missing a piece of information between the build that the user is running on and the latest available build.
The august update that was pulled is a Windows update, not an Office update.
Thanks!
DK - MSFT support
Barbara makes a good point.
Wow -- just as I started writing this the dubious box just popped up !!
Just think about this update pop-up ... Microsoft began phasing out Starter 2010 in 2012, So why would they bother to create an update in 2014. Duh. The update has to be fraudulent.
Microsoft states that "Office Starter is not trial software — you can continue to use it as long as you need ... Office Starter consists of Microsoft Word Starter 2010 and Microsoft Excel Starter 2010 only, reduced functionality versions of Microsoft Word and Excel with advertising. Office Starter is available only as preloaded software on select new PCs."
http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/starter/
Well, folks, I don't know about you -- but I still need the software !!
I did more research .. It seems that this update pop-up has been around since at least 12 August 2010, when natalie42 posted a comment. Thread indicates 82 people had the same problem The problem she describes is exactly what happened to me last week-- especially the message about "unresponsive temporarily." What an understatement. Her post is as follows:
Microsoft Office is downloading the required feature? And will not Stop!
Yesterday night, I opened Word and a message popped up saying to update... something about english... I am sorry I can't exactly remember what it said. I clicked ok. When I tried using word, it was very slow and sometimes not responding. A pop up at the bottom right of my screen came up (with the Office Logo in the bar next to the clock) saying that Microsoft Office is downloading the required feature... Microsoft office may appear unresponsive temporarily as the required files are downloaded.
Well... this was last night, I had my computer open for maybe an hour or two after this. When I turned my computer on this morning and used word, the same pop up returned. When I click on the pop up or the office icon, it immediately disappears and does nothing. And there is no way to access how far along the download has gotten. Does anyone know what this is or how I can stop it? I am worried that it may have been a virus or something.
The post had a useless reply, as the fake downloading never ends.
So I am really more confused as to the source of this scam. It appears to be at least 4 years old, although I wasn't aware of it until last week. My desktop is only 3 years old so this hoax was around prior to my purchase.
I just wonder how many of the millions of users are getting this update pop-up and falling for it like I did, and like natalie42 did.
OK Doug, I guess you don't get it either.... I'm not talking about Bill Gates... I'm talking about MICROSOFT.... Microsoft made the thing not you or Suzanne. Microsoft needs to get online and fix the darn thing.... They made it and they need to fix it.... I'm getting sick of your double talk...
Why don't you explain Victoria Thompson's issue and while you are at it explain Barbara Meek's issue...
I have a better idea.... Get Microsoft on the Chat and have them fix the mess that they made.
Just a note that I am getting this pop-up, and I don't have Starter installed. The company I bought my PC from installed Office 2010 Professional, not the Starter package. That's the chief reason I didn't bite on this update. I thought -- why would I want to update software I don't have? I was just trying to find out how to make it go away permanently, like some update notices I receive that have a "never run this update" option.