Microsoft Auto Update gives "One or more updates package could not be downloaded" message

Hi,

I just recently started having this issue. ALL previous updates were working without any problems, and then suddenly with 16.29.1 released on 9/17/19, things stopped working.

This is my business account, and my business computer. I cannot do any complete re-installs because I would lose way too much time.

Where are these AutoUpdate logs that are mentioned? I have searched my machine and couldn't find any logs that might be of help.

I tried adding 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 to the DNS list, that did not help.

I tried making sure I am NOT on our corporate VPN, and that also did not help.

Quite frustrating. I feel this issue is more widespread than believed. There's even a youtube video where someone said adding the DNS IP's solved their problem.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thank you.

Doug

I'm sorry but I don't have help for you but not for lack of trying. Even MS Support came up empty on this issue. I have systematically done everything I could find anywhere as a potential fix. The things you mentioned and SAFE MODE, and re-installing OSX. Also the one about putting MAU into the PrivilegedHelperTools folder. I have provided my logs and people on this community have confirmed that I'm not downloading the new packages as the error message says. If I use the same MS server and just manually download the update it works fine so someone about the actual MAU coding is trying to do something that stops each download of a new package. You can see the progress bar for overall progress start and then reset to zero as each package tries to download.

I had been working on the theory (I know this isn't helping you because you're trying to work but others will read this) that perhaps it was trying to also update font in the apple font folders and running into problems with permissions that caused the download to stop - something that MAU is trying to do that nobody is looking at. But I haven't been able to figure out how to prove or disprove that theory. And of course it could be something entirely different that the installer (MAU) is trying to that uniquely isn't working.

Now of course there are lots of us having this issue, but most of those on 365 are not. So if everyone has the problem MS would fix it, but there are few who have it, many that haven't reported it, and therefore MS perceives it as a low percentage "nuisance" complaint - one they don't want to invest in - so we were told by some of the MS people on this forum.

Unless more people come forward I don't know that will change - everyone just manually downloads and updates so we don't see any persistence in the complainers.

So I intend to keep plugging away at it. Today I downloaded 16.29.1 which is the newest individual update to Word, Excel, and Powerpoint only - nothing else with MAU up to 4.15.

Well, I don't LIKE to reply to myself, but in case people find this useful...

The autoupdate log is located at

/Library/Logs/Microsoft/autoupdate.log

I did see a few different types of errors in there, but this is the one that is appearing to cause the failure:

2019-09-20 12:14:25 [Microsoft AutoUpdate] <Error> InstallUpdatesTask.RetryProxyError: ID: A9FEC07A-5BDC-42C6-953C-24A6732A237A, Update: PowerPoint Update 16.29.1 (19091700), Proxy Error: Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=4097 "connection to service named com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper" UserInfo={NSDebugDescription=connection to service named com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper}

I also found that auto-update is unable to remove the files:

2019-09-20 12:20:42 [Microsoft AutoUpdate] <> InstallData.Cleanup: Unable to remove downloaded file. Filename: Microsoft_PowerPoint_16.29.19091700_Updater.pkg, Error:Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=513 "“Microsoft_PowerPoint_16.29.19091700_Updater.pkg” couldn’t be removed because you don’t have permission to access it." UserInfo={NSFilePath=/var/folders/kh/1wvwymqx7yv1_38rr5s6csf40000gp/T/MSau_11779/Microsoft_PowerPoint_16.29.19091700_Updater.pkg, NSUserStringVariant=(

    Remove

), NSUnderlyingError=0x600001131500 {Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=1 "Operation not permitted"}}

Notice the file path there...

NSFilePath=/var/folders/kh/1wvwymqx7yv1_38rr5s6csf40000gp/T/MSau_11779/

If I go to that folder mentioned from the command line

[prompt]$ cd /var/folders/kh/1wvwymqx7yv1_38rr5s6csf40000gp/T/MSau_11779/

[prompt]$ ls -al

total 1459624

drwxr-xr-x    4 user  staff        128 Sep 20 12:20 .

drwx------@ 295 user  staff       9440 Sep 20 12:32 ..

-r--------    1 root  wheel  731059048 Sep 20 12:13 Microsoft_PowerPoint_16.29.19091700_Updater.pkg

-r--------    1 root  wheel    8850414 Sep 20 12:06 PowerPoint_16.29.19090802_to_16.29.19091700_BinaryDelta.pkg

So, I have some files... they look big enough to be an installer.

I tried to run that... the "Updater.pkg" one.

Open the folder in Finder by using "Finder > Go > Go To Folder ..." menu.

Double-clicking that gives me some other error, and didn't work. Maybe because the file is "locked" and owned by root. I'm not sure.

This might be a DIFFERENT issue, but I also saw a github ticket for similar errors:

https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/OfficeDocs-OfficeUpdates/issues/97

Will update again if I find something that remedies the situation.

Thanks for the effort, looks like maybe permissions or some kind of proxy issue.

That “var” folder is where alot of installers put temp install files.

some of the services mentioned are sub apps located in the privelege tools folder in Library.

Hi Doug,

Since you are a business user, and to your error logo, the issue is not the same with Michaels, we would kindly suggest you raise a new thread under the following category:

Install, upgrade and activate/ Mac/ Office 365 Business

We will assign a support agent to follow up with you on this issue.

Michael, the Official Article Update history for Office for Mac is the permanent link to download the latest Office for Mac version or the update packages. However, since the content need time to be updated in the article, it will be released to the public later than the updates package from MAU.

Also, recently, I have saw a similar thread in this community, and there was a workaround on this, although the error code in that thread is the same as yours, I am not sure if it's going to work on your side, if it's convenient for you, please try it when the next update is released:

1.Click on check for updates to open the MAU.

2.Go to Finder >Application >Utilities > Activity Monitor.

3.Check if there is a process called "StandAloneUpdaterDaemon", if so, please terminate it.

4.Go back to the MAU and try updating your Office application. 

Meanwhile, as the CASE ID is consider as a privacy information, I've removed it from your reply, I will try contacting the support agent who is responsible for this case and see their next step on it. 

Regards,

Alex Chen

Thanks for the effort, looks like maybe permissions or some kind of proxy issue.

That “var” folder is where alot of installers put temp install files.

some of the services mentioned are sub apps located in the privelege tools folder in Library.

When I looked at the file TelemetryUploadFilecom.microsoft.autoupdate.fba.txt in...var/folders/k5/d92xjhfd0gzgvwd9132_pnm0000gn/T, I saw the following (failures noted in bold/italics)

--

2019-10-26 17:25:43 +0000

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Microsoft Update Assistant terminated normally

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Initializing configuration

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Registered App nameID: Outlook_OPIM2019 | Copies: 1 | Installations: Version: 16.30.19101301

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Registered App nameID: PowerPoint_PPT32019 | Copies: 1 | Installations: Version: 16.30.19101301

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Registered App nameID: Word_MSWD2019 | Copies: 1 | Installations: Version: 16.30.19101301

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Registered App nameID: Microsoft AutoUpdate_MSau04 | Copies: 1 | Installations: Version: 4.16.19101301

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Registered App nameID: Edge_EDDV01 | Copies: 1 | Installations: Version: 78.249.1908191

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Registered App nameID: OneDrive_ONDR18 | Copies: 1 | Installations: Version: 19192.0926.0007

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Registered App nameID: Skype for Business_MSFB16 | Copies: 1 | Installations: Version: 16.25.73

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Registered App nameID: Excel_XCEL2019 | Copies: 1 | Installations: Version: 16.30.19101301

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Registered App nameID: OneNote_ONMC2019 | Copies: 1 | Installations: Version: 16.30.19101301

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> HelperTool Status: helperToolExists YES, helperToolCodesigned: YES

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Attempted to register: MSau04, Preferences Available: YES, Re-Registration: YES, Success:NO

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Microsoft Update Assistant launched

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Skip webservice. Only 12 since last call.

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Invalid action type (null)

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> MWSOnBoot handled action name Null

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Attempted to register: MSau04, Preferences Available: YES, Re-Registration: YES, Success:NO

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Request actions, CallerId HowToCheck

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Making request to https://officeci-mauservice.azurewebsites.net/MAUService/api/***/Actions*** for CallerId [HowToCheck]

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Response time: 154.932022, callerID: HowToCheck, api: /Actions

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Web request to /Actions failed with error 404

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Action received for HowToCheck

][Microsoft Update Assistant] <Info> Microsoft Update Assistant terminated normally

--

In my case, MAU indicates that it is downloading a file (or files) and then generates an error message: "Update error...Sorry, there's a problem with the downloaded file, so you can't update now. Please try again later."   It seems like an attempt to register fails and then a web request to /Actions fails with a file/URL not found (error 404.)