Updating office and getting an error message (Office for Windows)

Anonymous
2020-02-11T19:34:37+00:00

I have tried to open a word / excel document. 

It says it is updating, please wait a moment. 

After a few minutes I get a message saying: 

WINWORD.EXE - Application Error - This application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000142). Click OK to close the application.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2021-01-28T08:06:11+00:00

    I've been having the same issue for the past few days too! Out of nowhere when i open a PPTX or word file office says its updating and then i get the error that it could not open. I tried reinstalling and it fixes it for like a day or two and then its back to the same issue. As a last resort i installed office again by logging into my office account and downloading it from there again (i am using my academic copy of office 365 given by my campus). It still only fixes it for a few days. 

    is there any permanent solution available atm?  I dont think its a registry error since Iorbit uninstaller usually cleans residual files when uninstalled so it cant be a bugged file or record that could be causing this? 

    I appreciate your help to solve this :)

    Kudos!

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  2. Anonymous
    2021-01-22T16:15:27+00:00

    My PC boots from SSD so i never put it to sleep.  This happened after a fresh boot.

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  3. Anonymous
    2021-01-19T18:49:48+00:00

    My experience has been that this happens after waking my computer from sleep or hibernation with no office program running. So when it hapoens, as soon as the orange box appears, shut down your computer. Don’t wait for any error notice to appear. Don’t restart your computer until it has completely shut down. Then restart your computer and don’t open any Office program until after startup has completely finished. Your Office program should open correctly. If it doesn’t you’ll have to try one of the other fixes. The problem occures when an element of office fails to restart from Windows hibernation/sleep. Then leaving the orange application installation box to process through to the error allows Office to corrupt itself. So it won’t start and the only solution is the installation repair. Also, the issue requires different solutions depending on which version of office you’re using. The solution i am referring to here works in Windows 10 on a locally installed version of Office, not 360.

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  4. Stefan Blom 351.7K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2021-01-09T14:10:16+00:00

    I tried the fix offered my MS. Went to online repair, ran the program, and it wiped out my whole Office 365 installation. Had to download 365 again. Not really sure the problem is fixed.

    Note that an online repair often results in a reinstallation of Office.

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  5. Anonymous
    2020-11-24T00:24:05+00:00

    DaveM121, thanks so much. This was a life saver for me.  

    Everton

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