MS 365 on a Mac doesn't update. I keep getting "can't update at this time, try again later." Why?

Tim Burgess 20 Reputation points
2025-11-26T17:12:54.3766667+00:00

The Auto Update shows that I need to update MS365 for home, but each time I run the update it returns the error message "The update could not be installed at this time. Please try again later." Why? What's wrong?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | MacOS
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Edward Schlobohm01 10,210 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2025-11-26T17:56:06.0733333+00:00

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out to the Microsoft community and sharing the details. The error message “The update could not be installed at this time. Please try again later” usually means there’s an issue with Microsoft AutoUpdate or your Mac’s permissions.

Just to check, have you recently updated macOS or changed any security settings, like Full Disk Access or Gatekeeper? These changes can sometimes interfere with AutoUpdate and prevent updates from installing.

This problem often happens because AutoUpdate is outdated or corrupted, permissions aren’t set correctly, or your network is blocking the update. In some cases, it’s as simple as a VPN or firewall getting in the way.

To fix it, start by downloading the latest version of Microsoft AutoUpdate from Microsoft’s site, quit all Office apps, and run the installer. Make sure AutoUpdate and your Office apps have Full Disk Access under Privacy & Security in System Settings. If that doesn’t help, clear the Office cache in your Library folder, check your internet connection, and try switching to Google DNS.

If nothing works, the last resort is to remove Office completely using Microsoft’s removal tool and reinstall it from Office.com. Some users find that downloading the full installer (about 3 GB) is the most reliable solution.

Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes.

Kind regards,

Edward

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  1. AI answer

    2025-11-26T17:13:00.4+00:00

    The error message "The update could not be installed at this time. Please try again later" can occur for several reasons when trying to update Microsoft 365 on a Mac. Here are a few potential causes:

    1. Manual Update Disabled: If updates have been manually disabled or are managed through Group Policy settings, this could prevent the update from proceeding. You can check the Account section of the backstage in your Office applications to see if updates are disabled.
    2. Multiple Configuration Profiles: If your organization uses Microsoft Intune to manage updates and has multiple configuration profiles that manage Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) settings, this can lead to conflicts that prevent updates from being applied.
    3. Microsoft AutoUpdate Issues: Ensure that Microsoft AutoUpdate is functioning correctly. You can check if it is set to check for updates automatically or if it needs to be configured to do so manually.
    4. Network Issues: Sometimes, network connectivity issues can prevent the update from being downloaded and installed. Ensure that your internet connection is stable.
    5. Software Conflicts: Other software on your Mac might be conflicting with the update process. Restarting your Mac can sometimes resolve these issues.

    If the problem persists, you may want to consider uninstalling and reinstalling Microsoft 365 to ensure that you have a clean installation.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Steve Dinning 0 Reputation points
    2026-07-21T21:56:39.9366667+00:00

    None of this works and I don't want to uninstall and re-install office 365 as many of my emails are no longer on the server, some of them were downloaded to outlook and deleted from the domain server. No one has explained why all of my office 365 apps suddenly went offline today. The auto updater gives the error "can't update at this time". The apps can't be activated either, gives error 0x0. My subscription is paid up through next year. I'm running OS 14.8 on an M3 Max macbook pro.

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