Cannot save existing excel or word files on my Mac

Thank you for sharing the screenshot.

Please try this:

• Close all Office apps.
• Open Finder > Applications.
• Move Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel to the Trash.
• Restart the Mac.
• Reinstall Office 2021 from: https://account.microsoft.com/services

Do not remove the Outlook or Library folders for now.

After reinstalling, open Word first. If it opens but still shows the 0x0 activation error, the next step is to remove the Office license files and reactivate Office 2021.

• Here are the steps: https://support.microsoft.com/microsoft-365-activation-licensing/how-to-remove-office-license-files-on-a-mac

Then, to reinstall Microsoft Office:

• Go to https://account.microsoft.com/services
• Sign in using the same Microsoft account linked to your license.
• Find your Microsoft Office 2021 and click the "Install".
• That will download the installer for the Office apps, just run it and follow the steps.

Let me know how it goes.

Thanks!

In Word, click Word on the main menu bar and then click About Microsoft Word. Which version is listed there? Do you still see 16.78.3 after having tried to update?

Did you try to explicitly install 16.83 via https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/update-history-office-for-mac ?

I installed newer versions and now I can't even open excel or word. I'm getting the below with word and similar with excel.

Does anyone have a phone number where I can speak to a real person from Microsoft to help. I've called the 800 number and it tells you to got support online and then disconnects.

Getting desperate.

Thanks for the screenshots.

The 0x0 error is a known Microsoft Office for Mac activation issue, and it also affects Office 2021. Your current version, 16.78.3, is below the minimum Office version 16.83 required to resolve this.

You do not need to purchase Microsoft 365 or upgrade to Office 2024. You just need to update your existing Office 2021 installation. Office 2021 can still receive the current Office for Mac updates.

Please close all Office apps, then open Finder > Applications > Microsoft AutoUpdate. If you do not see it there, check:

/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/MAU2.0/

Open Microsoft AutoUpdate and choose Update or Update All for Word, Excel, and the other Office apps.

Microsoft also has a specific support article for the 0x0 error here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/support/known-issues/unknown-error-0x0-license-not-found-error-microsoft365-macos

Hold off on removing the license files for now, since Microsoft lists updating Office as the fix for this particular error.

If Microsoft AutoUpdate only gives you an Upgrade option and no Update option, can you share a screenshot of that window? That will help determine the next step.

Thanks!

I reinstalled office still have the same issue. Still have the bar on top - see below image. When I click on check for updates it wants me to upgrade. When I click on the Activate I get the below error message.

kindly help