Upgraded my wife's MacBook to OS Catalina. Now Word doesn't work. Also tried to download Pages as an alternative to Word, but this too won't download to Catalina.
Pretty frustrated. Not what I have come t expect of Apple...
Apple is not Microsoft. Contact Microsoft for support with Microsoft products:
Contact a third-party vendor - Apple Support
Apple is not Microsoft. Contact Microsoft for support with Microsoft products:
Contact a third-party vendor - Apple Support
Please see: 32-bit app compatibility with macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 and later - Apple Support
That fact that it doesn't work after updating says you have Office 2011 or older, or an un-updated copy of Office 2016.
Whether you can install a new copy of Office depends in the SUB-MODEL of the Macbook Pro. Microsoft's current policy is to support only the current and previous two versions of macOS. Today that is Ventura, Monterey, and Big Sur. On Sept 26, that becomes Somona, Ventura, and Monterey.
Find you Macbook Pro SUB-MODEL by doing "About this Mac..." for your Apple menu. Looks like this ::
These articles show Mac sub-models that can run Big Sur, Monterey, and Ventura:
macOS Big Sur is compatible with these computers - Apple Support
macOS Monterey is compatible with these computers - Apple Support
macOS Ventura is compatible with these computers - Apple Support
To run Sonoma, your Macbook Pro's sub-model must be on this list:
Back in 2012 we had to "accept" the bundled apps included with the purchase of a new Mac. If you did not do that back then the opportunity is gone since the only publicly available App Store version requires Ventura or later.
Maybe you could ask Apple if they could please provide a download code for an earlier version that would be compatible with your Mac. Start here: Official Apple Support. The worst they could say is no, but be sure to use those exact words: "download code". They may or may not know what you're talking about, but it's something I know they were able to do in what is now the distant past.
Pages should already be installed on your Mac. In the Mac App store, it should simply have a button that says "Open" rather than "Get".
Catalina is the first MacOS that enforces "all Apps must be 64-bit apps". You did not send Microsoft enough money to get the 64-bit version as well.
That's the problem. My wife's computer is a mid 2012 model MacBook. This model cannot run MacOS later than Catalina, but Word seems to need a later OS. This also seems to be the case with Pages. Pages was not pre-installed and when I try to install it I also get a message saying it can only be installed with a MacOS that is newer than Catalina. This seems to be a totally insane position. Word and Pages now need an OS that isn't compatible with this MacBook model, although Word did work on the older OS before upgrading to Catalina.
There must surely be a solution other than buying a brand new Mac, but I cannot seem to find it.
If you have old Office keys, here are old Office kits:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/update-history-office-for-mac
One of the three most recent macOS versions is a fairly typical app requirement.
There must surely be a solution other than buying a brand new Mac, but I cannot seem to find it.
If you are unsuccessful in obtaining a Pages version compatible with her Mac, consider using any number of alternatives to Microsoft's never-ending quest to extract your money for the continued privilege of using their bloatware.
For example LibreOffice is free / donationware and is well supported: https://www.libreoffice.org/
There are other, equally good or better alternatives, free or nearly so, but as long as you continue to want Microsoft they will continue to hold you hostage.
See your other post on the same subject.
I did, Didn't get anywhere other than the suggestion that Word needs a higher MacOS than Catalina. Unfortunately Catalina is the highest MacOS that is compatible with my [2012] Mac.
Pages was not pre-loaded on the computer.
Do you mean that I can get a 64 bit version of Word? Not an answer that Microsoft have suggested though.
Problem resolved. Very helpful msn community support was able to direct me to the right download that works on Catalina and Word is now working.
Why doesn't Word work on MacOS Catalina?
