how can I quit Microsoft Database Daemon & SyncServicesAgent so that I can update Microsoft word?

admittedly, i don't know much about any of this, but even as i opened the activity monitor (excellent advice, thank you) and found the daemon thing and that syncservices thing, i was really skeptical that they would actually just quit when told to do so. Sure enough, they popped right back up again, like Glenn Close in the bathtub.

However, when i selected the FORCE QUIT option, they went away and the update re-started itself immediately.

That was the right solution. Just force quit them and immediately start the install.

Sadly, not the same thing works for everyone. This thread has been really useful...but I still can't upgrade. Online or not makes no difference, force quit or not, the beastly things are back in seconds. There's still something running from Office, I guess - but what it is, or how to identify it, I don't know. I've installed Office in ordeer to use Word and Powerpoint - I don't use any of the other minor stuff or even Outlook, being quite happy with Apple's apps, but that doesn't mean that the little tinkers aren't running somewhere...

Still, it's distracting me from work, so that's a plus.

Finally, for me at least, I have an answer that works; as suggested by Microsoft, I have the Activity Monitor open and running while I run the update install. When it tells me that it's run into a problem, I flick to the Activity monitor window and force quit the SyncServicesAgent. Install then works.

Of course, nothing works for everyone - and it probably won't work for me the next time!

Actually, going offline worked for me as well. I tried turning off all microsoft applications. I would then open acitvity monitor and as soon as I would force quit any of the sync services etc they would pop back up. The minute I read this and went offline it worked like a charm. THANK YOU JamjarPW!

Hey JamJarPW! Pay no attention to the one nay sayer. Wasted energy. I want to thank you for sharing what you did to solve this problem. I too tried all that other stuff and nothing worked, and yes, I was pulling my hair out! Don't know why or how, but that doesn't matter. It worked to go offline. And I did not even have to force quit anything. A BIG BIIIIIIGGGGG THANK YOU JamjarPW!!!!

IanC-M: I too found that they came back in seconds even off line. BUT....the thing installed anyway. So it didn't matter. (Just to clarify a little how it worked for me).

@ Csound1: I have had the same experience as JamJarPW: Close all Microsoft Office and Sync Service related processes, force quit the processes indicated by the update installation, and the process SyncServicesAgent starts back instantly and the update installation fails. I am an IT admin of 20+ years and know how to identifyand stop processes related to a given software package. This is an existing issue for some OS X & Office for Mac users. Do you find it impossible to believe others experience something outside of your experience? Life must be difficult for you that way, always trying to make everything fit into your tiny framework of known experience.

As you have failed to identify which of the potential 5 (7 if exchange is involved) background services Outlook runs I can only assume that you forgot one.

I stop them all and going offline is never needed.

I also have an extremely low opinion of Vendors who's update utilities are not properly compatible with the program that they update. Outlook is junk and has long been that way.

Clear now?

As for my life? you are not competent to comment, instead you should continue to resurrect months old threads and illuminate them with your wisdom

I was having the exact same problem as JamjarPW. The only solution that worked (and I have been waiting MONTHS to update Microsoft Office) was to unplug my modem. When a suggestion is offered, it must be left to the individual to attempt to use it. When it works, it works.

You know what they say about assuming.

william@ wrote:

You know what they say about assuming.

No, why not enlighten us?

I have had the problem allmost since i bought my iMac 3 years ago.

Now I have just followed the advice in the link JamjarPW gave:

1) Begin the update for Microsoft Office 2011

2) Open "Activity Monitor" (Go --> Utilities, or search in Spotlight)

3) Find "SyncServicesAgent" and highlight, and "Quit Process" with the stop-sign.

4) Quickly press "Continue" or "Retry" on the updater / installer before the process begins itself again.

I worked on my iMac, just great. Thanks for the advice

This worked for me, after several tries and having to force quite. Now my Outlook will not sync. Is there something I need to do to turn these services back on???

Restart your Mac. Then restart Outlook.