I have two Macs IMac and Macbook pro. For no apparent reason, any of the MS Office applications on both would crash every time they were opened. It happened at the same time on both Macs. The solution I took was to erase the HD and reinstall ML.
I-Mac, Mac OS X (10.5.6)
Which version of Office do you mean. Office 2011? Office 2013 is the current Windows version.
I was in error the version is 2011.
It is very suspicious that both Macs had the same issue at the same time, but there haven't been any reported attacks on Office for Mac. Nothing since 2011, anyway. If you never applied any of Microsoft's updates, then it's possible they were both hit. Generally, the attacks are from opening infected Office documents with an install of Office 2011 that has not been updated against them.
I thought it was also strange. All the software and the OS were up to date.
Regarding the method of transmitting a virus, I have not been sent any MS documents to open.
Hmm, I'm kind of stumped then. Can't think of why both Macs would suddenly have issues with Office. Did you install any other updates just before the problem appeared? Like an OS, Java or other update?
The updates were installed at least several weeks prior to the crash. Also, I had been using the applications on a regular basis prior to the crash.
I talked with my daughter and her PC crashed in the same manner as my Macs. She was running Office 2010 on Visa as the OS.
Do you use anything that syncs your contacts in Outlook?
I've found that sometimes the stuff in the Microsoft User Data folder gets corrupted, and that completely crumps Office.
Have you tried logging into another account and trying Office? Even the Guest account would work.
I resolved the problem by erasing my HD and reinstalling from the original disk. I just find it strange that both computers would have corrupted files at the same time. Anyway, thank you for your help.
I just find it strange that both computers would have corrupted files at the same time.
That's why I asked if you had something syncing data between the two.
No. I do not sync between the computers. I do not even use the Cloud. I try to keep it simple, like the phrase KISS. Again thanks four your help.
I'm a bit late to the party, and it looks like the issue has already been solved, but I would have to say that this is extremely unlikely to be related to malware in any way. There is a Microsoft Office vulnerability that has been recently exploited in older versions of Office, but the vulnerability was patched in 2009. Office 2011 would not be susceptible. A Word macro "virus" could be a possibility, except that I've never heard of one of those crashing Word, and you say you haven't opened any documents from someone else. (Are you sure you didn't open any documents from your daughter around that time?)
I'd have to say some of the other suggestions are more likely. Syncing, updates, perhaps some other third-party software you installed that conflicts with Word, etc. Malware is almost never the "go to" answer on Macs.
No nothing from my daughter. The third Mac my wife uses is fine.
Possible virus/malicious software involving MS Office 2013
