Office 2016 is not working after updating to Sierra

My apologies for implying that your solution was dangerous - my point was that relying on non-microsoft patches to microsoft software in general is a very bad practice. It sidesteps all the security and code-signing protections that Apple has added to macOS in order to protect us from malware and trojans. The next guy who posts a file and says "try this, it will fix your problem" might be what the press is currently fond of calling a "state-sponsored actor", stealing passwords and information.

That it works to fix the problem isn't the issue (for the "state-sponsored actor", that would be the bait).

Your patch file is probably perfectly legit and safe, but there's simply no way for any of us to verify that without knowing you personally. And you didn't provide much information, just a link to a file-sharing site with instructions (which Apple has now removed, so people can't follow your advice even if they wanted to). It looked like you had copied and pasted it from an email, so we couldn't even be sure it was your patch. If you want people like me to trust you (maybe I'm paranoid, but I would say I'm cautious), you need to take ownership of the file - post it on your own web site, state what the patch does and whether you created or where you got it from etc. Follow open-source best practices. More information is always better.

Hi, which version of OSx do you have on your computer?

I'm running macOS Sierra 10.12.

And have Word 15.15, PowerPoint 15.13.4, and Excel 15.13.4.

I have not noticed any problems with these versions on Sierra.

In that case, reinstall Office. If that doesn't help, reinstall OS and Office. Worked in fixing many Office issues so far.

If you can, install and run EtreCheck app, it gives you many useful information about the state of your Mac. You might find out that another, unrelated app is making your Office have issues.

Good luck.

My problem is that Word 2016 in Office for Mac 2016 suddenly stopped working and would't load.

I contacted Microsoft and they came on line and re-installed Office, with the same problem occurring. They deleted office and re-installed again without success. They then said that, as it wasn't Office365, they could not offer any further support and suggested that I contact Apple.

I then read this forum and reinstalled macOS Sierra after deleting Office and, following re-installation, re-installed Office. Again, Word would not load. However, again as before, all other Office apps work OK.

I then used the same Microsoft Installation file to install Word on an old Mac Pro that I use as a NAS drive. Installation was good and Word works.

So, does anyone know how this problem can be resolved? It would seem that there is a problem with something in macOS Sierra that's causing the problem as the NAS drive is running ElCapitan.

Could be that Gatekeeper is disallowing an App that possibly Microsoft forgot to sign, or whose signature has expired...

Follow the steps in this link to find out (article mentions older os's but its the same stuff in Sierra)

They took the "Allow from Anywhere" choice out of the Sierra GUI, so use command line:

https://www.cnet.com/news/how-to-manage-os-x-gatekeeper-from-the-command-line/

I have tired the update but still shows the same error to me

roadrunnersrg

Many thanks for your response, which is appreciated. I've read the article and enabled Word through terminal and Gatekeeper. Unfortunately, Word continues to refuse to open.

Sure thing.

Is this Word 2016 v15.26 or later? If not-- run the updater.

You might also check to see if there is any file prohibiting an app in:

/Library/Managed Preferences/

It's Word 2016 Version 15.26.1691000. Strangely, I'm able to get this information from right clicking on the Word app and choosing "Quick Look Microsoft Word.app", suggesting to me that the file isn't corrupt but that something else is stopping the app to run.

I've looked in /Library/ Managed Preferences/ and there are no files in that folder.

Once again, thank you for your time and help.

The fast channel in the updater has a 15.27 now... maybe try that?

Also quite a few Office for Mac specialists (including their top coders) hang out in the Slack channel: MacAdmins/Microsoft-office

You might ask them...

I know it works on hundreds of Macs here (including Sierra) so don't give up hope....

I'm away from my machine for the next couple of days and will most certainly try your suggestions shortly. Many thanks and I won't give up!

I think the only solution to this, unfortunately, is to wait for Microsoft to fix the problem through an update. Make sure you report the problems to them directly (if you can start up any of your office apps, there's a "smiley" button for feedback - I can't find a public web page for reporting bugs).

You're not stuck while waiting.

Remember that you can use Pages and Numbers, if you have them, to open Word and Excel files. Or your can download (for free) OpenOffice or LibreOffice as a temporary replacement (assuming those don't have problems with Sierra too; I haven't tried them yet).

If you don't want to install software, and it's OK for you to use cloud-based services (check with your employer if this is for work), you can use Word and Excel on Microsoft's live.com or the Google Docs equivalents.

In a pinch, you can use TextEdit to open Word documents. It's already on every Mac, but the options above are better.

Thisara,

I have also facing this problem since I upgraded to Sierra and I realized that my office 2016 was not genuine its cracked that one of my friends install when I buy my new Macbook Pro, so I think you Office also have this issue?

Best,

Yahye

Thisara, my Office 2016 of apps are fully licensed.

Joseph, I appreciate your thoughts and alternative solutions. I have decided to download Open office as a temporary alternative.