Issues with Office on macOS Sequoia: How to Fix Them

After upgrading to macOS Sequoia, many users have reported significant issues with Office applications, particularly Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Office, a subscription-based suite of productivity tools by Microsoft, is widely used by professionals, students, and businesses for tasks ranging from document creation to data analysis and presentations.

However, since the macOS upgrade, users have encountered problems such as the applications becoming unresponsive, freezing when opening files, or outright crashing. Others report encountering the dreaded spinning wheel when attempting to open or save files, with some unable to save their work at all due to stalling or freezing. In some cases, users are met with error messages, such as: “Microsoft Excel has run out of resources while attempting to calculate one or more formulas.” These issues have made it difficult, if not impossible, for many to rely on Office for their daily tasks.

For instance, when I tried to open an important report in Word after the upgrade, the application froze completely. I watched the spinning wheel for several minutes before having to force quit the app, losing time and disrupting my workflow. This is just one of the many examples users are experiencing across Office 365 applications.

In this article, I’ll share several fixes to help resolve these issues. Start with the first solution and work your way down the list until your problem is resolved. Hopefully, one of these methods will get your Office 365 apps back to working smoothly.

We’ve previously covered steps to take if you’re unable to open an Office file on your Mac. Feel free to check that guide as well for additional troubleshooting options.

Fix 1: Restart Your Mac

Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve performance issues caused by temporary glitches or conflicts after upgrading to macOS Sequoia. Restarting clears the system cache and resets the resources, which can help fix this issue.

Steps to Restart Your Mac:

1. Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Select Restart from the drop-down menu.
3. Confirm by clicking Restart again in the dialog box that appears.

After your Mac restarts, open the Office 365 application you were having issues with and check if the problem is resolved. If the issue persists, move on to the next fix.

Fix 2: Ensure You Are Using the Latest Version of macOS Sequoia and Office 365

Outdated software can often cause compatibility issues or bugs, especially after a major system upgrade. Ensuring both macOS Sequoia and your Office 365 applications are updated to their latest versions can help resolve these problems.

Update macOS Sequoia:

1. Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Select System Settings.
3. Click General and then Software Update.
4. If an update is available, click Update Now or Upgrade Now and follow the on-screen instructions.

Update Office 365:

If you downloaded Microsoft Office apps from the Mac App Store:

1. Open the Mac App Store from your Dock or Finder.
2. Click Updates in the left-hand menu.
3. Select Update All to install all available updates, or click the Update button next to individual Office apps.

If you downloaded Microsoft 365 apps or Microsoft Office from microsoft.com:

1. Open an Office app such as Word.
2. From the top menu, select Help > Check for Updates.
3. Microsoft AutoUpdate will check for available updates and guide you through the installation process.

Note: If you have automatic updates turned on in the Mac App Store, your Microsoft 365 apps will update automatically. However, it’s always a good idea to manually check for updates to ensure you’re using the latest version.

Once both macOS and Office are updated, restart your Mac and try using Office 365 applications again. If the issue persists, proceed to the next fix.

Fix 3: Rebuild Launch Services and Restart the Dock

If updating your software doesn’t resolve the issue, rebuilding the macOS Launch Services database and restarting the Dock can help fix problems related to app functionality. This method worked for me when I was facing similar issues.

Steps to Rebuild Launch Services and Restart the Dock:

1. Open the Terminal app from your Applications folder or using Spotlight (Command + Space, then type Terminal).
2. Run the following commands one by one in Terminal. Copy and paste each command, then press Enter.

Rebuild Launch Services Database:

   /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user

Reinitialize and Reset Launch Services (requires admin privileges):

   sudo /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Support/lsregister -kill -seed -lint -r -f -v -dump -domain local -domain system -domain user -domain network

3. Restart the Dock by running the following command (note that there are other ways to restart the Dock):

   killall Dock

4. Close Terminal and check if the issues with Office 365 are resolved.

Note: The second command requires administrator privileges, so you’ll need to enter your Mac’s password when prompted.

If this fix doesn’t work, continue to the next solution.

Fix 4: Reset the Office Preferences

Corrupted preference files can sometimes cause Office apps to misbehave. Resetting them forces the apps to rebuild fresh, default configurations.

Steps to Reset Office Preferences:

1. Quit all Office apps.
2. Open Finder and press Command + Shift + G to open the “Go to Folder” dialog.
3. Type the following path and click Go:

   ~/Library/Preferences/

4. Look for files starting with com.microsoft (e.g., com.microsoft.Word.plist, com.microsoft.Excel.plist) and move them to the Trash. (if you are wondering plist files.)
5. Restart your Mac and relaunch the Office apps to see if the issue is resolved.

Fix 5: Reinstall Office

If none of the above fixes work, reinstalling Office might resolve the problem by eliminating any corrupted files or settings.

Steps to Reinstall Office:

1. Uninstall Office:
   • Open Finder and navigate to Applications.
   • Drag all Microsoft Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) to the Trash.
   • Empty the Trash. Note that Microsoft explains further steps to completely remove Office from your Mac.
2. Download and Reinstall Office:
   • Visit Microsoft’s official website or open the Mac App Store (depending on where you originally downloaded Office).
   • Download and install Office 365.
3. Sign in with your Microsoft account and verify if the issue is resolved.

Related articles:

• How to Get Rid of Verifying ‘OneDrive’ Popup
• How to Open DOCX Files on Your Mac without Microsoft Word