Top 8 Ways to Fix Microsoft Office Stuck at Updating

Most Windows users rely on the Microsoft Office suite of apps to get work done. The problem occurs when the Office app gets stuck at updating and fails to open the app. Sometimes users also receive random error codes such as 0x0000142. Here’s how you can fix Microsoft Office stuck at updating issue on Windows 11.

There are many factors leading to Office stuck at updating errors. We will go through all of them and troubleshoot the problem for you.

1. Run Office Apps as an Administrator

Maybe the Office is not able to access a protected system resource after that update. You should try opening the Office app as an administrator.

Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for any of the Office app.

Step 2: Right-click on the app icon and select Run as Administrator.

run office as administrator

2. Restart Click to Run Process

This trick has worked for many out there. You need to completely stop Office operations from the Task Manager and restart the Click to Run process from the Service menu.

Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Task Manager.

Step 2: Hit Enter key and open the menu.

Step 3: Find Office from the Processes menu. Click on the End Task button at the bottom.

end office task

Step 4: Move to the Services tab.

Step 5: Scroll down to ClickToRunSvc and right-click on it.

restart clicktorun service

Select Restart and see if the issue is resolved or not. If not, move to the next method.

3. Repair Microsoft Office

Microsoft offers a built-in tool to fix Office-related issues on the PC. You can repair Microsoft Office to fix the app stuck at updating issue.

Step 1: Launch the Windows Settings app (use Windows + I keys).

Step 2: Go to Apps and open Apps & features.

open apps and features

Step 3: Scroll down to Microsoft 365. Click on the three-dot menu.

Step 4: Select Modify and open the repair dialog.

modify office

Step 5: Select Quick Repair click on the Repair button.

repair office

After Quick Repair, if you are still facing issue with Office stuck at updating, you can click on Online Repair and run the repair tool.

4. Update Office Apps Manually

If you are craving the new Microsoft 365 features, you have an option to update individual apps as well. Here’s how you can update Office apps on Windows 11.

Step 1: Open a Microsoft 365 app that you want to update.

Step 2: Click on File at the top.

open file menu

Step 3: Go to the Account menu.

update office apps

Step 4: Select Update Options and click on the Update Now option.  

update office apps

Office will start downloading the latest app updates from the web.

5. Uninstall Conflicting Microsoft 365 Version

Did you install both the 32-bit and 64-bit Office versions on your PC? That might cause an updating issue. You should remove the unnecessary Office build from the PC and try again.

Step 1: Launch Windows Settings and open the Apps menu.

Step 2: Go to Apps & features.

open apps and features

Step 3: Scroll down to Microsoft Office and click on the three-dot menu beside it.

uninstall office

Select Uninstall and follow on-screen instructions. Reboot your PC and see if the issue with Office stuck at updating is fixed or not.

6. Run System Scan

Due to corrupt files on your PC, Office might be facing app installation on Windows 11. You can run a system scan using the Command Prompt app and try again.

Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Command Prompt.

Step 2: Open the app and type sfc/scannow command.

scan windows

Press Enter and let Windows run the system-wide scan to remove corrupt files.

7. Use Fast Internet Connection

Office updates are usually large in size. You shouldn’t update Office on Windows 11 on a slow internet speed.

Make sure to have internet speeds in atleast double-digits or even better, switch to a wired internet connection and update Office apps.

8. Update Windows 11

An outdated Windows 11 might be causing the Office stuck at updating error. You can visit Windows Settings and open the Windows Update menu.

Install the latest Windows 11 build, and you won’t see Office stuck at updating error.

Get Office Up and Running in Windows 11

Microsoft Office is a vital part of our work life. The app getting stuck at updating can lead to unproductive hours. If none of the tricks are working, you need to uninstall Office on Windows 11 (see trick number 5) and install the relevant Office package from the web again.  

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Parth Shah

Parth previously worked at EOTO.tech covering tech news. He is currently freelancing at WindowsPrime, Android Police, and GuidingTech writing about apps comparisons, tutorials, software tips and tricks, and diving deep into iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows platforms.

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