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Feeling frustrated by Office 365 installation errors? Discover the simple fix you might be missing.

By: Author Alex Lim

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Categories Microsoft

Home » Microsoft » Feeling frustrated by Office 365 installation errors? Discover the simple fix you might be missing.

Is a devastating Office 365 update breaking Word on your Server 2016? Here’s the essential guide to get it working again.

Sometimes, you might have trouble with Microsoft Office 365. This can happen when you try to install it or when it tries to update. Let’s look at two problems some people have faced and how they were fixed.

Fixing Installation Errors

One person found that they could not fix, remove, or even update their Office 365. When they tried, an error message would appear. This happened on a computer that was otherwise working perfectly fine.

The problem was a simple one. Some files in the Office installation folder had the wrong settings. They were set to “write-protected,” which means they could not be changed.

  • The Cause: Incorrect permissions on files within the Office 365 installation directory.
  • The Solution: A log file helped to find the problem files. By changing the settings (permissions) on these files, the installer was able to work correctly again.

Update Issues on Windows Server 2016

Another person had a different issue on their Windows Server 2016 computer. After an Office 365 update, the program Word would not open. An error message would pop up saying “Entry Point Not Found.”

This error message pointed to a specific file, wwlib.dll, and a missing part called “SetThreadDescription.” This usually means a file is broken or not compatible.

To make sure it wasn’t a problem with his server, the person set up a brand new, clean Windows Server 2016. He installed all the latest Windows updates and then installed Office 365. The same error happened again with the newest Office version.

  • The Cause: A specific Office 365 update (version 16.0.19328.20158) appears to be broken or incompatible with Windows Server 2016.
  • The Solution: The quickest way to fix this is to go back to an older version of Office 365. Going back to version 16.0.19231.20216 made Word work again right away. This suggests the problem is with the newer update package from Microsoft. Others online have confirmed that this solution works.