How To Install, Reinstall and Update Office 2011

Before you Install

• Verify that you have enough free space on your drive
• Restart your computer using Safe Boot mode, then restart normally.
• Update base system files
• Repair Disk Permissions
• FAQs Update Office 2011
• Backup your Microsoft Office 2011 folder in Applications or make sure you have a copy on Time Machine or backup clone that can be used to revert if needed.
• Backup your Outlook Identity.

1. Install Office following Tips for a successful install
   1. All Microsoft applications including the hidden ones along with all your browsers need to be quit before running installers. For best results I always suggest quitting all apps.
   2. Log Out under the Apple in the Menu bar. When you Log in hold down the Shift key. This disables all login items including the hidden ones like the Microsoft Database daemon.
2. Delete duplicate fonts installed by Office 2011. See Font Management for help:

Steps to upgrade Office 2011

1. Install Office 2011 from DVD or installer. Depending on your media you will need to do the following updates. Some users will have the 14.0.0 installer while others will have 14.1.0 or later installer.
2. Update to 14.1.0
3. Restart*
4. Update to 14.2.1**
5. Restart

Notes:

* If you do not restart you could get an error "there was nothing to update" when you do the next Office update. Restarting will force the file that keeps version info to update.

**SP2 will upgrade your Outlook Identity. The Service Pact 2 (SP2) 14.2.0 updater had problems that were fixed in 14.2.1. You can skip 14.2.0 and updater directly to 14.2.1 from 14.1.0 or higher.

HOW TO Update Office

1. Update to latest updater. Two options
   1. Under Help in Menu bar in any Office app, select "Check for Updates"
   2. Select to download directly from Microsoft Downloads. Useful if you have multiple devices to update.
   3. If you do not update your Outlook Identity will not open until you update. more info
   4. Current updaters needed to update 14.0.0:
      1. 14.1.0 SP1
      2. 14.2.1 SP2

REINSTALL OFFICE

1. Remove Office
   1. Download and run this script to remove Office 2011 (this will remove older versions of Office too) The script does not remove preferences nor your Identity.
   2. Optional: drag the Microsoft Office 2011 folder in Applications to trash and delete.
   3. If you want to remove all preferences, delete all the com.microsoft.plist files and the Microsoft folder in your User's Library/Preferences.
   4. If you want to remove your normal file, it's located in the User's Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office folder

Update

If you have downloaded the updater from Microsoft Downloads

1. Download updater.
2. Log out of your User under the Apple in the Menu bar.
3. Hold down the Shift key when logging in. This disables all login items including the hidden ones.
4. Select the updater and install.
5. RESTART

If you want to use the Microsoft Autoupdater (MAU), follow these steps:

1. Open any Office application and select "Check for Updates" under Help in the Menu bar. Once MAU is launched, select "Keep in Dock"
2. Log out/in as described above.
3. Select the MAU in the Dock and download the updater.
4. After it downloads, quit the MAU then install.
5. RESTART

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VERIFY FREE SPACE

To check how much free space is available on your startup disk:

Use Activity Monitor located in Applications/Utilities. Select the Disk Usage tab. Compare the Space Free to the Total size. More info

SAFE BOOT MODE

Hold down the Shift key when booting your computer. You can let go of the Shift key when you see Safe Boot and a progress bar. When booting into safe boot mode it forces your computer to run various maintenance tasks. this can clear issues and help with the upgrade process. More info

UPDATE BASE SYSTEM FILES

Download and run the latest combo. Running the combo updater overwrites potentially problem-causing files. Combo updaters will install on the same version as they're applying--no need to roll back or do a clean install. The Combo updates contain all incremental updates and will update files that could have become corrupted.

Download links

REPAIR DISK PERMISSIONS:

Open Disk Utility (/Applications/Utilities), select your hard disk volume in the left pane, click the First Aid tab, then click Repair Disk Permissions.