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Forced update to Office 365 form Mac Office 2008, no longer able edit files

I have had MS Office for Mac 2008 for years, and I've always installed the updates without a problem. However, today I installed an update, and now I can't even edit my own documents. It's forcing me sign in for my free month of Office 365, and then I have to pay after that? WTF? Why can't I still use my Office products and edit my docs on my mac the way I always have been able to without having to pay?
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There is new information:

All 2008 licenses are perpetual and do not expire. You can continue using Office 2008 forever as long as you or Apple don't change hardware or Mac OS in a way that breaks it.

 

To remove Office 2016 for Mac, follow these instructions:

Uninstall Office 2016 for Mac - Office Support  

Here's how you can request a refund from Microsoft:

Refunds for Microsoft purchases ... - support.microsoft.com

 

The problem was caused by a faulty version of AutoUpdate.

 

See this article

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Microsoft-AutoUpdate-for-Office-for-Mac-offers-incorrect-version-updates-a898022e-e80a-4c8d-9aa4-01cff9983037?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US

 

Were you able to restore Office 2008 and update it?

Be sure to include the version number and OS version when asking your question.

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I've seen several reports of this in the past few days. I suspect this is an attack and is not legitimate.

Office 2008 has been discontinued for years. There haven't been any updates for a long, long time. There are no recent updates. 

All 2008 licenses are perpetual and do not expire. You can continue using Office 2008 forever as long as you or Apple don't change hardware or Mac OS in a way that breaks it. So far, Apple has broken only the installer, which no longer runs in current versions of Mac OS X.

I suggest that anyone using Office 2008 turn off AutoUpdate. To do this, open Microsoft Word 2008, go to the Help menu and choose Check for Updates. This launches AutoUpdate app. Set AutoUpdate to Manual and then close AutoUpdate.

Next, make sure your suite is up to version 12.3.6 by going to the Word menu and choosing About Word. If you're not up to 12.3.6 you can download the updater here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36897

Finally, if you received the pop-up informing you that you must update, don't fall for it. You don't have to update, and I suspect they are taking you to an illegitimate site for getting Office 2106 for Mac. If you do want to update, buy Office 2016 as either a permanent license or via an Office 365 subscription (my personal recommendation because Office 2016 is nearing the end of its life) from a legitimate vendor such as Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, Walmart.com or any of thousands of other legitimate vendors. Also, check to make sure your hardware and Mac OS versions support Office 2016 before spending any money on it. See system requirements (below).

Report the scam here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/reportascam/

Office Home & Student 2016 for Mac and Office Home & Business 2016 for Mac
COMPONENT REQUIREMENT
FeatureComputer and processor A Mac computer with an Intel processor
FeatureMemory 4 GB of RAM
FeatureHard disk 6 GB of available hard disk space
HFS+ hard disk format (also known as Mac OS Extended or HFS Plus)
FeatureDisplay 1280 x 800 1280 by 800 or higher resolution monitor
FeatureOperating system Mac OS X version 10.10 or later
For the best experience, use the latest version of any operating system.
FeatureBrowser The current version of Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Chrome, or Firefox. Get more details.
FeatureOther Installation requires a connection to the Internet, a local area network (if installing over a network), or a DVD Drive.
Internet functionality requires an Internet connection. Fees may apply.
Access to files stored on a SharePoint server requires connectivity to Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 or later.
Exchange support in Outlook requires connectivity to Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 2 or later OR Office 365 for business.
Coauthoring requires SharePoint Server 2010 or a Microsoft account.
Certain online features require a Microsoft account.

Be sure to include the version number and OS version when asking your question.

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Last updated January 27, 2024 Views 3,289 Applies to: