Troubleshoot update and configuration issues for Office 365

Article
07/22/2014

Applies to: Project Server 2013

This article helps you troubleshoot issues you encounter when running the Microsoft Office 365 desktop setup tool that configures your computer to work with Microsoft Office 365.

To run Office 365 desktop setup, on the Office 365 portal, on the Admin page, under Resources in the right pane, click Downloads. Once at the Downloads page, under Set up and configure your Office desktop apps, click Set up.

For general troubleshooting tips, see Video: Troubleshooting Office 365 Desktop Setup.

Get help with these errors or issues

You have a connection to the Internet, but the updates are not downloading
You do not have a compatible desktop program or operating system
You stopped the installation before it could finish
During the installation, you lost connection to the Internet
An update could not be installed because another required updated failed
You do not have enough space on your hard disk
One of the service updates is not compatible with your version of Windows
Your computer requires an update to the Windows Installer service
You do not have the Windows Update Agent installed on Windows XP
You receive error messages that say you cannot log on to the Microsoft Update service
Configuration of Microsoft Outlook fails while Outlook is running
Your account does not have the necessary permissions to complete desktop setup
You tried to create a log, but were unable to do so
Issues that may prevent client programs from being configured correctly by Office 365 Desktop Setup
Error message when you run Office 365 Desktop Setup: "Application configuration incomplete"

You have a connection to the Internet, but the updates are not downloading

Office 365 desktop setup uses the Windows Installer service to download installation packages (also known as MSI files) for installing updates. Office 365 desktop setup may fail to download future patches and updates if the Automatically Detect Settings option is not selected in your Internet Explorer settings.

To enable automatic setting detection

In your browser, click Tools, and then click Internet options.
In the Internet Options dialog box, click the Connections tab, and then click LAN settings.
In the Local Area Network (LAN) Settings dialog box, select the Automatically detect settings check box, and then click OK.

If you continue to experience problems with updates not downloading, you may need to update your proxy server address. To do this, in the Local Area Network (LAN) Settings dialog box, under Proxy server, select Use a proxy server for your LAN, and then write in a valid proxy server address (you can get this from your administrator).

Note

If you are not using Internet Explorer as your browser, refer to your browser’s help documentation to download MSI files.

You do not have a compatible desktop program or operating system

If you receive an error message that says you are not running the correct version of a specific desktop application or Windows operating system, then you need to upgrade to the required version. See Software requirements for Office 365 for more information about which Microsoft Office desktop applications and operating systems work with Office 365.

You stopped the installation before it could finish

If you stop the installation process before it completes, only some of the required updates may be installed. In this case, we recommend that you run Office 365 desktop setup again to finish installing any remaining updates that are required to connect to and use Office 365.

You can run Office 365 desktop setup from the Downloads page. To access the Downloads page, do one of the following:

Sign in to the Office 365 portal, navigate to your home page, and then, at the end of step 1, Set up your computer to work with Microsoft Office 365, click Set up now.
Click the Downloads link at the bottom of the Resources section on the right hand side of the page.

During the installation, you lost connection to the Internet

If your computer loses connection to the Internet during the installation process, you can run Office 365 desktop setup again after you regain a connection. For more information on running Office 365 desktop setup, see Set up your desktop for Office 365.

An update could not be installed because another required update failed

Some of the updates are required prerequisites for other updates. If a prerequisite update fails to install, any dependent updates will also fail during the installation process. To fix this issue, we recommend that you run the update and configuration tool again. For more information on running Office 365 desktop setup, see Set up your desktop for Office 365. Alternatively, if you would rather install the remaining updates manually, see Manually update and configure desktops for Office 365.

You do not have enough space on your hard disk

Before Office 365 desktop setup installs the updates that you need, it checks to see if your hard disk has enough space to complete the installation process. If your hard disk does not have enough space, you must free some space before you can continue with the installation process.

If you are using Windows, you can run the Disk Cleanup tool. Disk Cleanup removes temporary files, empties the Recycle Bin, and removes a variety of system files and other items that you no longer need. You can choose to delete some or all of the files.

To run the Disk Cleanup tool

Click Start, and then in the Search programs and files box, type cleanmgr, and then press ENTER.

After you have created additional space on your hard disk, run Office 365 desktop setup again.

One of the service updates is not compatible with your version of Windows

If you receive an error message that says an update is not compatible with your version of Windows, you should upgrade to one of the versions that is compatible with Office 365. See Software requirements for Office 365 for a list of supported operating systems.

Your computer requires an update to the Windows Installer service

The Windows Installer service is a required component to run Office 365 desktop setup. You must be running the latest version of the service to complete these installations. If you do not have the latest version of the Windows Installer service, you can download the latest version from the Microsoft Download Center.

If you continue to receive an error message, contact your system administrator for assistance.

You do not have the Windows Update Agent installed on Windows XP

If you are running Windows XP and do not have the Windows Update Agent installed on your computer, some updates will not be installed. To install these updates, install the Windows Update Agent by going to Microsoft Update. When prompted, follow the instructions in the Information bar in Internet Explorer to install the Windows Update ActiveX control.

You receive error messages that say you cannot log on to the Microsoft Update service

To download and install some updates, Office 365 desktop setup needs to connect to the Microsoft Update service. However, in some networks, access to sites and services that are outside of your company’s firewall are blocked by the system administrator. If you cannot access the Microsoft Update service, you will need to contact your system administrator for assistance.

If you do have permissions to install updates from the Microsoft Update service, but still receive this error message, check your Internet connection, and then run the Office 365 desktop setup again.

Configuration of Microsoft Outlook fails while Outlook is running

If Outlook is running while Office 365 desktop setup is attempting to configure Outlook, then the configuration will fail. To correct this issue, close Outlook and run Office 365 desktop setup again.

Your account does not have the necessary permissions to complete desktop setup

If you receive a message that says that an administrator is required to install updates for your computer, then your user account does not have the necessary permissions to complete desktop setup. Because the updates must be installed before Office 365 desktop setup can configure your desktop applications, you must contact your system administrator for assistance. Once the updates have been installed, you can sign in to your account and run Office 365 desktop setup to configure your desktop applications.

You tried to create a log, but were unable to do so

If you tried to create a log, but were unable to do so because an error occurred, contact your system administrator for assistance.