Uninstall & Reinstall Issues

How to Fix Office 2016 Will Not Open Files or Uninstall

Maira Mehtab Sep 27, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user is unable to open files using Microsoft Office 2016 Professional Plus, and attempting to uninstall the program from the system results in an error message.

Product: Microsoft Office 2016 Professional Plus
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to access existing documents or remove the corrupted Office software from the computer.
Observed behavior: The application fails to launch or open files, and the standard uninstallation process is interrupted by an error.

Before you start

Before proceeding, restart your computer to ensure no background Office processes are locked, and take note of the exact error code displayed when the uninstallation fails.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the Microsoft Automatic Office Uninstall Tool

Since the standard uninstallation process is failing, using Microsoft's official Support and Recovery Assistant is the safest and most effective way to forcefully remove the software.

When core program files become corrupted, Windows may block the standard uninstallation via the Control Panel. Microsoft provides a dedicated automatic uninstall tool designed to bypass these errors and completely wipe Office from your system.

Download the Official Uninstall Tool

Visit the official Microsoft Support page and download the Office automatic uninstall tool (Support and Recovery Assistant).

Install and Launch the Assistant

Double-click the downloaded executable file to install the tool, then open the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant.

Select Your Office Version

From the list of installed products detected by the tool, select Microsoft Office 2016.

Complete the Uninstallation

Follow the on-screen prompts to confirm the removal. Once the process is finished, restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Record the Error Message: If the Support and Recovery Assistant also fails, take a screenshot or write down the complete error message, as it will be necessary for advanced manual registry troubleshooting.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Switch to WPS Office for a Hassle-Free Experience

If Office 2016 continues to give you installation and file access issues, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a lightweight, reliable, and completely free alternative that seamlessly opens and edits your existing Microsoft documents.

1. Download the Installer: Visit the WPS Office website and download the free installation package.
2. Run the Setup: Double-click the installer and follow the fast, one-click setup process.
3. Open Your Files: Simply double-click your existing Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files to open them directly in WPS Office.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats, including DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX.Extremely lightweight installation that prevents system errors and uninstallation bugs.Familiar user interface so you can start working immediately without a learning curve.All-in-one suite combining Writer, Spreadsheet, Presentation, and PDF tools.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why won't Office 2016 let me uninstall it from the Control Panel?

This usually happens when essential installation files have been deleted or corrupted, conflicting background processes are running, or registry keys have become damaged, which blocks the standard Windows uninstaller from executing.

Will uninstalling Office 2016 delete my personal documents?

No. Uninstalling Microsoft Office only removes the application files and settings. All of your personal Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations remain safely stored on your hard drive.

What should I do if the automatic uninstall tool doesn't work?

If the Support and Recovery Assistant fails, you will need to manually uninstall Office. This involves stopping Office services, deleting Office folders in Program Files, and carefully removing associated registry keys using the Registry Editor.

Installation & Activation