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How to Stop Microsoft Office 2021 Installation and Reinstall It
Question details
The user needs to abort an ongoing or frozen background installation of Microsoft Office 2021 and perform a clean reinstallation.
- Product
- Microsoft Office 2021 Professional
- Device & OS
- Windows 10
- Scenario
- The installation process is stuck in the background and needs to be canceled so the user can start over.
- Observed behavior
- Microsoft Office background installation is hanging or progressing endlessly, preventing a successful setup or standard uninstallation.
Ensure you have your Microsoft account login details or your Office 2021 product key ready, as you will need to sign in to redownload and activate the software after removing the stuck installation.
Use the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant
This is the most effective method to completely halt a stuck background installation and wipe corrupted setup files before reinstalling.
When an Office installation hangs in the background, simply restarting the computer may not clear the corrupted temporary files. Using Microsoft's official uninstall support tool ensures all fragmented files are removed.
Visit the official Microsoft Support website and download the Office Uninstall Support Tool (SetupProd_OffScrub.exe).
Launch the downloaded tool, follow the prompts to install the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant, and select 'Office 2021' from the list of products you want to remove.
Once the tool finishes wiping the incomplete installation files, you will be prompted to restart your Windows 10 computer. Click 'Restart' to apply the changes.
After rebooting, go to www.office.com, sign in with your Microsoft account, locate your Office 2021 Professional license, and click 'Install' to begin a fresh setup.
Manually Force Stop via Task Manager
Quickly kill the stuck background installation processes if you prefer not to download additional troubleshooting tools.
Skip the Installation Hassles with WPS Office
If Microsoft Office 2021 continues to freeze during installation, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, free alternative that installs in seconds without heavy background processes.
- 1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the free download button to get the lightweight installation file.
- 2. Install in Seconds: Run the installer. Unlike heavy Office setups, WPS Office installs quickly without getting stuck in background processes.
- 3. Open Your Documents: Launch WPS Office and instantly open your existing Microsoft Office files with perfect formatting preservation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Microsoft Office 2021 installation stuck in the background?
Background installations usually hang due to slow or unstable internet connections, conflicting background applications, antivirus interference, or corrupted temporary files from a previous Office installation attempt.
Will stopping the Office installation delete my existing documents?
No, stopping the installation only affects the Microsoft Office application software files. Your personal documents, spreadsheets, and presentations remain safely untouched on your hard drive.
How do I safely redownload Office 2021 after canceling the installation?
To safely redownload, sign in to your Microsoft account at office.com/setup or via your account dashboard. Navigate to 'Services & subscriptions', locate your Office 2021 Professional purchase, and click the 'Install' button.
