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Fix Microsoft 365 for Mac Excel Crashing After Restoring UBF8T346G9.Office Folder
Question details
The user needs to safely restore customizations, templates, and the PERSONAL.xlsb macro workbook from the UBF8T346G9.Office folder via Time Machine without causing Excel to crash after a Microsoft 365 reinstallation.
- Product
- Microsoft 365 for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Recovering Microsoft Office user configurations and global macros from a Time Machine backup following an app reinstallation.
- Observed behavior
- Restoring the entire UBF8T346G9.Office folder from Time Machine causes Microsoft Excel to malfunction and fail to launch properly.
Ensure all Microsoft 365 applications are completely closed and quit from the Mac menu bar to prevent file corruption or sync conflicts before modifying hidden system folders.
Selectively Restore Templates and Macros
Instead of replacing the entire UBF8T346G9.Office directory which contains complex cached data, extract only the specific customization files you need.
The UBF8T346G9.Office folder acts as a critical user-data container for Microsoft 365. Overwriting the whole folder from a backup into a fresh installation often triggers permission errors and corrupts the application state. Selectively restoring just your templates and macros is the safest approach.
Navigate to your Time Machine backup drive and open the path: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office.
Open the 'User Content.localized' folder within the backup. Copy only the 'Templates' and 'Startup' folders to your Mac's clipboard or desktop.
On your active Mac drive, navigate to ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content.localized/Startup/Excel and paste your backed up PERSONAL.xlsb file here.
Launch Microsoft Excel to ensure the application opens normally and check that your macros and custom templates are successfully loaded.
Perform a Clean Reinstall Before Restoring Data
Ensure you are migrating your saved templates and macros into a fully clean installation of Microsoft 365 rather than a potentially corrupted instance.
Try WPS Office for Mac for a Hassle-Free Experience
Dealing with complex hidden library folders, folder permissions, and reinstallations on macOS can be incredibly frustrating. WPS Office offers a lightweight, robust, and highly compatible alternative to Microsoft 365. It natively supports VBA macros, templates, and all standard Office formats in a single, intuitive Mac application—without the headache of easily corrupted settings folders.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the macOS installer.
- 2. Install and Launch: Drag the WPS Office icon to your Applications folder, then launch the app.
- 3. Open Your Spreadsheets: Directly open your existing Excel workbooks and macro files (.xlsb) to continue your work without complicated setups.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the UBF8T346G9.Office folder located on Mac?
It is located in your hidden Library folder at ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office. You can access it by opening Finder, holding the Option key, and clicking 'Go' > 'Library' in the top menu bar.
Can I backup my Mac Office settings by copying the UBF8T346G9.Office folder?
While you can back it up, restoring the entire folder directly via Time Machine can cause application malfunctions. It is much safer to backup and restore only specific subfolders, such as those containing your templates and startup macros.
Why does Excel crash after I restore my Time Machine backup?
Restoring the whole Group Containers folder may introduce permission conflicts, outdated cache files, or mismatched database files that conflict with a fresh installation of Microsoft 365, causing Excel to fail upon launch.
Where should I put my PERSONAL.xlsb file on Mac?
To make your global macros available every time Excel starts, place the PERSONAL.xlsb file in the directory: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content.localized/Startup/Excel/.
