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Fix Office 2019 Not Working After Migration to New Mac
Question details
The user's Office 2019 applications are unresponsive and unable to accept text input after transferring data to a new Apple Silicon Mac using Migration Assistant.
- Product
- Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS (Apple Silicon)
- Scenario
- Migrating data and applications from an older Mac to a new Apple Silicon Mac.
- Observed behavior
- Office applications such as Word open successfully but freeze or refuse to accept text input, even after reinstalling the software and running AutoUpdate.
Ensure you have your Microsoft account credentials ready, as you will need to sign back in and reactivate Office after performing a clean uninstallation.
Perform a Complete Clean Reinstallation of Office 2019
A standard uninstallation leaves behind corrupted preference and licensing files carried over by Migration Assistant. A complete removal is required to restore functionality.
When migrating to a new Mac, older architecture-tied licensing files, containers, and templates are often transferred alongside the app. These cached files can cause Office 2019 to freeze or reject input on Apple Silicon hardware.
Open the Applications folder on your Mac, select all Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), and drag them to the Trash.
Open Finder, press Command+Shift+G, and type '~/Library/Containers'. Locate and move all folders starting with 'com.microsoft' to the Trash.
Press Command+Shift+G again and type '~/Library/Group Containers'. Move the folders named 'UBF8T346G9.ms', 'UBF8T346G9.Office', and 'UBF8T346G9.OfficeOsfWebHost' to the Trash.
Download and run the official Microsoft License Removal Tool for Mac to completely clear old licensing tokens from the migrated system.
Restart your Mac, download the final supported build of Office 2019 for Mac from your Microsoft account, and install it.
Isolate User Profile and Add-in Conflicts
If a clean installation does not resolve the issue, corrupted global templates or incompatible third-party add-ins might be causing Word to malfunction.
Try WPS Office as a Modern Alternative for Apple Silicon Macs
Since Office 2019 is no longer supported and can face hardware compatibility issues on newer macOS systems, switching to WPS Office provides a hassle-free, native experience. Enjoy high performance without the heavy subscription fees of Microsoft 365.
- 1. Download WPS Office for Mac: Visit the official WPS website and download the native macOS installer package.
- 2. Install the Application: Open the downloaded .dmg file and drag the WPS Office icon into your Applications folder.
- 3. Open and Edit Files: Launch WPS Office and instantly open your existing Office files with perfect formatting preservation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Migration Assistant break my Office 2019 installation?
Migration Assistant copies over system-specific preference files, cached data, and hardware-tied licensing tokens from your old Mac. These legacy files often conflict with the architecture of newer Apple Silicon Macs, causing apps to freeze or reject input.
Is Office 2019 fully compatible with Apple Silicon Macs?
While the final builds of Office 2019 offered basic compatibility via Rosetta, the software has reached its end of support. It no longer receives optimization updates or bug fixes for the newest macOS versions and hardware.
How can I safely test Word without add-ins on my Mac?
You can temporarily bypass add-ins and custom settings by starting your Mac in Safe Mode, or by creating a brand-new user account in macOS System Settings and launching Word from the new profile.
