Fix Office Apps Crashing After macOS Big Sur Upgrade
Question details
The user is unable to open any Office applications because they crash immediately upon launch after upgrading their Mac operating system.
- Product
- Microsoft Office for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS Big Sur 11.0.1
- Scenario
- Attempting to launch and use Office applications after completing a major system update to macOS Big Sur.
- Observed behavior
- All Office applications crash continuously on startup. Basic troubleshooting steps like reinstalling the Office suite, booting into Mac Safe Mode, and creating a new user profile fail to resolve the issue.
Before attempting disk repairs or OS reinstallation, ensure you have backed up your Mac using Time Machine to prevent any accidental data loss.
Run First Aid in Disk Utility
Use the built-in macOS Disk Utility to scan and repair potential file-system and disk access errors caused by the Big Sur update.
Major operating system upgrades can sometimes corrupt file permissions or cause underlying disk access issues. Running First Aid will systematically check the volume for errors and repair the directory structure, which often resolves app crash loops.
Open Finder, go to the 'Applications' folder, scroll down to the 'Utilities' folder, and double-click on 'Disk Utility'.
In the left sidebar of the Disk Utility window, select your main startup volume (typically named 'Macintosh HD').
Click the 'First Aid' button located at the top toolbar, then click 'Run' on the pop-up dialog to confirm. Wait for the process to complete, then restart your Mac and try opening Office again.
Reinstall macOS Big Sur from Recovery
If disk repair does not fix the crashes, reinstalling the macOS system files can resolve deeper operating system corruption.
Try WPS Office for Mac as a Stable Alternative
If Microsoft Office applications continue to crash on macOS Big Sur, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and stable environment for processing your documents without the hassle of recurring crashes.
- 1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS website and download the macOS version of WPS Office.
- 2. Install on Your Mac: Open the downloaded .dmg file and drag the WPS Office icon into your Applications folder.
- 3. Open and Edit Safely: Launch WPS Office from Launchpad or Finder, sign in, and immediately open your existing Microsoft Office files without formatting loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Microsoft Office apps crash after updating to macOS Big Sur?
A major OS upgrade like macOS Big Sur can alter disk access permissions, corrupt system caches, or create file-system irregularities. Office apps often crash on startup if they fail to read the directory paths required to launch.
Will running First Aid in Disk Utility delete my documents?
No, running First Aid only checks for and repairs errors in disk formatting and directory structures. It does not erase or modify your personal files, documents, or photos.
Does creating a new Mac user account fix the Office crashing issue?
For this specific macOS Big Sur upgrade issue, creating a new user account or booting into Safe Mode typically does not resolve the crashes, as the problem stems from deeper file-system access errors that affect all users.
Do I need to uninstall Office before running Disk Utility?
No, you do not need to uninstall the applications. Simply make sure all Office applications are closed (or force quit if they are frozen) before opening Disk Utility to run the repair.
