Office for Mac Issues

Fix OneDrive Stuck on Loading Services in Office for Mac

Guest Writer Oct 12, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is unable to save, share, or upload documents to OneDrive from Office applications on a Mac because the software remains stuck on a 'Loading services' screen after signing in.

How to Fix OneDrive Stuck on 'Loading Services' in Office for Mac

Product: Office for Mac (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Device & OS: MacBook Air
Scenario: Attempting to save files directly to a school OneDrive account from within the desktop Office applications.
Observed behavior: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint hang indefinitely on 'Loading services', and subsequent save attempts result in an 'Upload failed' error.

Before you start

Verify that your Mac is connected to a stable internet network and test if you can successfully log into the OneDrive website via your browser to rule out a temporary Microsoft server outage.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the Office License Removal Tool

Clearing corrupted or outdated license files is the most effective way to resolve persistent authentication loops and 'Loading services' bugs in Office for Mac.

Often, simply signing out is not enough if the underlying license files stored on your Mac are corrupted. Microsoft provides a dedicated tool to completely wipe these local activation states.

Download the removal tool

Download the official Microsoft Office License Removal Tool from the Microsoft Support website.

Run the utility

Open the downloaded .pkg file and follow the on-screen prompts to clear the existing Office license files from your MacBook Air.

Restart and reactivate

Restart your Mac. Open Word or Excel, click 'Sign In', and enter your school account credentials to generate a fresh connection to OneDrive.

Data Safety: Running the license removal tool will not delete any of your documents or personal files. It only resets the application's activation state.

Solution 2

Sign Out and Reconnect Your Account

Manually forcing a session refresh can sometimes clear temporary sync glitches without requiring additional downloads.

Solution 3

Verify License and Upload Manually

Confirming your Microsoft 365 subscription status ensures your account is actually permitted to use desktop apps, while manually uploading files works as an immediate workaround.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Switch to WPS Office for a Bug-Free Mac Experience

If Microsoft Office continues to hang on 'Loading services' or fails to sync with OneDrive, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a highly compatible, free, and lightweight alternative with seamless local and cloud saving capabilities, ensuring you never lose your progress to sync errors.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the macOS version for free.
2. Open your files directly: Double-click your existing Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents to open them instantly in WPS Office.
3. Save securely: Save your work locally to your Mac or utilize WPS Cloud for stable, fast synchronization.

Completely free to use with a fast, lightweight installation for macOS.Seamless compatibility with Microsoft Office formats, including .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx.Familiar user interface ensuring easy migration without a steep learning curve.Reliable built-in WPS Cloud storage alternative, completely bypassing OneDrive upload failures.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Office for Mac stuck on 'Loading services'?

This commonly occurs when the authentication token for your Microsoft or school account expires, corrupts, or encounters a network block, preventing the application from connecting properly to Microsoft's OneDrive servers.

How do I know if my school account includes a desktop Office license?

You can verify this by logging into portal.office.com using your school credentials. Navigate to your account settings and click on 'Subscriptions'. You should see 'The latest desktop version of Office' listed if you are licensed.

Will using the Office license removal tool delete my documents?

No. The license removal tool only targets hidden activation tokens and temporary configuration files. Your personal documents, spreadsheets, and presentations saved on your Mac or in the cloud will remain completely unaffected.

What should I do if the OneDrive website also shows an upload failure?

If both the desktop app and the website fail to upload files, your school's IT administrator may have restricted your OneDrive storage limit or access, or there may be a widespread Microsoft server outage.

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