Microsoft Excel Problems (Office 2019)

[Dave Ford]

This is my first post so please be gentle with me!

Has anyone experienced problems with Excel not starting with the error message “You can’t open the application Microsoft Excel because it may be damaged or incomplete”. I have uninstalled microsoft office and reinstalled it, still the problem exists. I have tried to reload from Time Machine without success and after 3 hours on a call with Microsoft support their final suggestion was to upgrade to Catalina. Since my machine is vintage (2011) it is not supported. The support guys did delete files in the Container directories without success. Is my only option to think about trading up to a newer machine??

Operating System High Sierra 10.13.6

Any advice would be appreciated,

Thanks

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

I have seen this issue in the past, especially with Microsoft Office applications.

What is your Excel version, 16.36?

There is a fix that works for a lot of people. However, it is not something that most people should attempt if they aren't comfortable. In addition, System Integrity Protection (SIP) in High Sierra can cause some issues that require other more involved steps.

As always, it is strongly recommended to have a current Time Machine or other backup of your data before proceeding with any troubleshooting steps like these. Here is a link to a possible resolution, but read through it first:

[Fixed] macOS Error – You can’t open the application because it may be damaged or incomplete

I cannot guarantee it will work, and it could cause additional issues as I mentioned.

Let us know if you have any additional questions,

C

 

[Dave Ford]

Thanks Cory I have called in expert help to get this sorted as it is beyond my expertise.
Thanks for your reply

 

[Cory Cooper]

No worries.

Might be a good move, since it can be a it tricky.

Please let us know how it goes,

C

 

[Dave Ford]

Thanks Cory
Although I am new to the forum I have really appreciated your help during these difficult times.
Thank you.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Not a problem at all...I know how hard it is currently to get support.

Be well,

C