Microsoft Auto Update Turn Off Mac: Step-by-Step Guide

If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated by those constant Microsoft AutoUpdate notifications on your Mac, you’re not alone. We know how these pop-ups can disrupt your workflow and slow down your productivity.

Turning off Microsoft AutoUpdate on your Mac is simple: Open an Office app, go to the Help menu, select Check for Updates, and uncheck the auto-update option. This straightforward action can save you from annoying interruptions and keep your focus intact.

Let’s be honest, we all love improvements and new features, but sometimes, bugs and frequent updates can be more of a hindrance than a help. By disabling auto-updates, we’ll have control over when and how updates happen, ensuring they occur at a convenient time for us.

How To Turn Off Microsoft Auto Update On Mac

Turning off Microsoft AutoUpdate on a Mac is easy. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

First, open any Microsoft Office application like Word or Excel.

Next, click on Help in the menu bar and select Check for Updates.

A window will pop up. In this window, click on the Preferences tab.

Find the option that says Automatically keep Microsoft Apps up to date and uncheck it.

Another method is through the Microsoft AutoUpdate app:

• Go to the Applications folder.
• Find Microsoft AutoUpdate and double-click it.
• Click on Preferences in the menu bar.
• Uncheck the box next to Automatically keep Microsoft Apps up to date.

Sometimes, it feels like these updates have a mind of their own.

Yet, turning them off gives us back control, so those pesky update notifications don’t disrupt our flow.

Stay in charge, and happy typing!

Configuring Microsoft Office Settings

Let’s look at how to access Microsoft AutoUpdate on your Mac and turn off automatic updates for various Office apps.

Accessing Microsoft AutoUpdate

First, we need to find and open Microsoft AutoUpdate. It’s quite simple:

1. Open your Applications folder. Find Microsoft AutoUpdate and double-click on it to open.
2. In the menu bar, click Microsoft AutoUpdate and select Preferences.
3. You can also launch it by opening any Office app (like Word or Excel), clicking Help, and then Check for Updates.

Using these methods, you’ll access the settings needed to manage updates for Office apps.

Disabling Automatic Updates

Now, let’s disable those pesky automatic updates.

1. In the Preferences tab, find the option to automatically download and install updates.
2. Uncheck this box. You’ll see a prompt asking if you’re sure. Click Yes.

Alternatively, you can edit update settings using the com.microsoft.update.agent.plist file. IT admins might go a bit deeper with this, especially using command-line tools like msupdate.

By doing this, we can avoid unexpected interruptions when using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Office apps. It gives us more control over when updates happen, so they don’t catch us by surprise.

In these steps and options, we ensure that our Office apps stay functional and aren’t automatically updated at inconvenient times.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Let’s tackle some typical problems folks encounter when turning off Microsoft AutoUpdate on a Mac. These tips will help you solve issues like restarting the update service or reinstalling Microsoft Office.

Restarting The Update Service

Sometimes, a simple restart of the Microsoft AutoUpdate service can fix many issues. Here’s how we do it:

1. Open the Terminal app from the Applications folder or use Finder.
2. Type in the following command and hit Enter:

   sudo launchctl stop com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper
   

3. Now, restart it with this command:

   sudo launchctl start com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper
   

This should stop and start the update service, hopefully resolving any hiccups. For persistent issues, make sure that all notifications and badges for Microsoft AutoUpdate are turned off in System Preferences.

Reinstalling Microsoft Office

If restarting didn’t help, reinstalling Microsoft Office often clears up more stubborn problems:

1. Delete Office Applications: Open the Applications folder and drag all Office apps to the Trash. Don’t forget to empty the Trash!
2. Manually Remove Office Files: Use Finder to look for:
   • ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.*
   • ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office
3. Reinstall Office: Download Microsoft Office from the official site or using your existing installation files, and follow the installation prompts.

This should refresh all settings and resolve any lingering issues. If problems persist, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support or checking for system updates that might affect app behavior.

Ignoring these steps might leave lingering files that interfere with the reinstall, so it’s crucial to be thorough. Happy troubleshooting! 🛠️

Advanced Settings And Options

We will explore ways to customize update preferences and manage bandwidth usage for Microsoft AutoUpdate on a Mac. These tweaks help keep our systems efficient and in tune with our personal needs.

Customizing Update Preferences

Customizing update preferences allows us to better control how Microsoft AutoUpdate operates on our Macs. First, let’s open the Microsoft AutoUpdate app from the Applications folder.

In the menu bar, click Microsoft AutoUpdate and then Preferences.

Here, we have the option to disable automatic updates by unchecking Automatically keep Microsoft Apps up to date.

Furthermore, for those who prefer tinkering with the system files, editing the com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper.plist file in ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ offers another layer of control.

For example:

This step requires caution, as improper edits can cause unexpected behavior.

Managing Bandwidth Usage

Managing bandwidth usage can be crucial, especially if we’re dealing with limited internet resources or several devices. Microsoft AutoUpdate allows us to tweak settings to mitigate its bandwidth consumption.

First, open Microsoft AutoUpdate again via the Applications folder. Go to the Preferences tab.

Here, you’ll find options to:

These settings ensure our internet speed remains optimal while updates are running.

By using these advanced options, we can customize Microsoft AutoUpdate to better suit our needs without hogging bandwidth or interrupting our workflow.