Keeping Microsoft Office updated is important if you regularly use applications like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. Microsoft regularly releases updates to improve application performance, fix known bugs, address security vulnerabilities, and introduce new features. However, if you don’t install these updates regularly, you might miss important improvements or continue experiencing issues that have already been fixed in a newer version.
The good news is that you don’t have to check for updates manually every time you open an Office application. Microsoft Office includes an Automatic Updates option that allows it to download and install available updates whenever they are released.
Enabling this option is especially useful if you use Office for work, school, or everyday tasks. Once automatic updates are enabled, Office can take care of most update-related tasks in the background, reducing the need for manual maintenance.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to enable automatic updates for Microsoft Office on a Windows PC.
Enable Automatic Updates for Microsoft Office
You can enable automatic updates directly from any supported Microsoft Office application, such as Word or Excel. You don’t need to configure the setting separately for every Office application because the update preference generally applies to the installed Microsoft 365 or Office suite.
To enable automatic updates for Microsoft Office, follow these steps:
- Open Microsoft Word, Excel, or another Office application on your Windows PC.
- Click the File tab in the upper-left corner.
- Select Account or Office Account from the left panel.
- Find the Office Updates section.
- Click Update Options.
- Select Enable Updates from the available options.
- If prompted by Windows, allow the application to make changes.
- Reopen the Office application and check whether automatic updates are enabled.
Once completed, Microsoft Office will automatically check for available updates and install them when appropriate, provided your device has an internet connection and the update service is available.
Let’s go through each step in more detail so you can easily find the correct settings, even if you’re not very familiar with Microsoft Office.
Step 1: Open a Microsoft Office Application
First, you need to open an Office application to access its update settings. You can use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or another supported desktop Office application. For this guide, we’ll use Microsoft Word because its settings are easy to locate.
Click the Start button on your Windows taskbar and type Word in the search box. When Microsoft Word appears in the search results, click it to launch the application. You can also open Word through a desktop shortcut or the Start menu if you already have one.
Wait for Word to load completely. You don’t necessarily need to create a new document or open an existing file. The update settings are available from the application’s main interface.
If you don’t have Word installed, you can use another compatible desktop Office application. The overall process is generally similar across these programs.
After opening Microsoft Word, look at the upper-left corner of the application window. You’ll find several tabs, including File, Home, Insert, Layout, References, and Review.
Click the File tab to open the Backstage view. This section contains several important options related to your documents and Office application settings.
You may see options such as New, Open, Save, Save As, Print, Share, Export, and Account. These options help you manage documents, access application information, and configure Office preferences.
For this particular task, you don’t need to change anything related to your documents. Simply move to the next step to locate the Office account settings.
Step 3: Select the Account or Office Account Option
Once you’re inside the File menu, look at the navigation panel on the left side of the screen. Scroll down if necessary and select Account or Office Account, depending on your Office version.
This page provides information about your installed Office product, including its activation status, product details, account information, and update settings.
You may also see your Microsoft account information and details about your Microsoft 365 subscription. If you’re using a perpetual Office version, such as Office 2021 or Office 2024, the displayed product information may look slightly different.
Now, locate the section labeled Office Updates. This is where Microsoft provides the controls for checking and configuring Office updates.
Step 4: Find the Office Updates Section
On the Account page, look for the Office Updates section. It is generally displayed on the right side of the screen, although its exact position can vary depending on your Office version and window size.
Under this section, you’ll find the Update Options button. This button gives you access to different update-related actions.
Depending on your current configuration, you may see options such as Update Now, Disable Updates, View Updates, or Enable Updates.
If automatic updates are already enabled, you may see an option to disable them instead. This means you don’t need to make any additional changes.
However, if the menu displays Enable Updates, it generally means that automatic updates are currently turned off. You’ll need to select that option to activate them.
Step 5: Click Update Options
Now, click the Update Options button under the Office Updates section.
A small dropdown menu will appear with several choices. These options allow you to control how Office handles available updates.
The available choices may include Update Now, Disable Updates, Enable Updates, and View Updates. Each option serves a different purpose.
For example, Update Now checks for available updates immediately, while Enable Updates turns automatic updating back on if it has previously been disabled.
Make sure you select the correct option. If your goal is to let Microsoft Office download and install updates automatically, choose Enable Updates rather than simply clicking Update Now.
Step 6: Select Enable Updates
From the Update Options dropdown menu, click Enable Updates.
This is the most important step because it activates automatic updates for your Office installation. If Windows displays a User Account Control prompt asking whether you want to allow the application to make changes, review the prompt and select Yes if you have permission to proceed.
After enabling updates, Office can periodically check for available updates and install them according to Microsoft’s update process.
You generally don’t need to restart your computer immediately after changing this setting. However, if an update is installed, Office may ask you to close and reopen its applications to complete the installation.
If you cannot select Enable Updates because the option is unavailable or grayed out, don’t worry. We’ll discuss possible reasons and troubleshooting methods later in this guide.
Step 7: Check Whether Automatic Updates Are Enabled
After selecting Enable Updates, it’s a good idea to verify that the setting has been applied successfully.
Return to File > Account > Update Options and inspect the available choices.
If you now see Disable Updates, it generally indicates that automatic updates are enabled. This is because Office offers the option to disable updates when its automatic update functionality is active.
You can also click Update Now if you want Office to check for available updates immediately. This is useful when you don’t want to wait for the next automatic update check.
Keep in mind that enabling automatic updates doesn’t necessarily mean a new update will be installed immediately. Office will install updates when they become available, and the applicable update conditions are met.
Step 8: Manually Check for Available Office Updates
Although automatic updates are enabled, you can manually check for the latest Office updates whenever you want. This is helpful if you’re experiencing an application issue or want to make sure your Office installation has the latest available fixes.
To do this, open Microsoft Word and navigate to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
Office will start checking for available updates. If an update is available, it will download and install it. Depending on the update, you may need to close your Office applications and reopen them to finish the installation.
Once the process is complete, Office may display a message saying You’re up to date! This indicates that no newer update is currently available for your configured update channel.
Remember that manually checking for updates doesn’t turn automatic updates on or off. It simply allows you to check for updates immediately.
What to Do If the Enable Updates Option Is Missing or Grayed Out?
Sometimes, you might open the Update Options menu and discover that the Enable Updates option is missing or unavailable. This can happen for several reasons, particularly if you’re using an Office installation managed by your organization.
If you’re using a work or school computer, your IT administrator might control Office updates through Group Policy, Microsoft Intune, or the Office Deployment Tool. In that situation, you may not have permission to change the update settings yourself.
If the Update Options button is missing and you only see an About button, your Office installation might also be using a volume license or an organization-managed update configuration.
Another possibility is that your Office installation needs repair. You can try repairing it through Windows Settings.
Navigate to Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office > Modify. Depending on your installation, select Quick Repair first. If the problem continues, try Online Repair. Save your work and close Office applications before starting the repair.
After completing the repair, open Word again and check File > Account > Update Options to see whether the required setting is available.
Enable Microsoft Office Updates Through Windows Update
If you use an Office version or installation that receives updates through Microsoft Update, you can also configure Windows to receive updates for other Microsoft products.
This is particularly useful when Office updates are delivered through the Windows Update service rather than the usual Office update controls.
On Windows 11, navigate to Start > Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options. Find the Receive updates for other Microsoft products option and turn it on.
On Windows 10, navigate to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Advanced options. Enable Receive updates for other Microsoft products when you update Windows.
This setting allows Windows Update to deliver updates for supported Microsoft products, including applicable Office installations. However, it doesn’t replace the Office-specific automatic update setting for every Microsoft 365 installation.
FAQs
1. How Do I Know If Automatic Updates Are Enabled in Microsoft Office?
Open any Office application and navigate to File > Account > Update Options. If the dropdown menu displays Disable Updates, automatic updates are generally enabled. You can also check the update status displayed under Product Information.
2. Does Microsoft Office Update Automatically?
Yes. Most Microsoft 365 desktop installations are configured to download and apply updates automatically. However, this behavior can depend on your installation method, update settings, internet connection, and administrator policies.
3. Can I Enable Automatic Updates for Microsoft Word Only?
Office update settings generally apply to the installed Office suite rather than an individual desktop application. Therefore, enabling automatic updates through Word also affects other supported applications installed as part of the same Office installation.
4. Is It Safe to Enable Automatic Updates for Microsoft Office?
Yes. Keeping Office updated is generally recommended because updates include security patches, bug fixes, performance improvements, and new features. Automatic updates also reduce the chances of continuing to use an outdated application version.
5. Why Is Microsoft Office Not Updating Automatically?
Office might not update automatically if updates have been disabled, your internet connection is unavailable, an administrator manages the update settings, or your installation uses a different update method. Check File > Account > Update Options and make sure updates are enabled.
6. Do I Need to Restart My Computer After Updating Microsoft Office?
Not necessarily. In most situations, closing and reopening the affected Office applications is enough to complete an update. However, some updates or installation changes might require a Windows restart.
7. Can I Turn Off Automatic Updates After Enabling Them?
Yes. Open an Office application and navigate to File > Account > Update Options > Disable Updates. Keep in mind that disabling updates means you may miss important security fixes and application improvements.