Common installation errors with Microsoft Office and how to avoid them

Arif Bacchus

Updated on:

If you’ve just purchased an Office 365 subscription, or the retail or download version of Office 2019, installing on your PC should be as easy as running the executable file and patiently waiting.

Sometimes, though, you might be faced with an error code, or something else could go seriously wrong during the install process. In this guide, we’ll take a look at some common installation errors in Office, and how you can avoid them.

Office takes too long to install, or error codes 2002-4, 12007-4, or 12152-4

When you download Office from Microsoft or another online retailer, the installer will need to connect to the internet to grab the install files. Sometimes, it might take too long to install, and that could be due to a slow connection.

If that’s the case, you might want to cancel the install and restart your computer. You also might want to try and temporarily disable your Antivirus software and your firewall during install.

On the restart, you might see that the Office installation has completed, despite what the progress indication on the installer might say. If not, you can try installing again.

If all else fails, you can download an offline installer for Office. Specific instructions on how to do so are available through Microsoft. Getting the installer involves visiting Office.com and signing in with your account, choosing Install Office, and selecting Other Options from the download and install window.

Microsoft Office 365 icons
Office 365 Icons

Office installer hangs at 90%

If the Office installer hangs at 90%, this could be due to your system being busy. According to Microsoft, a prime cause of this is Windows Update, and Windows using the Update Installer in the background while Office is installing.

To fix it, you also can also end the Windows Update task in task manager with the steps below. No need to worry, as, on reboot, the process will start again when you launch Windows Update.

  • Press ctrl+alt+delete on the keyboard (hold down all keys simultaneously), and select Task Manager (or Start Task Manager on Windows 7
  • On the Processes tab, select Windows Update Standalone Installer (wusa.exe).
  • On the Processes tab, select Windows Update Standalone Installer (wusa.exe).

As an alternative, you can restart your computer to check and see if Office is installed. Worse comes to worst, you’ll have to cancel the install and try again. You also can try turning off your antivirus software if none of the other methods are working.

Office 365 Windows Microsoft Store
Office 365 in the Microsoft Store

Error code 30145 and Error Code 0-3

If you’ve received error code 30145, or error Code 0-3 then this is something that might require you to restart your computer. Once restarted, you’ll need to sign in with the account associated with Office, and then select the “Install” button.

In the event that restarting doesn’t work, you’ll need to attempt to repair office from the Control Panel. Microsoft has a list of directions here for other Windows versions, but we’ll mention the steps for Windows 10 in this article.

  • Right click start and chosoe Apps and Features
  • Select Microsoft Office and then select Modify
  • In the prompt that appears, if your Office insallter is click-to-run-based, select “Online Repair” You also can try Quick Repair. Finish by clicking Repair and follow the prompts.
  • If your Office installer is MSI based, select “Repair” and click continue.

If all else fails, you’ll need to uninstall and reinstall Office. You can download a support tool to do that from Microsoft.

Repairing Microsoft Office

KERNEL32.dll error

If you receive a KERNEL32.dll error, this means that your computer might not meet the minimum requirements for Office. You also might see this error if you’re trying to install Office on an older version of Windows such as Windows XP or Windows Vista. Newer versions of Office aren’t supported on these versions of Windows. If you’re still holding onto older versions of Windows and you want a modern version of Office, you can try out Office Online instead, for free.

Using Office Online for free

…But there can be more!

We’ve just touched on a few of the most common error code when installing Office, but you could experience other error codes as well. Some error codes might have a descriptive text and a link for more information on the code. You can try a “Learn More” link if you didn’t see your problem listed here. You also can try visiting this page, and seeing if your error code is listed. If all else fails, you always can contact Microsoft Customer Support.