Office Apps (Word, Excel, and Powerpoint) Won't Open

[iApplereviews]

I have a 2015 iMac running the latest version of Catalina and all 3 apps will not work. Excel says not enough memory (32GB of installed RAM and only 11GB used with 320GB+ of free disk space). Word says something about a docfile access issue and powerpoint opens to the 365 login and hangs at loading after that.

I have reinstalled all apps from the App Store. Rebooted the iMac and run first aid on the disk. Nothing changes. I have even tried the apps on my 2018 Mac mini to make sure it wasn't Catalina and they work just fine there.

Any ideas what could be causing these 3 apps to not work?

 

[honestone33]

I have a 2015 iMac running the latest version of Catalina and all 3 apps will not work. Excel says not enough memory (32GB of installed RAM and only 11GB used with 320GB+ of free disk space). Word says something about a docfile access issue and powerpoint opens to the 365 login and hangs at loading after that.

I have reinstalled all apps from the App Store. Rebooted the iMac and run first aid on the disk. Nothing changes. I have even tried the apps on my 2018 Mac mini to make sure it wasn't Catalina and they work just fine there.

Any ideas what could be causing these 3 apps to not work?

According to this:

https://office-watch.com/2019/macos-catalina-update-tips-and-office-compatibility/

Office 2016 needs to be at least V15.35. Are you running that version, or a later one? If not, you'll need to update Office 2016.

 

[iApplereviews]

According to this:

https://office-watch.com/2019/macos-catalina-update-tips-and-office-compatibility/

Office 2016 needs to be at least V15.35. Are you running that version, or a later one? If not, you'll need to update Office 2016.

Like I said I just re downloaded all 3 apps from the App Store. Same apps I tried on my Mac mini that work fine.

 

[honestone33]

Like I said I just re downloaded all 3 apps from the App Store. Same apps I tried on my Mac mini that work fine.

Oops! Missed that.

Seems real strange, that they work on the Mac Mini, but not on the iMac. How identical is the software on the Mini versus the iMac?

 

[iApplereviews]

Oops! Missed that.

Seems real strange, that they work on the Mac Mini, but not on the iMac. How identical is the software on the Mini versus the iMac?

Both on the latest version of Catalina

 

[honestone33]

Both on the latest version of Catalina

Understand, and expected that piece to be the case. But was wondering if there is a piece (or pieces) of software on the iMac that is causing issues?

Also, was everything working fine with Mojave? And how did you upgrade from Mojave to Catalina on the iMac? Was it the same way as with the Mac Mini?

 

[iApplereviews]

Understand, and expected that piece to be the case. But was wondering if there is a piece (or pieces) of software on the iMac that is causing issues?

Also, was everything working fine with Mojave? And how did you upgrade from Mojave to Catalina on the iMac? Was it the same way as with the Mac Mini?

It's not my iMac it's my dad's but as far as I know they where working on Mojave. The apps he had installed where the ones downloaded from Microsoft ao i deleted those and downloaded them from the app store with no change. I can't find any software that would conflict with all 3 programs. Those programs are the only 3 having an issue.

 

[iApplereviews]

Understand, and expected that piece to be the case. But was wondering if there is a piece (or pieces) of software on the iMac that is causing issues?

Also, was everything working fine with Mojave? And how did you upgrade from Mojave to Catalina on the iMac? Was it the same way as with the Mac Mini?

When the mac updates there is a folder for relocated items maybe I'll check that and make sure there isn't part of the app In there making it try to load from 2 places. I never opened tbay to see what was put there on my macs i just trashed it.

 

[honestone33]

When the mac updates there is a folder for relocated items maybe I'll check that and make sure there isn't part of the app In there making it try to load from 2 places. I never opened tbay to see what was put there on my macs i just trashed it.

That relocated items folder gets created whether one does a clean installation of Catalina (that is the route I take, and have taken, in my testing of Catalina), or just an update from Mojave to Catalina.

But yeah, it might be good to look at that for both machines, and maybe you'll see some differences.

 

[iApplereviews]

That relocated items folder gets created whether one does a clean installation of Catalina (that is the route I take, and have taken, in my testing of Catalina), or just an update from Mojave to Catalina.

But yeah, it might be good to look at that for both machines, and maybe you'll see some differences.

If you do an actual clean install you won't have a relocated items folder. It's created when Catalina has data it doesn't know where to place it when the startup volume is changed to the Macintosh HD - Data volume. So if you do an actual clean install you won't get that folder

 

[honestone33]

If you do an actual clean install you won't have a relocated items folder. It's created when Catalina has data it doesn't know where to place it when the startup volume is changed to the Macintosh HD - Data volume. So if you do an actual clean install you won't get that folder

That's not true. I just looked at my clean installation of Catalina OS 10.15.1 on my external Samsung 860 EVO SSD (along with migrated/copied "items"), and there is a Relocated Items folder, with files in it.

 

[iApplereviews]

That's not true. I just looked at my clean installation of Catalina OS 10.15.1 on my external Samsung 860 EVO SSD (along with migrated/copied "items"), and there is a Relocated Items folder, with files in it.

That's straight from Apple.

 

[iApplereviews]

That's not true. I just looked at my clean installation of Catalina OS 10.15.1 on my external Samsung 860 EVO SSD (along with migrated/copied "items"), and there is a Relocated Items folder, with files in it.

If it was a clean install with no data on it there would be nothing to relocate

 

[honestone33]

That's straight from Apple.

Then they are wrong. In fact, I'm glad you mentioned it, as I actually forgot about it. It basically contains a number of important files/folders that Catalina has "issues" with. When this happened after a clean install of OS 10.15, I actually created a folder in a different location, and copied them there.

I will need to remember this once I install Catalina for good. Can't now, as there is no Catalina-compatible version of TechTool Pro available yet. They are working on it.
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If it was a clean install with no data on it there would be nothing to relocate

There apparently was data "on it" when I did the clean installation (they destination SSD had been Erased and Formatted by Disk Utility, so it was clean), but of course that did not happen until after I migrated/copied files, folders, apps, settings, etc. from my last SuperDuper! backup of Mojave.

 

[iApplereviews]

Then they are wrong. In fact, I'm glad you mentioned it, as I actually forgot about it. It basically contains a number of important files/folders that Catalina has "issues" with. When this happened after a clean install of OS 10.15, I actually created a folder in a different location, and copied them there.

I will need to remember this once I install Catalina for good. Can't now, as there is no Catalina-compatible version of TechTool Pro available yet. They are working on it.
[automerge]1575256548[/automerge]

There apparently was data "on it" when I did the clean installation (they destination SSD had been Erased and Formatted by Disk Utility, so it was clean), but of course that did not happen until after I migrated/copied files, folders, apps, settings, etc. from my last SuperDuper! backup of Mojave.

No the documentation Apple provided is not wrong. You have that folder becuse you installed it on a USB drive. It comes from the system partition. You still had the same system partition because when installing it on the USB drive connected to your mac the Macs drive wasn't formatted. If you truly did a clean install with a formatted internal drive and then booted from that you would not have a folder.

 

[honestone33]

No the documentation Apple provided is not wrong. You have that folder becuse you installed it on a USB drive. It comes from the system partition. You still had the same system partition because when installing it on the USB drive connected to your mac the Macs drive wasn't formatted. If you truly did a clean install with a formatted internal drive and then booted from that you would not have a folder.

What? That makes absolutely no sense. Here are the steps I took:

1. From my Mac Mini, with an APFS-formatted internal SSD, I launched Disk Utility, then Erased and Formatted the external Samsung 860 EVO 500 gig SSD (enclosed in an Orico Enclosure) as APFS. That means that external SSD is completely empty (unless Disk Utility did not do its job).

2. Launched the full installation file of OS 10.15.1 on my Mac Mini, then did a fresh, clean, virgin installation of OS 10.15.1 onto that external SSD.

3. At the end of the installation, I was afforded the opportunity to migrate (ie, copy) files, folders, apps, settings, etc. from either another Mac or a backup. I chose the Mini as "the other Mac". That process went smoothly (as expected).

4. I then re-started my Mac Mini from that Catalina-based external SSD, and voila, I was there. The Relocated items folder was created, and it contained some files and folders that wee originally on a different location on my Mojave-based Mac Mini.

This has happened twice, once when I installed OS 10.15, and recently when I installed OS 10.15.1.

One other thing: can you point me to that Apple documentation?

 

[iApplereviews]

What? That makes absolutely no sense. Here are the steps I took:

1. From my Mac Mini, with an APFS-formatted internal SSD, I launched Disk Utility, then Erased and Formatted the external Samsung 860 EVO 500 gig SSD (enclosed in an Orico Enclosure) as APFS. That means that external SSD is completely empty (unless Disk Utility did not do its job).

2. Launched the full installation file of OS 10.15.1 on my Mac Mini, then did a fresh, clean, virgin installation of OS 10.15.1 onto that external SSD.

3. At the end of the installation, I was afforded the opportunity to migrate (ie, copy) files, folders, apps, settings, etc. from either another Mac or a backup. I chose the Mini as "the other Mac". That process went smoothly (as expected).

4. I then re-started my Mac Mini from that Catalina-based external SSD, and voila, I was there. The Relocated items folder was created, and it contained some files and folders that wee originally on a different location on my Mojave-based Mac Mini.

This has happened twice, once when I installed OS 10.15, and recently when I installed OS 10.15.1.

One other thing: can you point me to that Apple documentation?

So the folder came from the transferring of a non Catalina backup. If you did a clean install setup as new then there would be no folder

 

[honestone33]

So the folder came from the transferring of a non Catalina backup. If you did a clean install setup as new then there would be no folder

No! That folder (ie, Relocated Items) was NOT there, on my Mojave "system". (I just looked and verified that, yet I can clearly see it on the Catalina external SSD, and it is not empty.). And I did not do the transfer from a non-Catalina backup. It was from a Mojave-based Mac (my Mac Mini), which is where I ran Disk Utility and the OS 10.15.1 installer from. I already stated that above.

Actually, it is more "bizarre" than I thought! I have a folder entitled "Documents" at the same "level" as the Applications, System, Library, and Users folders. In fact, I have always had it there for numerous versions of the Mac OS, and in fact, created it a long, long time ago. Up until Catalina, that folder ALWAYS was transferred/moved properly. But with Catalina, I guess it can't handle it, and thus with Users/Shared folder, there is one entitled "Relocated Items". Within that folder, the path is Security/Documents, and that Documents folder is EXACTLY the same as that "original" Documents folder I have had for along, long time.

Thus, Catalina is deficient, as it cannot handle the "simple" placement of a folder.

 

[iApplereviews]

No! That folder was NOT there, on my Mojave "system". (I just looked and verified that, ye I can see it on the Catalina external SSD). And I did not do the transfer from a non-Catalina backup. It was from a Mojave-based Mac (my Mac Mini, which is where I ran Disk Utility and the OS 10.15.1 installer from. I already stated that above.

I'm saying the folder was created by Catalina becuase you restored from a non Catalina backup. I never once said it was transferred from Mojave. If you formatted the drive and installed Catalina without coming from a backup and set it up as a new mac you would not have that folder.

 

[honestone33]

I'm saying the folder was created by Catalina becuase you restored from a non Catalina backup. I never once said it was transferred from Mojave. If you formatted the drive and installed Catalina without coming from a backup and set it up as a new mac you would not have that folder.

Again, you are not understanding. First, a folder entitled "Relocated items" was not, nor has EVER been, on any of my Macs, no matter what OS I was using.

Secondly, I am the one that created that "Documents" folder a long, long time ago. EVERY time I have done a fresh, clean, "virgin" installation of a new Mac OS, I followed this procedure:

1. Made sure I had the latest installation file for the new OS, and that it was not inside the Applications folder.

2. Insured that ALL the third party applications I use were compatible with the new Mac OS.

3. Ran Onyx and TechTool Pro on my "base" machine.

4. Did a SuperDuper! backup to an external SSD (connected via USB 3.1) of my "base" machine/ system (only has 1 partition).

5. Re-started my "base" Mac from that just-created SuperDuper! backup.

6. Launched Disk Utility there and Erased and Formatted the internal SSD on the "base" Mac.

7. Launched the new Mac OS Installer file there (ie, on the backup), and did a fresh, clean, virgin installation of that new Mac OS onto that internal SSD.

8. When the installation was done, was afforded the opportunity to migrate (ie, copy) files, folders, apps, settings, etc. from either another Mac or a backup. I chose the just-created SuperDuper! backup. That process went smoothly (as expected).

9. Restarted my "base" Mac, and except for a couple of "house cleaning" chores, I was there.

In ALL of that, the Documents folder on my "base" Mac was ALWAYS transferred/moved/copied (whatever you want to call it) correctly.

In my "Catalina" case, I started at step 6 (on my "base" Mac, ie, my Mac Mini, with the External Samsung 860 EVO 500 gig SSD attached, via USB 3.1), and did what I already mentioned above. But Catalina could not properly handle that Documents folder, and thus 1) created the "Relocated Items" folder, and 2) copied/moved/transferred (again whatever you want to call it) the Documents folder from my Mac Mini to the location Users/Shared/Recovered Items/Security/Documents.

The ORIGINAL location of that Documents folder was, again, at the same "level" as the Applications, System, Library, and Users folders. Catalina did not place it in the same location.

Once again, I ask you to point me to the Apple "document" that discusses this.

 

[Shadow Demon]

The reason that the “Relocated Items” is there is because of step 8. A fresh install with NO data migration from a previous Mac OS backup will NOT have the folder. This is all the Apple document is stating.

 

[iApplereviews]

Again, you are not understanding. First, a folder entitled "Relocated items" was not, nor has EVER been, on any of my Macs, no matter what OS I was using.

Secondly, I am the one that created that "Documents" folder a long, long time ago. EVERY time I have done a fresh, clean, "virgin" installation of a new Mac OS, I followed this procedure:

1. Made sure I had the latest installation file for the new OS, and that it was not inside the Applications folder.

2. Insured that ALL the third party applications I use were compatible with the new Mac OS.

3. Ran Onyx and TechTool Pro on my "base" machine.

4. Did a SuperDuper! backup to an external SSD (connected via USB 3.1) of my "base" machine/ system (only has 1 partition).

5. Re-started my "base" Mac from that just-created SuperDuper! backup.

6. Launched Disk Utility there and Erased and Formatted the internal SSD on the "base" Mac.

7. Launched the new Mac OS Installer file there (ie, on the backup), and did a fresh, clean, virgin installation of that new Mac OS onto that internal SSD.

8. When the installation was done, was afforded the opportunity to migrate (ie, copy) files, folders, apps, settings, etc. from either another Mac or a backup. I chose the just-created SuperDuper! backup. That process went smoothly (as expected).

9. Restarted my "base" Mac, and except for a couple of "house cleaning" chores, I was there.

In ALL of that, the Documents folder on my "base" Mac was ALWAYS transferred/moved/copied (whatever you want to call it) correctly.

In my "Catalina" case, I started at step 6 (on my "base" Mac, ie, my Mac Mini, with the External Samsung 860 EVO 500 gig SSD attached, via USB 3.1), and did what I already mentioned above. But Catalina could not properly handle that Documents folder, and thus 1) created the "Relocated Items" folder, and 2) copied/moved/transferred (again whatever you want to call it) the Documents folder from my Mac Mini to the location Users/Shared/Recovered Items/Security/Documents.

The ORIGINAL location of that Documents folder was, again, at the same "level" as the Applications, System, Library, and Users folders. Catalina did not place it in the same location.

Once again, I ask you to point me to the Apple "document" that discusses this.

You seem to have an issue reading. The folder was created becuase you restored from a backup that came from and older OS. I never said or implied that the folder was on your computer while running Mojave. Catalina created the folder becuse applications that where installed on Mojave where restored to Catalina.

If you do a clean install with no backup you won't get this folder.

 

[iApplereviews]

Again, you are not understanding. First, a folder entitled "Relocated items" was not, nor has EVER been, on any of my Macs, no matter what OS I was using.

Secondly, I am the one that created that "Documents" folder a long, long time ago. EVERY time I have done a fresh, clean, "virgin" installation of a new Mac OS, I followed this procedure:

1. Made sure I had the latest installation file for the new OS, and that it was not inside the Applications folder.

2. Insured that ALL the third party applications I use were compatible with the new Mac OS.

3. Ran Onyx and TechTool Pro on my "base" machine.

4. Did a SuperDuper! backup to an external SSD (connected via USB 3.1) of my "base" machine/ system (only has 1 partition).

5. Re-started my "base" Mac from that just-created SuperDuper! backup.

6. Launched Disk Utility there and Erased and Formatted the internal SSD on the "base" Mac.

7. Launched the new Mac OS Installer file there (ie, on the backup), and did a fresh, clean, virgin installation of that new Mac OS onto that internal SSD.

8. When the installation was done, was afforded the opportunity to migrate (ie, copy) files, folders, apps, settings, etc. from either another Mac or a backup. I chose the just-created SuperDuper! backup. That process went smoothly (as expected).

9. Restarted my "base" Mac, and except for a couple of "house cleaning" chores, I was there.

In ALL of that, the Documents folder on my "base" Mac was ALWAYS transferred/moved/copied (whatever you want to call it) correctly.

In my "Catalina" case, I started at step 6 (on my "base" Mac, ie, my Mac Mini, with the External Samsung 860 EVO 500 gig SSD attached, via USB 3.1), and did what I already mentioned above. But Catalina could not properly handle that Documents folder, and thus 1) created the "Relocated Items" folder, and 2) copied/moved/transferred (again whatever you want to call it) the Documents folder from my Mac Mini to the location Users/Shared/Recovered Items/Security/Documents.

The ORIGINAL location of that Documents folder was, again, at the same "level" as the Applications, System, Library, and Users folders. Catalina did not place it in the same location.

Once again, I ask you to point me to the Apple "document" that discusses this.

The Apple document can be found in the relocated items folder

 

[honestone33]

The reason that the “Relocated Items” is there is because of step 8. A fresh install with NO data migration from a previous Mac OS backup will NOT have the folder. This is all the Apple document is stating.

Wow! What a revelation! Of course I would not expect such a folder. But I want to get to the new Mac OS< and still be able to use my apps, have my documents in place, etc. Why would I just want to install the OS, and then not migrate anything? I guess one might need to do that if they are/were having serious issues with their current system. That is not the case with me.

 

[iApplereviews]

Wow! What a revelation! Of course I would not expect such a folder. But I want to get to the new Mac OS< and still be able to use my apps, have my documents in place, etc. Why would I just want to install the OS, and then not migrate anything? I guess one might need to do that if they are/were having serious issues with their current system. That is not the case with me.

You said every install has the folder which isn't true. I'm saying that if you do a fresh install either a new computer or an existing on and don't use a backup then you won't have the folder.