Office 365 Not Updating Automatically (Windows 11 Fix — 2025 Guide)

Are your Office 365 apps not updating automatically on Windows 11? You’re not alone. Thousands of users report issues where Office updates get stuck, fail silently, or never trigger even though auto-updates are enabled. This guide explains the real causes behind Office 365 update failures and gives you the step-by-step fixes that work in 2025.

Whether Word, Excel, Outlook, or Teams refuses to update — this guide covers every troubleshooting step so you can get Office working smoothly again.

Recommended Read: Fix Outlook & Office 365 Sync Issues (2025 Guide)

🔍 Why Office 365 Fails to Update Automatically

Office 365 updates may stop working due to one or more of the following reasons:

• Broken update channel (Monthly → Semi-Annual)
• Corrupted Office Click-to-Run service
• Microsoft Account token not refreshing
• Office Apps blocked by Windows firewall/antivirus
• Corrupted Windows Update components
• Office licensing issues after a recent update
• Group Policy restrictions disabling updates
• Office telemetry not connected to Microsoft update servers

Now let’s fix the problem step by step.

✔️ Fix 1 — Make Sure Office Automatic Updates Are Enabled

Sometimes auto-updates get disabled without warning. Here’s how to check:

1. Open any Office app — Word, Excel, Outlook.
2. Go to File → Account.
3. Under Office Updates, click Update Options → Enable Updates.

If updates were disabled by accident, they should start working immediately.

✔️ Fix 2 — Run Office Updates Manually (Triggers Auto-Fix)

1. Open Word (or any Office app)
2. File → Account → Update Now

This forces Office to re-establish the update connection with Microsoft servers.

✔️ Fix 3 — Change Your Office Update Channel

If you're stuck on an older “Semi-Annual” channel, automatic updates may delay for months.

To switch:

cd "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun"
officec2rclient.exe /changesetting Channel=Monthly
officec2rclient.exe /update user

Restart Office afterward.

✔️ Fix 4 — Repair Office Click-to-Run (Most Effective)

This fix resolves 50%+ update issues.

1. Open Control Panel → Programs & Features
2. Select Microsoft 365 Apps
3. Click Change
4. Select Quick Repair

If the problem persists → Run Online Repair.

✔️ Fix 5 — Reset Microsoft Account Token in Office

• Go to Settings → Accounts → Access Work or School
• Disconnect your Work/School account
• Reconnect it again

This refreshes authentication and reactivates Office update permissions.

✔️ Fix 6 — Restart Office Telemetry & Click-to-Run Services

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc
2. Restart these services:
• Microsoft Office Click-to-Run
• Office Telemetry Agent
• Office Telemetry Log

Now reopen Office and check for updates.

✔️ Fix 7 — Reset Windows Update Components (Important)

If the Windows Update engine is corrupted, Office will also fail to update.

Run this reset command in PowerShell (Admin):

wuauclt /resetauthorization /detectnow

Then restart your PC.

✔️ Fix 8 — Check Firewall & Antivirus Blocking

Allow these executables:

• officeclicktorun.exe
• officec2rclient.exe
• integratedoffice.exe

If these are blocked, auto-updates will silently fail.

✔️ Fix 9 — Use Microsoft SaRA (Automated Fix Tool)

Download the tool:

https://diagnostics.office.com

Choose:

“Office Apps → Office not updating”

Let SaRA auto-repair the problem.

📌 When Nothing Works → Reinstall the Office Update Service

If updates still fail → you're dealing with a fully corrupted Office update mechanism.

officec2rclient.exe /update user updatetoversion=latest

Or uninstall & reinstall Office 365.

🔗 Related Office 365 Guides

• Fix Office 365 Login Problems (2025)
• Fix Microsoft 365 Apps Crashing After Update
• Office 365 Search Not Working After Update

❓ FAQs — Office 365 Not Updating

Why is Office 365 not auto-updating on Windows 11?

Usually because the update channel is broken, Click-to-Run is corrupted, or Microsoft account tokens didn’t refresh.

Does Quick Repair delete my files?

No — it only repairs Office components, not your documents.

How do I force Office 365 to update?

File → Account → Update Options → Update Now.

Can antivirus block Office updates?

Yes. Many third-party antiviruses block Office Click-to-Run connections.