Office is taking a long to install or you’re on a slow connection

Sometimes when installing Office on your Windows 11/10 computer, you can get an error message “Sorry it looks like you’re on a slow connection…“. It can happen with any version of Microsoft Office including Office 2024/21/19, Office for business, Office 365 Admin, Office 365 for Home, etc. It may appear to hang during the install and feel like Office is taking a long time to install.

Office is taking long to install or you’re on a slow connection

Try the following solution to fix it.

1. Office installation hangs or freezes at 90%
2. Check if Stuck Install message is bogus
3. Use a wired connection or better internet connection
4. Temporarily turn off antivirus software
5. Use Offline Installer
6. Repair from Control Panel
7. Remove and reinstall Office.

1] Office installation hangs or freezes at 90%

It happens because the installer is busy or stuck. It is possible that the installer is working with Windows Update. There are two ways to fix this. First either kill the Windows Update Installer and then wait for the office to complete. Second,  cancel the office installation,  let Windows Update complete, and restart.  Here is how you can kill Windows Update Installer:

1. Open Task Manager, and switch to Processes Tab
2. Select Windows Update Standalone Installer (wusa.exe).
3. Right-click and choose to end task. The Office installation should now resume and complete.

Now restart your computer. It will make sure Windows update process restarts, and start doing whatever it was doing.

Since this is an online installer if you restart the computer, might be forced to restart from zero. This may or may not happen but still information from our side.

2] Check if Stuck Install message is bogus

Sometimes the Office installation is already complete, but it keeps displaying the message. It’s like the pop-up itself is stuck, but the installation is complete. Restart your computer, and check if Office did install.

3] Use a wired connection or better internet connection

You may be facing a slow connection. You may want to switch to a wired or better internet connection. If the installation process made a quit, go to Office home, sign-in with your account, and then re-initiate office installation using it.

4] Temporarily turn off antivirus software

Your Antivirus Security solution might be blocking the download. Find a way to turn it off until the download is complete. Once you have installed Office, enable the Antivirus again.

5] Use Offline Installer

Sometimes even with a better internet connection, the download process is hindered. In this case, it is best to use Office offline installer.

1. Go to Office.com and sign-in with your account.
2. Select Install Office > Download and install > select other options.
3. Check the box Download an offline installer and select the language in which you want to install Office.
4. Select Download.

This process will download a virtual drive which contains the Office installation files. Double click it, so it appears in the File Explorer. Click on the virtual disk, and then double-click either the Setup32.exe (32-bit version of Office) or Setup64.exe (64-bit version of Office) to start the installation.

6] Repair Office from Control Panel

By the time program reaches 90% installation, it is usually registered in the Program & Features section. You can try running the Online Report option. Navigate to Control Panel > Program and Features > Select Office, and look for “Online Repair.”

7] Remove and reinstall Office

If nothing else works, it is best to remove and reinstall Office. Download the Microsoft Office Uninstall Tool from Microsoft, and it will do the job for you. It will make sure to clean up everything that has been installed by the previous installation process.

Hopefully, these steps will help you fix the “Office is taking a long time to install” issue. If you are sure that the network is slow for you, downloading the offline installer is the best option. You can download it from anywhere and install it on any number of computers.

Why does installing Microsoft Office take so long?

Installing Microsoft Office can take a long time due to factors like slow internet speed and outdated system hardware. To speed up the installation, ensure a stable internet connection and sufficient system resources. Checking your internet speed and freeing up system resources can help improve installation time.

How to speed up Office installation?

To speed up Office installation, ensure a stable internet connection, close any unnecessary programs, and temporarily disable antivirus software. Additionally, ensure your computer meets the system requirements and has enough disk space. Updating your operating system and restarting your computer before installation can also enhance the process efficiency.