At times, when you try to install Microsoft Office, an orange box pops up on the computer screen bearing the following message – We’re getting things ready. And then, it takes forever to finish it. If you are facing this issue, then this post may be able to help you.
It has been observed that the problem – Microsoft Office 365 getting things ready – mainly occurs when previous versions of the Office 365 files are not properly installed on your computer. Another reason that can be attributed to this issue is Office 365 files getting corrupted or damaged, and, sometimes, even getting disappeared.
Office stuck on We’re getting things ready screen
There can be many reasons for Office installation getting stuck at the “We’re getting things ready” screen and refusing to load further. The message itself is not alarming but becomes a problem when it refuses to disappear from the screen or stops Office from being installed successfully. To fix it, you can try any one of the methods listed below.
- Use Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant
- Uninstall and reinstall Office.
- Run Office 365 DNS Diagnostic Tool
Let’s explore the above methods in a bit more detail!
1] Use Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant
Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant runs tests to figure out what’s wrong and offers the best solution for the identified problem. It can readily fix issues related to Office, Microsoft 365, or Outlook.
Run the tool. When prompted with the Which app are you having problems with message, select the Office, and hit the Next button located at the bottom of the screen.
Next, select the problem you’re having from the list and click hit the Next button.
After that, simply follow the on-screen instructions to fix the issue.
2] Uninstall and Re-install Office
Press Win+R in combination to open the Run dialog box. Once it opens, type appwiz.cpl in the empty field of the box and hit Enter. It is a run command shortcut to open the Add/Remove Programs or Uninstall it.
So, see if you can find the Office entry in the Programs and Features section of the Control panel.
If you do find it, then, right-click it and select the Uninstall option.
To make sure all its files have been removed, do the following.
Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following path address –
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office
Right-click the Office folder and select the Delete option.
Do the same for
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office
Remove the Office folder by right-clicking it and selecting the Delete option.
When done, restart your computer right-click on the Microsoft Office installer executable file (installer.exe) and select the ‘Run as administrator‘ option.
3] Run the Office 365 DNS Diagnostic Tool
If the problem is related to Office 365 installation, run the Office 365 DNS Diagnostic Tool. The tool from Microsoft queries the Office 365 DNS records from the computer’s default DNS server by using Nslookup.exe and then detects DNS misconfigurations. It does not collect any data from the system but requires an active Internet connection to work properly.
Related: Office is taking a long to install or you’re on a slow connection.
Why does Office 365 take forever to install?
The installation time of the Office 365 program varies depending on the speed of your Internet connection. So, when it takes longer than usual to set up your Office software, check your internet speed and fix it if it’s too slow!
Can I download Microsoft Office for free?
You can use Microsoft Office for free only via a web browser. However, the web-based version of Office is a simplified version and won’t work offline. It’s also known as Office for the web and makes it easier to work and share Office files from anywhere with an internet connection, from almost any device.
Also read: Office application Unable to start correctly error 0xc0000142.
