If your Office software is stuck on the Updating Office, please wait a moment splash screen on Windows 11/10, and when trying to launch an Office app like Word, Excel, etc. you receive an Unable to start correctly, error code 0xc0000142 error message when the splash screen closes, then this post may help you. This error usually occurs after an Office update. Now, if you are one of those encountering the same problem, this post will help you. In this guide, we are going to list down multiple methods that will help you fix the error.
EXCEL.EXE – Application Error, The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000142)
Why am I getting Office application error 0xc0000142 while launching an Office app?
The reason behind this error might vary for individuals. Here are some of the possible causes and scenarios that might trigger this error:
- In case the installation of the Office update got corrupted due to some reason, you might end up receiving this error.
- Another reason for this error is that you have different conflicting versions of Office installed on your system.
- This error might occur if you are using an outdated version of Windows.
- There can be some other reasons for this error like conflicting third-party apps, deregistered system DLLs, etc.
Based on the scenario that is likely causing the error for you, you can try a suitable fix from the guide below.
Fix Office application error 0xc0000142
Here are the fixes to try when you see Office application error 0xc0000142:
- Relaunch Office Apps as an Administrator.
- Restart the Click-to-Run Process and Service.
- Restart PC and Update Office to the Latest Build.
- Update Windows to the Latest Build.
- Repair Microsoft Office.
- Remove Conflicting Version of Microsoft Office.
- Troubleshoot in a clean boot state.
- Re-register the System DLLs.
- Reinstall Microsoft Office.
Now, let us elaborate on the above methods!
1] Relaunch Office Apps as an Administrator
In case this error is triggered because Office is unable to access a protected system resource after an update, you can try running Office apps with administrator privilege to resolve the issue. Just right-click on an Office app and then select the Run as an administrator option. Then, click Yes on the UAC prompt and see if the app starts without any error.
2] Restart the Click to Run Process and Service
Microsoft Office Click to Run is a streaming and virtualization technology that decreases the time required to install Office and also enables you to run different versions of Office on your computer. The “Updating Office, please wait a moment” error might have occurred if this service is stuck in an error state. If the scenario is applicable, you should be able to fix the error by restarting the Click to Run process and service.
To restart Click to Run Process and Service, here are the steps to use:
- Firstly, open the Task Manager by pressing the Ctrl + Shift + Esc hotkey.
- Now, in the Processes tab, locate and select the Microsoft Office Click-to-Run (SxS) process and click on the End Task button.
- Next, confirm to end the process.
- After that, move to the Services tab and right-click on the ClickToRunSvc service, and select the Restart option.
- Finally, relaunch the Office application and see if the issue is fixed now.
If the issue is not resolved, try repeating the above steps a few times. In case the error still persists, try some other potential fix from this guide.
Read: Fix Microsoft Office Activation Error 0x4004F00C the easy way
3] Restart PC and Update Office to the Latest Build
If the error is triggered because the Office updates were not completely installed, you can restart your PC and then update Office to the latest build. Here are the steps to do that:
- First of all, shut down your PC, wait for about a minute, and then start your PC again.
- Now, try opening Office apps to see if any of them launches without any problem.
- If yes, go to the File menu > Account tab.
- Next, click on the Update Now button under the Office Updates section.
- When the update process is completed, relaunch Office apps and see if the error is gone now.
4] Update Windows to the Latest Build
If you are using an outdated version of Windows, the latest Office update might become incompatible with it. So, in case this scenario applies to you, update your Windows to the latest version and see if that fixes up the issue for you. For that, open the Settings app using the Windows + I hotkey and then navigate to the Windows Update tab. Here, click on the Check for updates option and then download and upgrade to the latest version. Restart the PC and then check whether you are able to launch Office apps without the “Updating Office, please wait a moment” error.
See: Office errors 30029-4, 30029-1011, 30094-4, 30183-39, 30088-4
5] Repair Microsoft Office
In case the error is occurring due to corruption associated with the last Office update, you should be able to fix it up by performing a repair of Microsoft Office. So, open the Settings app and then go to the Apps > Apps & features tab. Now, locate Microsoft 365 or whichever version of Office is installed on your system and tap on the three-dot menu present besides it. Then, press the Modify button and then select the Quick Repair or Online Repair option and then press the Repair button. Let the repair process complete and then relaunch the Office app to check whether the error is fixed now.
6] Remove Conflicting Version of Microsoft Office
If there are multiple versions of Office installed on your PC, the error might be triggered because the versions are causing conflicts with each other. If the scenario is applicable, uninstall the older version of Office from your PC and then restart your PC. Check if this resolves your problem. If not, try the next fix from this guide.
Read: Fix Office Error Code 30045-29, Something went wrong
7] Troubleshoot in a clean boot state
You are likely to receive this error if there are some third-party apps conflicting with Microsoft Office. If the scenario is applicable, you can try performing a clean boot and see if the Office apps launch without any update error.
Fix: 0xc0000142 Blue Screen error.
8] Re-register the System DLLs
In case some necessary system DLLs have been deregistered from the Registry by a registry cleaner program or security suite, you might receive this error. So, you can try re-registering the System DLLs to fix the problem. However, before doing that, we recommend you create a system restore point just to be on the safe side.
Here are the steps to re-register the System DLLs:
- Firstly, close all Office related tasks and processes from Task Manager.
- Now, open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Next, enter the following command in the CMD:
for %i in (%windir%\system32\*.dll) do regsvr32.exe /s %i
- After that, let the command fully execute, and when done, reboot your PC and see if the error is fixed now.
See: Windows cannot find IntegratedOffice.exe error while installing Office
9] Reinstall Microsoft Office
If none of the solutions works for you, the last resort is to reinstall the Microsoft office suite. For that, you will have to completely uninstall Microsoft Office from your PC and then install it back on your PC. Do make a backup of credentials and license keys before proceeding.
Firstly, go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features and locate the Office module. Select it and then click on the three-dot menu present next to it. Click on the Uninstall option and then follow the prompted instructions to complete the installation of Office. After that, get the installer of the Office module from official sources and then install the entire suite back on your PC. See if this fixes up the error for you.
Read: Fix Office installation Error Code 1603
How do I fix Microsoft Office unable to start correctly?
To get rid of this problem, you need to repair the Microsoft Office first. However, this problem might occur when you open multiple heavy-weight apps simultaneously. In that case, you need to close unnecessary apps, re-register DLL files, disable all the custom settings, etc.
That’s it! Hope this helps!
Now read: Microsoft Office Professional Plus encountered an error during setup.
