Microsoft is investigating an issue that prevents users from downloading Microsoft 365 desktop apps from the Microsoft 365 homepage. The bug, which has been affecting users since November 2, is related to an error in a recent service update.
The company confirmed the malfunction on Wednesday in an incident report numbered OP1192004. The error affects customers who want to download Microsoft 365 desktop apps. Microsoft is currently testing a solution and promises to provide an update on its progress this evening.
Cause: error in license verification
Microsoft has identified the cause of the problem. A recent service update contains a code error that disrupts the license check. As a result, users cannot download the desktop apps from the homepage. The company is currently testing the fix in its own internal environment before rolling it out. Microsoft expects to be able to share a timeline for implementation soon.
The bug can affect any user attempting to download Microsoft 365 desktop apps. Microsoft has not yet shared details about the exact scope of the problem. However, the company described the malfunction as an “incident,” a term used to describe critical issues with a noticeable impact on users.
More problems with Excel and Outlook
Microsoft is currently dealing with multiple outages. The company is also resolving a known issue where some users are unable to open Excel email attachments in the new Outlook client. This is due to an encoding error in Excel file names.
A year ago, Microsoft resolved a similar issue where license changes caused random “Product Deactivated” error messages. Last month, they fixed a bug caused by misconfigured authentication components that prevented customers from installing the Microsoft 365 desktop apps on Windows devices.
The frequency of these incidents raises questions about the reliability of Microsoft’s cloud services. Organizations that depend on Microsoft 365 for their daily operations continue to experience periodic outages. These can have a significant impact on productivity.