Help! Office Apps Keep Closing Unexpectedly After a Patching Tool Update
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TechNinja88
Hey everyone! I'm dealing with a frustrating situation where a patching tool used by a previous team has made Office applications crash unexpectedly. This happens while people are working, and there's no warning at all; the apps just quit as if they've crashed. After experimenting, I identified that it's not just background updates since I see the message "Updating Microsoft 365 and Office, please wait a moment..." when reopening the apps. In the Event Viewer, there's an indication of a Windows Installer transaction, which could be a clue. Additionally, this patching tool is also affecting Firefox, causing it to show a message that prompts a restart to continue using it. I'm certain there's a registry key or script that could restore normal functionality, but my search results have been generic or only related to patching tools. Has anyone faced a similar issue or found a fix? Thanks in advance!
Answers
What specific patching tool are we dealing with here? Understanding how it’s deployed might be key to finding a solution since many tools prompt users to close applications for updates.
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Just out of curiosity, is this patching tool something your team built, or is it from a third-party provider?
TechNinja88: It’s from a third party called Pulseway Patch Management.
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It sounds like the patching tool is triggering a Windows Installer transaction, which may involve the RestartManager process that's meant to manage app restarts during updates. You might want to explore ways to adjust these settings or see if you can bypass the automatic closing through MSIExec parameters. This could help prevent disruptions while installing updates.
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Honestly, it sounds like the new team can't properly support the tool they deployed if they are reluctant to help. That’s concerning!
TechNinja88: Thanks for your perspective! It does feel like there’s been a lack of support.
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Looks like the reliability of this patching tool is questionable, especially if it’s affecting multiple applications. This could indicate a wider issue with updates. Have you tried reaching out to the vendor for support? You may get some insights there.
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It sounds like a possible registry or group policy issue. You might want to check Microsoft’s documentation on configuring update settings for Microsoft 365 apps to see if it helps. If that doesn’t work, you can try the Microsoft Office removal tool or manually delete any leftover Office files and registry keys before reinstalling. It’s a hassle, but it might get you back on track!
TechNinja88: Thanks for the tip! I checked out the cloud update config and even attempted to switch to that over the patching tool. Seems like there might still be some remnants causing issues; definitely a frustrating situation.
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TechNinja88: It’s Pulseway Patch Management. I wish it would prompt users like some others do, but unfortunately, these updates are killing the processes instead.