14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has recently confirmed that some users who install the latest Windows 10 cumulative updates for specifics OS version could end up being unable to launch Microsoft Office productivity apps.
The company explains that the issue impacts Windows 10 version 1903, 1909, and 2004, as well as the recent Windows Server versions.
Microsoft says the following in a confirmation of the bug:
“We have received reports that some users are unable to open apps after installing KB4557957, especially Microsoft Office apps. Affected users might also receive an error, such as, 'Windows cannot find "c:\program files\microsoft office\root\office16\winword.exe" Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again.’”
Avast fixes already available
By the looks of things, the issue isn’t caused by the cumulative updates themselves, but by Avast security software, so the issue is only happening on devices where these products are installed. Everyone else should be able to use Microsoft Office apps just fine, so if you come across the aforementioned errors, the first thing you should check is the Avast software installed on your device.
“This issue has been resolved by Avast. This issue only affected devices with certain versions of Avast or AVG applications and was addressed with an update to their respective products,” Microsoft says.
This means no other action is required on your side, and Avast itself has also confirmed that some of its customers are coming across this error. A fix has been pushed through the software update feature of Avast products, so installing the most recent versions of these security apps should bring these back to normal.
All Office apps have been impacted by this problem, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Some say that even Microsoft Edge is broken down, so if you run Avast and experience issues on your device, make sure the most recent update is installed.