Forum Discussion
Excel 2016 C2R constant updates - even after disabled!
That looked promising, but maybe it only applies to the "real" Office? "Click-to-Run" seems to operate by its own rules. The closest I can find to that area in my system is in the screenshot:
"UpdateDetectionWatcher" is not found anywhere else in the registry. "Updates" only has "value not set" keys. And none for 16.0 version.
I suspect C2R, like the "new" apps, pretty much ignores the registry. Their updates ignore all your Windows Update settings, ignore "metered connection", and just do whatever Microsoft wants, on their schedule. Guess it's the future.
Hi Loren,
Yes, C2R is for any O365 and works separatelly from Windows Update. The latest updates only stand-alone Microsoft products (in addition to OS) if you checked such setting.
It looks like you still have your business O365 installed, just license expired. For example, you have in your registry MS Project which could be added only to Enterprise or Academic O365 plans.
If you don't use your business O365 any more, it will be more reliable to uninstall C2R from Control panel and after that install your new Excel (stand alone, or within O365 Home, whatever) from scratch.
Better to do when you next time drive to Starbucks or like not to consume metered connection during the installation.
Sergei,
I did not think the first Excel version was C2R, but I'm not clear how to tell. Here's what its license check showed:
PRODUCT ID: 00333-10000-00000-AA920
SKU ID: c3e65d36-141f-4d2f-a303-a842ee756a29
LICENSE NAME: Office 16, Office16ExcelVL_KMS_Client edition
LICENSE DESCRIPTION: Office 16, VOLUME_KMSCLIENT channelAt any rate, I carefully uninstalled that before installing the new Microsoft Store version. And that Store version was completely uninstalled and a newly downloaded "Setup.X86.en-US_ExcelRetail_07b5b21e-d03e-40de-b676-6459e1d7027c_TX_PR_.exe" version was installed to solve an earlier problem.
As for Project, all I've ever had on this computer is Excel, I have no idea why there are so many registry entries for other Office components. I do still have the install image for the current Excel, but if the previous two uninstalls didn't clean things up, I doubt a third try would.
Plus then I'd be several updates back in time, with no way to retrieve them. I don't understand why every third-party app is able to update itself successfully despite my tacky internet service, but Microsoft just fails over and over. Paying someone for two hours of driving to reach a Starbucks (or any reliable connectivity) is not really an option.
Guess I just get used to seeing the update banner in every Excel window.
Hi Loren,
You are right, you had MSI installation for business version. I still think your "update banner" is since some settings kept from that installation.
If you check the link Jens gave simple uninstall from control panel is far not enough for clean Office uninstallation. You have to apply that fix to uninstall with all settings and components, and after that better to go through manual uninstallation steps.
Sure, in your situation to repeat all that is unreasonable. Nonetheless, you may try with registry key i gave at very beginning. If it won't help you loss nothing. If you try please inform about result - if positive we'll know it works, if negative perhaps will find something else.
"Nonetheless, you may try with registry key i gave at very beginning."
Guess I wasn't clear, that key does not exist in my system.
Now that I know the update files are here, the banner is telling the truth! Question is why it can't just install them.
Hey Loren,
as you mentioned you did 2 uninstalls that didnt help, maybe next time you get a chance to install new you want to try if this quick fix removes whatever gets in your way?
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Uninstall-Office-from-a-PC-9dd49b83-264a-477a-8fcc-2fdf5dbf61d8?omkt=en-US&ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US
That led me to a lot of new clues!
"Use Task Manager to end the Click-to-Run task OfficeClickToRun.exe"
So I can hack TaskManager... I disabled the "Office Automatic Updates" task.
History shows it does not fail - guess it successfully starts the update program, and that fails.
Updates banner still shows in every Excel window. Must be some other evidence that one is pending.
There's Excel15.xlb (undecipherable binary), lots of OTele files (telemetry back home), excel.exe_Rules.xml (might be it, but almost every "update" value is "ignore", hard to guess which one to hack)...
Aha! - C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\ClickToRun\Updates shows:
16.0.7870.2038
16.0.7967.2139
Both of the updates I haven't been able to get.
Each one has 68 items, lots of dll files, etc. All the same files that are in the ClickToRun folder from the 26 March update - the last one that worked.
So why won't it actually install them? It always says it needs to "close some files" and when I say OK it downloads 16 MB of something, and tells me I can keep working. And that repeats over and over, but the updates are still sitting here unused.
So I hid the Updates folder - banner still appears. Maybe a full restart of Windows? Or maybe there is another cue? I'm betting the problem is in the "telemetry" back home - it is not telling the mothership that the files are here, and the 16MB is it checking in and being told they are not.
Maybe if I just copy the new files to the ClickToRun folder I'll have the update? But maybe still the banner as well?At least we know it is not a download problem - all the files for two complete updates are already here. These "modern" apps are disgusting. My "Microsoft Store" was broken for like six months, and they couldn't make it work. One day it just came back by itself. Not a clue why.
