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niniel's avatar
niniel
Copper Contributor
Sep 20, 2026

ChatGPT for Excel update failed, followed by Office add-in catalog errors

I am using Microsoft 365 Personal and Excel Desktop on Windows. The issue originally started when Excel told me that the ChatGPT for Excel add-in needed to be updated. I clicked "Update Now", but t...
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OfficeAddinUser0922's avatar
OfficeAddinUser0922
Copper Contributor
Sep 22, 2026

Adding a related case affecting ChatGPT add-ins in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on Windows desktop Office with a personal Microsoft account. Microsoft support directed this case to Tech Community for further investigation.

 

The Word installation failure was directly reproduced; matching symptoms in Excel and PowerPoint are user-reported and their individual error codes have not yet been rechecked.

 

Environment and reproduction

- Office Professional Plus 2021, 64-bit, activated.

- Current Channel, version 2608, build 16.0.20326.20158.

- Word: open the Office Store, select the official ChatGPT add-in published by OpenAI, LLC (WA200010215), then Add and Continue.

- The Store and add-in details load, but installation reports that one or more add-ins could not be loaded.

- Refreshing My Add-ins reports “Catalog access denied.”

- OAlerts contains error 0x8004324F: permission to use the add-in is denied. Those earlier events recorded build 16.0.20326.20072; this differs from the currently installed build above.

- Connected experiences for downloading online content and all connected experiences were already enabled.

 

Comparison and scope

An already-installed Claude by Anthropic for Word add-in opens its task pane with skill buttons and a message input. No AI prompt or response test was performed. Word's status bar still displays an add-in loading error. Therefore, existing task-pane loading should be distinguished from new acquisition/installation and catalog authorization.

 

Other new add-in installations, Office repair/reinstallation, credential deletion, logout/login, cache reset, rollback, Word for the web, and a different network have not been tested. A successful GetClientAppInstallInfo result in an earlier Word log is not being treated as proof that every authorization check passed.

 

Requested assistance

1. Is this related to OfficeDev/office-js issue #6952 and the internally tracked issue 12387217 mentioned there?

2. What specific comparison or diagnostic should distinguish add-in-specific failure from Office catalog/account authorization failure?

3. Is a permanent fix or account-side remediation available that preserves normal signed-in use across the three Office apps?

4. If additional logs are needed, please provide a private collection/submission path.

 

References:

https://github.com/OfficeDev/office-js/issues/6952

https://github.com/OfficeDev/office-js/issues/6952#issuecomment-5726627474