What to Do When Microsoft Office Error Code 30088-45 Pops Up

Microsoft Office is a popular document processing suite installed in almost every computer. It offers a wide range of features and is easy to use. It is suitable for students, professionals, and accountants who need to create presentations, documents, and perform calculations. While alternatives exist, Microsoft Office remains the preferred choice for many.

In fact, the first thing computer owners do when they buy a new computer or reinstall their operating system is to install a copy of Microsoft Office. You have the option to install the entire suite or just choose the applications that you need. Unfortunately, installing Microsoft Office may not be hassle-free for everyone.

Several users have been complaining about getting error code 30088-45 when installing Microsoft Office. This prevents them from installing the suite successfully.

What Is the Microsoft Office Error Code 30088-45

This is a common error that Windows users encounter when installing Microsoft Office. It does not matter what version is being installed — Home & Student, Home & Business, Standard, Professional, and Professional Plus. It also occurs on all versions of the Windows operating system, not just Windows 10/11.

The error notification usually reads:

Something went wrong
Sorry, we weren’t able to download the Office introduction. If you’d like you can take a look online or skip it for now.
Go online take a look.

This error usually appears in the middle of the installation of Microsoft Office, with users stuck at different levels of progress. This is error can be caused by a multitude of factors, which we will discuss in the next section.

Causes of Microsoft Office Error Code 30088-45

If you are installing Microsoft office and getting error code 30088-45, then it could be caused by a wide range of factors. Here are some of the common reasons why you are suffering from this bug:

• An overprotective security software, such as your antivirus or firewall, might be preventing the installer to download the necessary files or proceed with the installation.
• Your internet connection or proxy settings might be trying to block the downloading of the installation package.
• If you have a previous installation of Microsoft Office, old files might be interfering with the current installation. Failure to completely remove the old installation brings about this error.
• Corrupted installation files due to poor internet connection are also one of the factors you have to consider.

How to Fix Error Code 30088-45 on Microsoft Office

When you get this error, rebooting your computer before trying again should be your first step. However, you need to make sure that all the files that went through during the installation have been completely removed. You can clean up old installation and leftover files using a reliable PC repair tool, for example, Outbyte PC Repair.

If a simple reboot did not work, here are some other things you can try:

Step #1: Repair the Installation.

If you were able to complete the installation when the error happened, you can try running the Office Repair tool to see if you can salvage your current installation. To do this:

1. Search for Control Panel using the search console.
2. Click on Programs > Programs and Features.
3. Click on the Microsoft Office installation that you want to fix.
4. Click Change > Quick Repair, then click on Repair.
5. The repair tool will scan your current installation for any issues and automatically repair them if possible.
6. If the Quick Repair option didn’t help, go back to the previous window and select Online Repair > Repair this time.

Step #2: Uninstall Microsoft Office.

If the Quick Repair and Online Repair options did not fix the Microsoft office error code 30088-45, then you need to uninstall the entire suite before installing a fresh copy on your computer. Make sure that you remove all the files that were installed previously. There are two ways to uninstall Microsoft Office, and you can choose which method works for you best.

Method 1: Uninstall via Programs and Features.

1. Search for Control Panel using the search console.
2. Click on Programs > Programs and Features.
3. Click on the Microsoft Office installation that you want to remove.
4. Click Uninstall or Remove.

Method 2: Manual Uninstallation.

1. Remove the Microsoft Office installer packages by going to the installation folder at C:\Program Files\.
2. Right-click on the Microsoft Office folder, then choose Delete.
3. Remove the scheduled task via Command Prompt. Make sure you are running Command Prompt as an administrator.
4. Type in the following command, then press Enter after each line:
   • schtasks.exe /delete /tn “\Microsoft\Office\Office Automatic Updates”
   • schtasks.exe /delete /tn “\Microsoft\Office\Office Subscription Maintenance”
   • schtasks.exe /delete /tn “\Microsoft\Office\Office ClickToRun Service Monitor”
5. End the click-to-run tasks by opening Task Manager (right-click anywhere in the Taskbar then choose Task Manager).
6. Click on the Process tab then click on any running process with setup.exe in its name.
7. Click End Task for every process.
8. The next step is to delete your Microsoft Office files.
9. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
10. In the dialog box, type in: %ProgramFiles%.
11. Click OK. This would open the Program Files folder.
12. Look for the Microsoft Office 16 folder and delete it.
13. Look for the Microsoft Office folder as well, then delete it.
14. Go back to the Run dialog box, then type in: %ProgramFiles(x86)%.
15. Click OK.
16. Look for the Microsoft Office folder then delete it.
17. Remove the Microsoft Office registry sub keys using the Registry Editor.
18. In the Run dialog, type in regedit, then hit Enter.
19. Follow these paths, and delete them:
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\ClickToRun
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AppVISV
    • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office
20. Next, delete the Office key.
21. Remove the Start menu shortcuts via Command Prompt.
22. Make sure you are running Command Prompt as an administrator.
23. In the Command Prompt window, type in:
    %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs.
24. Press Enter.
25. Delete the Microsoft Office 2016 Tools folder.

Step 3: Download and Install Microsoft Office.

Once you have totally removed your previous installation, you can now install a fresh copy of Microsoft Office on your computer. To do this:

1. Go to your Microsoft account.
2. Navigate to your My Account page.
3. Click Install > Run.
4. When the phrase You’re good to go appears on the screen, click All done.

Summary

Not being able to install Microsoft Office will greatly affect your productivity, especially if you use the apps for your work or study. So if you are getting error code 30088-45 when installing Microsoft Office, just follow the steps above and you’ll be good to go.