How to Stop and Delete Microsoft AutoUpdate Tool in Mac?

Earlier days you can manually update the apps and OS whenever needed. However, nowadays app developers force automatic updates to keep the apps safer and securer. When you install Microsoft products on Mac, there will be a Microsoft AutoUpdate program installed in addition to core app. This AutoUpdate tool helps to check the available updates in background and install the latest version without your intervention. Unfortunately, this AutoUpdate is a nagging tool that will annoy you popping up all the time with notifications and updates. If you are frustrated, here is how you can stop Microsoft AutoUpdate always running in background in Mac.

Before Disabling Microsoft AutoUpdate Tool

Apps installed from Mac App Store will get updates from Apple through “App Store > Updates” section. So, Microsoft AutoUpdate tool will not be there in your Mac if you have installed apps from Mac App Store. As mentioned, the tool will be automatically installed when you install Office, Edge or any other apps from Microsoft website. You can’t remove the tool while installing through installer package.

Though you will not find this tool in Applications folder, there are multiple ways you can disable this tool in Mac.

• Disable automatic updates in the tool so that you can do it manually.
• Only stop annoying notifications but allow the tool to run in background.
• Completely delete Microsoft AutoUpdate if you do not have any other related apps.

1. Disable Microsoft AutoUpdate

There are two ways to stop the automatic update. One is to disable auto update in AutoUpdate app so that it will only show you the available updates and you can choose to install or not. Another way is to stop the app running in the background so that it will not work at all.

1.1. Disable Automatic Update in AutoUpdate Tool

If you have installed Office apps from Microsoft account, then open one of the apps like Word and go to “Help > Check for Updates” menu. This will open Microsoft AutoUpdate tool. Otherwise, open Finder app and navigate to “Go > Go to Folder…” menu (or use “Shift + Command + G” shortcut in Finder).

Type “/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/” and press enter to open that location.

Find MAU folder which is the Microsoft AutoUpdate related folder. As you see, here it is MAU2.0 and the version maybe different in your case. Double click and open Microsoft AutoUpdate app from the folder.

Simply disable “Automatically keep Microsoft apps up to date” option.

You will see a pop-up and confirm the action by clicking on “Turn Off” button.

1.1. Disable AutoUpdate Tool Running in Background

• Click the Apple logo and select “System Settings…” menu.

• Go to “General > Login Items” section.

• Check under “Allow in the Background” section.
• Turn off “Microsoft AutoUpdate” and “Microsoft Corporation” items.

• Confirm your action by providing admin password or with Touch ID.

Note that you can’t open the tool after disabling it from running in background. The tool will show update error and ask you to change the System Settings to allow it in the background.

2. Only Disable AutoUpdate Notifications

If you do not worry about the automatic update but annoyed with the pop-up notifications, then you can simply disable the notification for Microsoft AutoUpdate app.

• Click the Apple logo and go to “System Settings…” menu.
• Go to “Notifications” section and click “Microsoft Update Assistant”.

• On the next screen, turn the switch off against “Allow notifications” option.

3. Completely Deleting Microsoft AutoUpdate Tool

Apps like Edge do not need this AutoUpdate tool as the update runs within the app. However, Office and other apps installed from Microsoft account need this tool to get the latest version. So, it is not a recommended to delete AutoUpdate when you have Microsoft apps on your Mac. If you do not have any Microsoft apps, then follow the below steps to get rid of Microsoft AutoUpdate.

• Go to “/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/MAU2.0/” folder in Finder and delete “Microsoft AutoUpdate” application file.
• Navigate to “/Library/LaunchAgents/” folder and delete “com.microsoft.update.agent.plist” file.
• Finally, go to “/Library/LaunchDaemons/” folder and delete “com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper.plist” file.

As you can see, Edge has its own EdgeUpdater and hence will not have any problem even if you delete Microsoft AutoUpdate related stuffs.

Apps Not Getting Updated

If you find Microsoft apps are not getting updated or face any other problem after deleting AutoUpdate tool, you can simply reinstall it.

• Go to Microsoft release history page.
• Find and navigate to the latest release version section. Generally, Microsoft will release the update each month and hence you can check under the latest month section.
• Click “Download Microsoft AutoUpdate x.xx Package” link.

• This will download the installer package in your “Downloads” folder.
• Find the file, double click to open it and install the tool again.