Year: 2022

WWDC speculation has begun, and while much of this focuses on iPhone enhancements and Apple’s plans for AR, pro users will be looking at performance, parity, and partnership, as well as platforms.

Here’s what I expect.

Performance

Apple will announce new operating systems for all its hardware at WWDC. The final iterations will ship this fall, alongside new hardware that won’t likely be announced until then. We’re expecting M2 Macs, new iPhones, and updated iPad Pros.

Apple already knows most everything about its new hardware. It’s been building toward the release of it for at least the last couple of years. (Building, in this case, means tweaking the software to optimize performance on the hardware, right down to the processor architecture used across every device the company plans — iPhone, iPad, Mac, and maybe Apple Glass.)

The operating system updates will be designed to deliver great results on existing equipment and even better performance on the hardware it has been designed for. We’ll see evidence of this across all the releases, but with Apple’s highest-end Mac Pro almost certainly scheduled for introduction at WWDC, marking two years since the transition began, it’s macOS (Mammoth?) that should interest pro users most.

How will Apple optimize macOS to address huge quantities of onboard memory, and fast potentially multi-M1 Ultra processors? And what kinds of graphics, video, and machine learning enhancements will be baked into the OS to optimize creative tasks?

The next step forward will be watching what this software is capable of when running on the M2 processors looming on the horizon. My feeling is that M2 Macs won’t appear before Apple ships the next macOS.

Parity

Those M1 chips don’t just live inside Macs. They also live inside iPad Pros and the iPad Air. Are they doing enough in there? That’s arguable, but I can’t help thinking about iDropNews, which recently claimed iPads with M1 chips will become capable of running Mac apps, such as Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Xcode.

I imagine that means iPad versions of those apps, and performance will inevitably be limited — you’ll still need a Mac for the most demanding work — but if you’re a musician on a tour bus trying to work on a track, or a journalist in Central Europe working on a video report showing the events taking place there, an iPad may sometimes be the most convenient computer to carry.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also anticipates a “new iPadOS multitasking interface,” which could mean almost anything; I suspect it may indicate more consistency between multitasking on iPads and other devices. I’d also quite like iPad-like widgets on my Mac’s Desktop, but that could be unique to me.

Partnership

OK, I was searching for a word beginning with “P,” but iCloud integration on iOS devices remains better than it is on the Mac. There are reasons for this, not least that Macs use different tools to work with online storage services such as OneDrive, Box, and Dropbox. But in don’t ignore that Microsoft, Box, and Dropbox have all moved to adopt Apple’s File Provider extensions this year.

What this should mean is much improved integration between those services and all Apple hardware, including  iCloud. Hopefully, however, Apple will recognize that for many pro users, the very notion of saving all your work to the cloud is far from desirable and give them an option to save to the local drive, an external drive, or elsewhere.

And at the same time, if this is indeed the plan, it’s also reasonable to anticipate additional improvements to the Files app, with collaboration between different services (as well as colleagues) and more sophisticated storage tools to give Files more parity with other similar services.

The idea will be that you can begin working on a Mac, finish it on an iPad, and then tweak the final results on your iPhone before committing it to your Slack group for input.

Platform

Most pro users will also be interested in whether Apple does show us a little more of its forthcoming AR platform. Gurman doesn’t believe Apple will launch the AR glasses we all think we know it has been developing for years, but he agrees that it is possible it may demonstrate the headset’s Reality OS.

That means it’s quite likely to want to discuss how the two 1.4-in. 8K displays and a dozen or so external proximity cameras work together with the M1 processor on the device, and what kind of tools developers can use to build experiences for these systems.

 Foveal imaging, which changes display resolution for where your eyes are focused, is also going to be something of a big deal, I imagine.

Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.

All right, my fellow Chrome OS adventurer — see if this progression feels familiar:

• First: “Ooh, look! My Chromebook’s getting a huge update this week! Cool new features! SO EXCITING!!”
• Then: “Oh. The update’s here, but everything looks the same. Where’s all the new stuff? So disappointing.”

It’s an all-too-common pairing here in the land o’ Googley matters, and that exact progression is in the midst of playing out for many an eager Chromebook owner this very moment.

Have you felt it yet? This latest up-and-down got going when Google made a splashy announcement about its 100th Chrome OS release the other day — including, most notably, the long-in-progress launch of a snazzy new revamped Chromebook launcher (ooh, ahh, etc).

It’s part of Chrome OS 100, we heard! It’ll bring a whole new look ‘n’ feel to your favorite Chromebook! It’ll change the way you use your computer, gersh dern it!

Excerpt, erm, it isn’t actually on by default. Not yet. Even after you get the Chrome OS 100 update — which you probably have, by this point — that fancy new setup won’t be present. Not where you can see it, anyway.

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It’s a bummer. But it doesn’t have to be.

Today, we’re gonna spelunk deep into your Chromebook’s bowels to find the hidden switches for enabling that spiffy new launcher along with a smattering of other smashingly useful new systems. They’re all technically already there on your device. They’re just tucked away out of sight, and it’s up to you to dig ’em up and enable ’em.

Let’s spelunk, shall we?

Chrome OS treasure No. 1: A new and improved launcher

We’ll start with that elusive new launcher. No normal organism would ever know it, but you can skip the wait for Google to roll the thing out and activate the updated Chrome OS launcher this minute by taking the following fast ‘n’ easy steps:

• Type chrome:flags into the address bar of any Chrome browser window.
• Type app launcher into the search box on the screen that comes up.
• See the line labeled “Productivity experiment: App Launcher”? Click the box next to it and change its setting from “Default” to “Enabled.”
• Click the blue Restart button at the bottom of the screen.

And that’s it: Once your Chromebook restarts, you should be able to click the circle-shaped icon in the lower-left corner of the screen or hit the matching Everything button on your keyboard — and, ta-da:

JR

Ain’t she purty? Looks aside, this revamped Chrome OS launcher actually lets you automatically order your apps by name or by color (imagine that!). Just right-click or two-finger-click on any open area in the lower part of the launcher to find the associated options.

JR

The new launcher includes a bunch of practical contextual info at its top, too, and it integrates completely with Google Assistant so you can call up all sorts of worthwhile answers right then and there.

Chrome OS treasure No. 2: A smarter status bar

Next, while we’re looking at that bottom edge of your Chromebook’s screen, let’s inject a little extra productivity-pushin’ power into its lower-right corner. This is a good one — a long-missing bit of basic-seeming integration that’ll bring a big boost to your workday efficiency.

I won’t keep you waiting: It’s an actual calendar view — connected to Google Calendar, even! — right in your Chromebook’s Quick Settings area.

You just click the inconspicuous little date text within that pop-up panel, and — behold:

JR

An actual functioning calendar! There! Where you can access it easily, anytime, no matter what you might be doing! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!

Oh, and there’s more: If you click on any date with a dot representing an event on it, you can see the info right then and there, too:

JR

Clicking on the event itself from there will pull up its details page within the Google Calendar website.

Not bad, right?

To enable it:

• Once more, type chrome:flags into your browser’s address bar.
• This time, search for the word calendar.
• Find the line labeled “Productivity experiment: Monthly Calendar View” and change the setting next to it from “Default” to “Enabled.”
• Smoosh that Restart button to get the changes to apply.

Ah — so calendary.

Chrome OS treasure No. 3: A desktop saving system

If you’re completely deranged delightfully organized like I am, you probably have a specific set of apps and websites you open every time you’re working on certain types of tasks. And opening ’em all up time and time again can get to be a chore.

Well, chore no more: Your Chromebook’s got an awesome new way to save you time and set your desktop up for you — with however many specific arrangements your beautiful soggy brain requires.

Once the feature is enabled, you’ll see a new option in the Chrome OS Overview screen — that broad view of your currently open windows and apps that comes up when you press the key with a square that has two vertical lines next to it (typically in the spot where F4 would go):

JR

See that new “Save desk as a template” option at the top? Click it — click it with gusto! — and you’ll be able to save that exact set of open items as a template for future restoring. It’ll then show up within a new “Templates” area of that same Overview interface:

JR

And with one more click, you can bring that same set of apps and windows back into action in a snap.

To enable it:

• Again, type chrome:flags into your browser’s address bar.
• Search for the word templates.
• Find the line that’s labeled “Desk Templates” and turn the setting next to it into the “Enabled” position.
• Pound that blasted Restart button and giggle with glee.

All that’s left is to hit the Overview button on your Chromebook’s keyboard when the system comes back up and look for your lovely new on-screen option.

Chrome OS treasure No. 4: A file restoring center

You’d be forgiven for failing to notice, but Chrome OS somehow still doesn’t have a trash can of any sort in its system-level Files app — which means you’ve got no easy way to get a file back after you delete it.

Crazy, ain’t it?

Don’t let yourself get too grouchy over the omission, though: You can fix your Chromebook’s curious little oversight in about 10 seconds by activating its software’s hidden trash-can-adding option. All it does is bring a new and long overdue Trash area into the main menu of the Files app so that anytime you delete something, you’ve got a 30-day window where you can restore it if you so desire.

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3656409

I mean, really, the only question to ask yourself is why you possibly wouldn’t want this in place on your computer.

To add it:

• Type chrome:flags into your browser’s address bar.
• Search for trash on the screen that comes up.
• Find the line labeled “Enable Files Trash” and change its setting to “Enabled.”
• Do a jaunty little jig (optional but highly recommended).
• Click the blue Restart button at the bottom of the screen.

Who knew a simple dumping ground could be so darn satisfying?!

Hey: Want even more Googley knowledge? Come grab my free weekly newsletter to get next-level tips in your inbox every Friday — and get three bonus tips on your favorite topic right now.

Disclosure: Microsoft is a client of the author.

Microsoft this week had an analyst event about Windows 11 and a variety of productivity, management, and security features the company has planned. Over the last couple of years, Microsoft has aggressively improved both Windows and Office 365, but the big change ahead is the potential blend of Windows with Windows 365. We’ll see that start by the end of the year. The end game should be what appears to be a Windows desktop that integrates so well with the cloud that it can, when necessary, seamlessly switch between instances to comply with company policy, assure security, and provide recourse on automatic demand from Azure Cloud. 

Lagging on OS upgrades is becoming more risky

One of the big improvements to both Windows 10 and 11 involves security. Until the early 2000s, Microsoft didn’t take security seriously and left it up to firms like McAfee and Symantec to fill the gaps.  That was the one lesson Microsoft should have learned from IBM back in the 1980s, though it did learn the lesson eventually. Now, the focus on security at Microsoft is not only serious but has impressively advanced year-over-year.

This also means the company is moving far more quickly to address security threats and rearchitecting Windows for those threats. In the past, there was little incentive to do so outside of usability and UI changes (which in Vista and particularly Windows 8 worked against early deployment). Today, the risk of staying on an old version is the increased likelihood that credentials will be compromised, systems will be penetrated, and systems that haven’t been updated become a host for malware, and especially ransomware.

I’m an ex-internal auditor and my team used to penalize folks that made penny-wise but pound-foolish decisions, like delaying an OS upgrade when that decision opened the firm to attack. By penalize, I mean those employees were fired. Today’s risk landscape is so extreme that practices need to favor an approach that focuses more on protect against malware and worries less about limiting upgrade pain.

Companies might also want to favor Secure Core PCs in their specifications for much the same reason:  they offer the strongest protections for hardware, software, firmware, access, and credentials without adversely impacting productivity. It has simply become far too risky to put off changes that maximize your security profile. Being current on the OS, up to date on patching and having the most secure hardware can go a long way to assuring that the next breach will happen to some other company. Microsoft has even created a unique security processor called Pluton, which should be in your PC spec as a requirement from now on. 

Windows 11 + Windows 365 and the future

As soon as Satya Nadella took over as Microsoft CEO, the company began its pivot from a desktop software OS and platform company to a cloud software and platform company. It should be no surprise that Microsoft is now beginning to integrate the two offerings. Initially, this will allow companies to maintain cloud instances of Windows that are potentially far more secure than desktops — and they can remain secure, even on consumer-grade hardware. Initially, this will allow increasingly seamless movement between both environments, and each environment will be lock-tight secure. So, if one side is compromised, the other won’t be infected. 

Users will be able to move so easily between environments that they’ll automatically pull from cloud services as needed, whether a hybrid or cloud-only environment, never knowing or caring about the difference.

Microsoft talked up a host of other features to better organize files and folders; provide greater flexibility for hybrid work; and improve remote management and provisioning. But it’s the big improvements on security and cloud integration that will make the most difference. The first will push ever more aggressive upgrade cycles to deal with growing threats; the second goes down the path of automating every aspect of desktop management, with artificial intelligence (AI) technology adapting dynamically to how each user works. 

The idea of using AI to uniquely modify the user experience based on how you use the tool is the biggest promise of AI — systems that adapt to you rather than the other way around. When that starts rolling out shortly, it will forever change the Windows experience, and could be a bigger advance than Windows 95 represented. 

Microsoft is stepping up with some fascinating advances later this year. I’m eager to try them out.

Office 365 and Microsoft 365 subscribers get more frequent software updates than those who have purchased Office without a subscription, which means subscribers have access to the latest features, security patches, and bug fixes. But it can be hard to keep track of the changes in each update and know when they’re available. We’re doing this for you, so you don’t have to.

Following are summaries of the updates to Office 365/Microsoft 365 for Windows, with the latest releases shown first. We’ll add info about new updates as they’re rolled out.

Note: This story covers updates released to regular Office 365/Microsoft 365 for Windows subscribers. If you’re a member of Microsoft’s Office Insider preview program or want to get a sneak peek at upcoming features, see the company’s “Release notes for Office for Windows Desktop (Beta builds)” page.

Version 2203 (Build 15028.20160)

Release date: March 30, 2022

This build introduces one new feature, a navigation pane for Excel that lets you see the layout of your workbook at a glance and navigate through its elements quickly. The build also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in Excel in which using custom command bars could cause Excel to crash, one in Outlook that caused the “Index out of date” message to display too often, one in Word that caused a performance issue when opening Word documents with thousands of track changes, and one for the entire Office suite that caused contact cards to display improperly

Get more info about Version 2203 (Build 15028.20160).

Version 2202 (Build 14931.20132)

Release date: March 8, 2022

This build fixes several bugs, including one in Outlook that caused users to experience performance issues when switching folders due to a corrupt view setting. It also offers security updates for Visio and Word. For details, see Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about  Version 2202 (Build 14931.20132).

Version 2202 (Build 14931.20120)

Release date: February 28, 2022

This build offers a wide variety of new features, including one in Excel that disables Excel 4.0 (XML) macros by default to improve security; one in Word that lets you proofread selected text with Editor; one in Outlook that lets you visualize and explore your company’s internal structure, work teams, and individual roles; and one on PowerPoint that lets you pre-record video with animation. It also has many new Teams features, including enabling Teams app developers to test their monetized apps within Teams clients, and the addition of a new compact view in Chat.

Many bugs were also fixed, including one in Outlook in which the folder hierarchy did not synchronize all folders for very large primary mailboxes with more than 100,00 folders, and another in Word in which SVG images that contain external content weren’t showing up.

Get more info about Version 2202 (Build 14931.20120).

Version 2201 (Build 14827.20198)

Release date: February 16, 2022

This build fixes a single bug in Access that caused errors while running an application.

Get more info about Version 2201 (Build 14827.20198).

Version 2201 (Build 14827.20192)

Release date: February 8, 2022

This build fixes several bugs, including one in which people could not save their files in Project. It also offers security updates for Excel, Visio, and the entire Office suite. For details, see the Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2201 (Build 14827.20192).

Version 2201 (Build 14827.20158)

Release date: January 26, 2022

This build includes a variety of feature updates, including easier scrolling through Excel spreadsheets that are large or that have very wide cells, new Cortana features for Teams, and an improved address book search in Outlook.

A number of bugs were fixed, including one in Outlook that caused applications to become unresponsive after loading a contact card, one in Word in which “Repeat style” applies Normal instead of repeating the style, and another in Access that caused the Insights add-in to stop working intermittently.

Get more info about Version 2201 (Build 14827.20158).

Version 2112 (Build 14729.20260)

Release date: January 12, 2022

This build includes a variety of bugs and performance fixes.

Get more info about Version 2112 (Build 14729.20260).

Version 2112 (Build 14729.20248)

Release date: January 11, 2022

This build fixes a bug in Excel in which shapes and form controls could not call VBA macros. It also offers security updates for two Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities. For details, see “Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.”

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2112 (Build 14729.20248).

Version 2112 (Build 14729.20194)

Release date: January 4, 2022

This build offers a variety of new features, including the ability to track only your own changes in Word when collaborating, an improved way to search Outlook’s calendar, and several new features in Teams, including one that lets you “raise your hand” virtually to let people know you want to contribute without interrupting the conversation.

It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in Access that that caused an application to close unexpectedly when connection to an Access or Jet database using multiple threads, and one in Outlook that caused users to see garbled text in some fields when exporting contacts to a CSV.

Get more info about Version 2112 (Build 14729.20194).

Version 2111 (Build 14701.20262)

Release date: December 16, 2021

This build fixes two bugs, one in Access that prevented multiple users from opening a database on a network file share, and for the entire Office suite related to refreshing elements that may contain text.

Get more info about Version 2111 (Build 14701.20262).

Version 2111 (Build 14701.20248)

Release date: December 14, 2021

This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one in Excel in which opening an XLSM file in the SpreedsheetCompare tool sometimes caused the tool to stop responding, and one in which the teaching callouts (tips) about the new look of Office did not appear in Outlook.

It also offers security updates for Excel and the entire Office suite. For details, see Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2111 (Build 14701.20248).

Version 2111 (Build 14701.20226)

Release date: December 3, 2021

This build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in Excel in which newly created PivotTables could lose custom settings if the data source range was changed; another in PowerPoint and Word in which some pop-up UI elements could not be clicked, such as the Join Meeting pop-up in Outlook or the Welcome Back pop-up in PowerPoint; and another in Project in which some projects would close unexpectedly when loading customized reports.

Get more info about Version 2111 (Build 14701.20226).

Version 2110 (Build 14527.20312)

Release date: December 1, 2021

This build fixes several bugs, including one that wouldn’t allow people to insert their signatures into new emails, replies, or forwards after a restart of Outlook, and another in which the theme picker in Word’s File > Options menu for x64 users didn’t work.

Get more info about Version 2110 (Build 14527.20312).

Version 2110 (Build 14527.20276)

Release date: November 9, 2021

This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one in Excel in which when opening linked tables to Dynamics, numbers may appear as small squares when the data is displayed, and one in Project in which when tasks are rescheduled, manually scheduled tasks may be scheduled earlier than they should be. It also offers security updates for Excel, Word, and the entire Office suite. For details, see Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2110 (Build 14527.20276).

Version 2110 (Build 14527.20234)

Release date: October 28, 2021

This build fixes several small bugs, including one in Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word in which each app stopped responding when drawing an image.

Get more info about Version 2110 (Build 14527.20234).

Version 2110 (Build 14527.20226)

Release date: October 25, 2021

This build includes a wide variety of new features, including several dozen in Teams, ranging from making Live Transcript available for web users of Teams meetings, a new Question & Answer application for Teams webinars & meetings, and allowing people to join meetings in other clouds anonymously from the Teams desktop app.

Several Office bugs were also fixed, including one in Excel in which a query update caused Excel to stop responding, and one in Outlook that caused a sync failure to occur when generating a preview.

Get more info about Version 2110 (Build 14527.20226).

Version 2109 (Build 14430.20306)

Release date: October 14, 2021

This build offers a variety of unnamed bug fixes and performance fixes.

Get more info about Version 2109 (Build 14430.20306).

Version 2109 (Build 14430.20298)

Release date: October 12, 2021

This build offers security updates for Excel, Visio, Word, and the entire Office suite. For details, see Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2109 (Build 14430.20298).

Version 2109 (Build 14430.20270)

Release date: October 6, 2021

This build fixes a bug in Outlook that caused some users to experience a stop responding when attempting to retrieve AutoDiscover settings.

Get more info about Version 2109 (Build 14430.20270).

Version 2109 (Build 14430.20234)

Release date: September 28, 2021

This build introduces more than a dozen new Teams features, including one in which you can now define a default number of days to keep Teams meeting recordings saved to OneDrive and SharePoint before they are automatically deleted, and the introduction of the Network Planner for government clouds to help you determine and organize network requirements for connecting Microsoft Teams users across an organization.

It also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint in which some users could not export documents to PDF or XPS formats, and another in Word in which the insert online video button was disabled.

Get more info about Version 2109 (Build 14430.20234).

Version 2108 (Build 14326.20404)

Release date: September 14, 2021

This build fixes a single small bug and includes security updates. The bug fixed is one that caused a loss of HTML formatting when a draft of an email was saved to disk.

The security updates are for Access, Excel, Visio, Word, and the entire Office suite. For details, see Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2108 (Build 14326.20404).

Version 2108 (Build 14326.20348)

Release date: September 7, 2021

This build fixes several bugs, including one in Excel in which not all columns appeared when linking to or importing from a Dynamics table, one in Outlook that that caused Room Finder to fail to load, and one in Word in which the print preview was not loading when using Print.

Get more info about Version 2108 (Build 14326.20348).

Version 2108 (Build 14326.20238)

Release date: August 25, 2021

This build introduces many new features for Microsoft Teams, including the ability for meeting participants to transfer calls between desktop and mobile, a “top hits” section added to the top of search autosuggestions, and live captions being made available to users accessing Teams meetings via the web.

The build also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which connecting to a data source from within the PowerPivot window in Excel was not working, one that crashed Outlook while email was being composed, one in Word in which the Insert Online Video button was disabled, and one for the entire Office suite in which some documents failed to load after using some web add-ins.

Get more info about Version 2108 (Build 14326.20238).

Version 2107 (Build 14228.20250)

Release date: August 10, 2021

This build fixes a variety of small bugs and includes security updates. Among the bugs fixed are one in Excel that caused some linked Dynamics tables to stop responding and one in multiple Office apps in which document exports to PDF or XPS formats stopped responding due to recent updates.

The security updates are for Word and the entire Office suite. For details, see Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2107 (Build 14228.20250).

Version 2107 (Build 14228.20226)

Release date: August 3, 2021

This build fixes two bugs in Outlook. One caused emails resent by a different user to appear to have been sent by the original sender in organizations that enable Send From Alias. The other caused users to see duplicate time entries in the end meeting time drop-down when the start of the meeting and the end of the meeting were on different dates.

Get more info about Version 2107 (Build 14228.20226).

Version 2107 (Build 14228.20204)

Release date: July 26, 2021

This build offers several minor new features and fixes a variety of bugs. Among the new features are one in which you can use the Immersive Reader in Outlook to create custom text spacing, page colors, column width, and line focus, and another in PowerPoint adds Flipgrid video support.

Among the bugs fixed are one Word in which comment cards next to the Word canvas were the incorrect size, and one in which Outlook crashed for some people when performing searches.

Get more info about Version 2107 (Build 14228.20204).

Version 2106 (Build 14131.20332)

Release date: July 20, 2021

This build fixes several small bugs in Outlook, including one that caused some users to experience an unexpected close when Outlook was collecting diagnostic information, and another that caused Cloud Settings users to experience an unexpected close when an incompletely configured account was present in the profile.

Get more info about Version 2106 (Build 14131.20332).

Version 2106 (Build 14131.20320)

Release date: July 13, 2021

This build fixes a variety of small bugs and includes security updates. Among the bugs fixed are one in Outlook that caused some systems to crash while retrieving service-powered search suggestions, and one for the entire Office suite related to instability during DirectX device loss and recovery situations.

The security updates are for Excel, Word, and the entire Office suite. For details, see Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2106 (Build 14131.20320).

Version 2106 (Build 14131.20278)

Release date: June 29, 2021

This build introduces several new minor features for Outlook, including one that includes the most relevant files related to your search when you type in the Search box, and another alerts you if any suspicious sign-in activity is detected and tells you when and where you last signed into your account.

It also fixes a variety of small bugs, including one in Outlook that disabled translation options for some people, and one in PowerPoint in which people couldn’t to enter credentials into a Windows Security dialog to open a file, because a PowerPoint dialog box obstructed it.

Get more info about Version 2106 (Build 14131.20278).

Version 2105 (Build 14026.20308)

Release date: June 18, 2021

This build fixes several small bugs, including one in Outlook that caused users to experience an unexpected property change prompt when closing a message they had replied to or forwarded, and other for the entire Office suite in which Office crashed when reopening certain files.

Get more info about Version 2105 (Build 14026.20308).

Version 2105 (Build 14026.20270)

Release date: June 8, 2021

This build fixes a variety of small bugs and includes security updates. Among the bugs fixed are one in Excel in which extra entries appeared in the Excel Add-in list for some users, one in Outlook that caused it to close when interacting with Outlook Mail or Calendar Views, and one for the entire Office suite that caused a performance regression on opening SyncBacked files.

The security updates are for Access, Excel, Outlook, and the entire Office suite. For details, see Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2105 (Build 14026.20270).

Version 2105 (Build 14026.20246)

Release date: May 24, 2021

This build includes nearly two dozen new features in Teams: anonymous users can join a Live Event so that they can present during the event, webinars can be scheduled and delivered for up to 1,000 people at a time, and users can create group chats that include people external to their organization who use Teams.

Word, Excel and PowerPoint now allow documents encrypted with sensitivity labels to be AutoSaved and co-authored with others in real time. (Unencrypted documents have this feature already.)

There are also a wide variety of resolved issues, including fixing a bug in Word in which the Editor Pane didn’t open, and one in PowerPoint in which the Reuse Slides option was not available for some users.

Get more info about Version 2105 (Build 14026.20246).

Version 2104 (Build 13929.20386)

Release date: May 18, 2021

This build fixes two issues with Outlook, one that caused the people picker in Outlook to expand upward rather than downward for users with a perpetual license, and another that caused the feedback option to fail to appear for users of the Office Perpetual 2021 preview.

Get more info about Version 2104 (Build 13929.20386).

Version 2104 (Build 13929.20372)

Release date: May 11, 2021

This build fixes a variety of small bugs and includes security updates. Among the bugs fixed are one in which a major version build rollback could result in crashes when opening files in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, and one that caused Word to unexpectedly close when the user logged off or restarted their computer.

The security updates are for Access, Excel, Word, and the entire Office suite. For details, see Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2104 (Build 13929.20372).

Version 2104 (Build 13929.20296)

Release date: April 29, 2021

This build offers a variety of feature updates, including the addition of new linked data types in Excel, improved collaboration and a dark mode in Word, a set of ready-made graphics in Visio, and the ability to create an out-of-office message in Teams.

There are also a variety of bug fixes, including for one in Excel in which some automation add-ins for Excel couldn’t load, another in Excel that caused users to see signatures disappear unexpectedly, one in Project in which users were unable to remove projects from the resource pool, and one in Word in which some texts weren’t visible when using the dark mode theme in reading mode.

Get more info about Version 2104 (Build 13929.20296).

Version 2103 (Build 13901.20400)

Release date: April 13, 2021

This build fixes several small bugs throughout Office and includes security updates. Among the bugs fixed are ones in Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word that caused a resource contention issue when drawing an image.

The security updates are for Excel, Outlook, Word, and the entire Office suite. For details, see Microsoft’s Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2103 (Build 13901.20400).

Version 2103 (Build 13901.20336)

Release date: April 2, 2021

This build fixes a bug in Outlook in which a component of Outlook used by MAPI-enabled applications on computers with ARM processors caused searches to fail or put extra load on the computer as background apps restarted repeatedly.

 Get more info about Version 2103 (Build 13901.20336).

Version 2103 (Build 13901.20312)

Release date: March 30, 2021

This build offers several new features, including getting meeting suggestions when you search for someone in Outlook; being able to send a copy of email messages or conversations, including attachments, from Outlook into Teams chats and channels; and drafting documents with your voice in Word.

In addition, a number of bugs were resolved, including fixing an issue that crashed Outlook when it was syncing folder hierarchy changes, and fixing a bug in Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word in which disabled commands in the Office Ribbon would only have the icon grayed out but not the text in Dark Gray Office Theme.

Get more info about Version 2103 (Build 13901.20312).

Version 2102 (Build 13801.20360)

Release date: March 18, 2021

This build fixes several bugs, including one in Outlook that caused users of the Cloud Settings feature to see customized settings overridden by default setting after configuring Outlook on a new device, and one in Word in which typing at the end of a hidden paragraph cased Word to hang.

Get more info about Version 2102 (Build 13801.20360).

Version 2102 (Build 13801.20294)

Release date: March 9, 2021

This build fixes several small bugs with Outlook and includes security updates. Among the bugs fixed are one that in which newly added calendars didn’t appear in the navigation pane until after Outlook had been restarted, and one in Word in which Narrator skipped over paragraphs.

The security updates are for Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, and the entire Office suite. For details, see Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2102 (Build 13801.20294).

Version 2102 (Build 13801.20266)

Release date: March 1, 2021

This build introduces a number of new features. In Excel, you can now unhide multiple sheets at a time, and you can also resize Conditional Formatting dialogs. Outlook gets an updated Contacts view list. Teams lets you send “reactions” to others during meetings. In addition, you can add a channel to a calendar tab. Excel, PowerPoint, and Word now require that users apply sensitivity labels to documents if their organization’s policy requires it.

The build also fixes a number of issues. In Excel, an issue was fixed that prevented users from exporting an Excel workbook to PDF. In Outlook, an issue was fixed that caused users to see duplicate calendar groups appearing after creating a new group. In Word, an issue was fixed in resolving conflicts while in coauthoring.

Get more info about Version 2102 (Build 13801.20266).

Version 2101 (Build 13628.20448)

Release date: February 16, 2021

This build fixes several bugs, including one in which Outlook sometimes closed unexpectedly when users were doing a search, and another in Outlook that caused mails to be sent as digitally signed after the user unchecked that option.

It also fixes two bugs for the entire Office suite, including one related to media controller event notifications and another related to media player engine timing.

Get more info about Version 2101 (Build 13628.20448).

Version 2101 (Build 13628.20380)

Release date: February 9, 2021

This build fixes several issues with Outlook and includes security updates for Excel. Among the Outlook bugs fixed are one that caused Cloud Settings users to experience a hang when updating settings, and another that caused issues with displaying the correct default signature in OWA.

The security updates fixed three Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities. For details, see the release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2101 (Build 13628.20380).

Version 2101 (Build 13628.20274)

Release date: January 26, 2021

This build offers a variety of new features, including allowing government customers to apply sensitivity labels to documents and emails in Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word. It also automatically sends audit data about that sensitivity labeling to Microsoft 365 administrators. Additionally, in Outlook, you can now delete conversations based on message owners.

There are also a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which Excel would fail to launch or close unexpectedly if certain Windows Security exploit protection settings (SimExec, CallerCheck) were in use, another in which Outlook closed unexpectedly in certain search scenarios, and another in Project in which borders weren’t showing up for tasks in the Team Planner view.

Get more info about Version 2101 (Build 13628.20274).

Version 2012 (Build 13530.20440)

Release date: January 21, 2021

This build fixes a handful of bugs, including one in Outlook that caused users that have Shared or Delegated Mailboxes with large hierarchies in their profile to encounter hangs, and other that caused Outlook to close unexpectedly in certain search scenarios.

Get more info about Version 2012 (Build 13530.20440).

Version 2012 (Build 13530.20376)

Release date: January 12, 2021

This build fixes two bugs, one in which Excel would fail to launch or close unexpectedly if certain Windows Security exploit protection settings (SimExec, CallerCheck) were in use, and another in Outlook that that caused an edited signature to fail to save after prompting the user to do so.

There are also a variety of security fixes for Excel, Word, and the entire Office suite.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2012 (Build 13530.20376).

Version 2012 (Build 13530.20316)

Release date: January 5, 2020

This build lets you change your Outlook settings in the cloud, such as for Automatic Replies, Focused Inbox, and Privacy, and have them available on all of your PCs. PowerPoint gets a new feature called Presenter Coach that helps you helps you prepare to give more effective presentations.

There are also a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in Outlook that that caused some people to encounter a hang while loading their calendar, and another in PowerPoint in which fonts didn’t properly display inside equations.

Get more info about Version 2012 (Build 13530.20316).

Version 2011 (Build 13426.20404)

Release date: December 21, 2020

This minor build fixes three issues, one in which Excel would incorrectly show in the message bar that a new version of a file is available and force the user to save their changes in a copy of the workbook or discard their changes; another in which Excel left macros disabled without prompting when opening an Excel Add-in file containing Excel 4.0 macros; and one for the entire Office suite, in which a file would be opened as NOT SyncBacked when the URL from cache and the URL from OneDrive did not match.

Get more info about Version 2011 (Build 13426.20404).

Version 2011 (Build 13426.20332)

Release date: December 8, 2020

This minor fixes a single issue for the entire Office suite in which SaveRequestManagerCam was causing the application to close instead of returning an error.

It also has security updates for Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. Get details here.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2011 (Build 13426.20332).

Version 2011 (Build 13426.20308)

Release date: December 2, 2020

This minor build fixes several minor issues, including one in Outlook that caused the original attendees of some meetings to receive a cancellation when another attendee forwards the meeting, and another in which installing a newer version of Office over certain older versions caused impaired functionality, such as being unable to use Power Query.

Get more info about Version 2011 (Build 13426.20308).

Version 2011 (Build 13426.20294)

Release date: November 30, 2020

This build fixes two minor issues, one that caused problems when copying and pasting an equation from Word to PowerPoint, and another in Word in which document styles were being replaced with other styles from the template.

Get more info about Version 2011 (Build 13426.20294).

Version 2011 (Build 13426.20274)

Release date: November 23, 2020

This build offers a variety of minor new features, including the ability to paste SVG files from Office into third-party apps, and being able to switch Office themes automatically to match your Windows 10 theme settings. There are also several bug fixes, including fixing an issue in Outlook that caused the To field to be blank when sending a status report on a task, and one in PowerPoint in which some corrupt PowerPoint files were not opening correctly, even after a document repair operation.

Get more info about Version 2011 (Build 13426.20274).

Version 2010 (Build 13328.20408)

Release date: November 17, 2020

This build fixes a handful of minor bugs in Office, including one that broke the MailItem.BeforeAttachmentAdd event in Outlook, and one that affected the entire Office suite in which Save As would fail in certain scenarios.

Get more info about Version 2010 (Build 13328.20408).

Version 2010 (Build 13328.20356)

Release date: November 10, 2020

This build fixes two minor bugs and includes security updates. It fixes an Outlook issue in which users couldn’t grant Editor permission to their delegates, and an issue with the entire Office suite in which files that were transitioned from synced to server-only couldn’t be saved.

There are also security updates for Excel, Word and the entire Office suite. For details, see the release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2010 (Build 13328.20356).

Version 2010 (Build 13328.20292)

Release date: October 27, 2020

This build offers several  new features, including the ability to insert iPhone photos directly into Office apps. You can now also create data types with Power Query from any power source. Outlook can now check your grammar as you type. In Teams, you can pin any message in a channel onto the channel info pane.  

There are also a wide variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in Outlook that that caused Cloud Settings not to be turned on by default, one in which Project could crash when opening files where resource contours were specified in a certain manner, and one for the entire Office suite in which when printing to an inkjet printer, the printer reports “Toner Low” or “No Toner” even though inkjet printers don’t use toner.

Get more info about Version 2010 (Build 13328.20292).

Version 2009 (Build 13231.20418)

Release date: October 21, 2020

This build fixes several minor bugs, including one that closed Outlook unexpectedly when selecting a search result, and one in PowerPoint in which the forms content add-in didn’t render after insertion until the user clicked to another slide to make it show.

Get more info about Version 2009 (Build 13231.20418).

Version 2009 (Build 13231.20390)

Release date: October 13, 2020

This build fixes one minor bug and includes several security fixes. It fixes an issue in which Project may have crashed on opening files where resource contours were specified in a certain manner.

It has security fixes for Access, Excel, Outlook, Word, and the entire Office suite. For details, see the release notes for Microsoft Office security updates.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2009 (Build 13231.20390).

Version 2009 (Build 13231.20368)

Release date: October 8, 2020

This build fixes several minor bugs and has a security fix. It fixes an issue that caused Outlook to unexpectedly start in an offline state, and one for the entire Office suite in which when printing to an inkjet printer, the printer reports “Toner Low” or “No Toner” even though inkjet printers don’t use toner.

It also fixed a security issue in PowerPoint that disabled IRM protections when opening a PowerPoint file in Protected View.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2009 (Build 13231.20368).

Version 2009 (Build 13231.20262)

Release date: September 28, 2020

This build offers several minor new features and fixes a number of bugs. In Excel, you can now save shapes as pictures and can create named variables in new or pre-existing formulas. Outlook has a new profile card with an improved organization view, which matches the card style of Outlook on the web.

Among the bugs fixed are an issue with the Style Gallery dialog in Word, one in PowerPoint that caused slow coauthoring on files containing large numbers of the E2o data object, and one for the entire Office suite in which the Export to Animated GIF feature was not working.

Get more info about Version 2009 (Build 13231.20262).

Version 2008 (Build 13127.20508)

Release date: September 22, 2020

This build fixes several small bugs, including one in which Excel could crash when using the Quick Analysis after freezing the top row of the sheet, and another in Outlook that caused users to be unable to close shared calendars by clicking on the “X” in the corner.

Get more info about Version 2008 (Build 13127.20508).

Version 2008 (Build 13127.20408)

Release date: September 9, 2020

This build fixes several small bugs, including one in which Excel could crash in certain circumstances when using the Format Painter, and another in Word in which a user might lose content when resizing a shape.

Get more info about Version 2008 (Build 13127.20408).

Version 2008 (Build 13127.20296)

Release date: August 31, 2020

This build offers a variety of new features and includes several bug fixes. You can now pin folders from the Save dialog in Excel, Word and PowerPoint. Across the entire Office suite, you can switch among multiple panes using a tab on the right side of an app. (The tab only appears if you have two or more panes open.) In Teams, you can use a variety of Cortana voice skills, such as for meetings or collaboration. In Outlook, when you include a link in an email, the file name automatically replaces the URL.

Among the bugs fixed are one that caused crashes when replying to or composing new email in Outlook, and another in Project in which project finish dates weren’t getting updated for projects connected to SharePoint tasks lists.

Get more info about Version 2008 (Build 13127.20296).

Version 2007 (Build 13029.20460)

Release date: August 25, 2020

This build includes a variety of minor bug fixes, including for one in Excel that occurred when trying to save a file that contained a formula with the LET() function, another in Outlook that caused issues when navigating in compact views, and another for the entire Office suite in which a crash could occur when a document was closed while the Share pane was open.

Get more info about Version 2007 (Build 13029.20460).

Version 2007 (Build 13029.20344)

Release date: August 11, 2020

This build includes 13 security updates, including for Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities for Excel, Access, and the entire Office suite, as well as Information Disclosure Vulnerabilities for Excel, Word, Outlook and the entire Office suite. For details, see the Release notes for Microsoft Office Security Updates.

This build also fixes several small bugs, including one that caused Outlook to fail to retrieve search suggestions, and another that caused devices to occasionally crash when retrieving personal information from Outlook.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2007 (Build 13029.20344).

Version 2007 (Build 13029.20308)

Release date: July 30, 2020

This build offers a variety of new features and squashes several bugs. You can now create pivot tables from datasets in Power BI within Excel, and also connect to, import, and refresh data from a PDF in Excel.

In Outlook you can create polls with Quick Poll and quickly reopen items from previous sessions. PowerPoint and Word now let you auto-apply or recommend sensitivity labels. Teams gets a variety of changes, including simplified notification settings and turning off previews for your chat notifications.

Among the issues fixed are one that caused and error or hang in Excel when loading a workbook with multiple sheets in page break preview and another in Project in which the task selected in the assign resources dialog wasn’t the same as the task selected in the task board view. A bug was fixed for the entire Office suite that caused a runtime message to show even though the transition to the full product is complete.

Get more info about Version 2007 (Build 13029.20308).

Version 2006 (Build 13001.20498)

Release date: July 28, 2020

This build fixes several minor issues, including one in Word and Outlook that caused problems when copying and pasting SVG images, and a timing issue for the entire Office suite that caused crashes when closing office files.

Get more info about Version 2006 (Build 13001.20498).

Version 2006 (Build 13001.20384)

Release date: July 14, 2020

This build squashed a number of bugs and includes security updates. Among the issues resolved are one in Access that caused a problem when inserting linked SQL tables that include an identity (e.g., autonumber) field, and one in Excel that could cause a crash when trying to create a data connection if you have signed out from your account.

Among the security updates are ones that fixed a Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities in Excel, Outlook, Project, Word and the entire Office suite, among others. For details and a complete list, see the Microsoft 365 Apps Security Updates release notes.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2006 (Build 13001.20384).

Version 2006 (Build 13001.20266)

Release date: June 30, 2020

This build offers a variety of new Office feature and squashes a number of bugs. Excel now supports OneDrive/SharePoint files with names and paths of up to 400 characters. Among other changes, PowerPoint has improved streaming video performance, Teams gets a simplified way to manage channel notification settings, and Outlook offers an option to disable @ mention suggestions when you’re composing mail in Outlook.

Among the issues resolved are one that which caused CustomUI XML for a custom ribbon tab to be removed when saving to SharePoint/OneDrive, one that caused users of the Shared Calendar improvements to see calendar failures in Outlook, and another that wouldn’t allow projects to be opened in the Project desktop client from Project Web App if the URL ended in .com.

Get more info about Version 2006 (Build 13001.20266).

Version 2005 (Build 12827.20470)

Release date: June 24, 2020

This build fixes a variety of issues throughout Office 365/Microsoft 365. In Excel, a bug that caused CustomUI XML for a custom ribbon tab to be removed when saving to SharePoint/OneDrive was fixed. Among the several Outlook problems resolved are one that caused users to see Outlook continuously prompt them to run the Inbox Repair tool. Word resolved an issue that may have caused a crash when dragging some content from the app. In PowerPoint an issue that caused the suggestion pane to crash was fixed.

Get more info about Version 2005 (Build 12827.20470).

Version 2005 (Build 12827.20336)

Release date: June 9, 2020

This build fixes a number of issues and has several security updates. In Excel, a bug was fixed in which Excel could crash when PivotTables were inserted into a chart sheet. In Project, an issue was fixed in which the ProjectBeforeTaskChange event didn’t fire when there was a change to the project summary task.

This build includes security fixes for two Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities, a Microsoft Outlook Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability, a Microsoft Project Information Disclosure Vulnerability, and a Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. For details, see these release notes.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2005 (Build 12827.20336).

Version 2005 (Build 12827.20268)

Release date: June 2, 2020

This build offers multiple feature updates and fixes a number of issues. In Excel, when you type a data value that resembles a stock or a geographic location, Excel offers to convert it to the right data type, either Stocks or Geography. Outlook’s Calendar has gotten a makeover that makes it easier to scan. PowerPoint lets you use Surface Earbuds to control your presentation. Teams has many new features, including one that allows participants to raise a virtual hand in meetings, and another that lets them customize meeting video backgrounds. Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word can now use animated GIFs.

Among the resolved issues are one in which Excel could become unresponsive after using Ctrl+Shift+Arrow keys to scroll when the Excel window is shared through Teams, one in Outlook that caused users to experience a crash when submitting feedback from an Admin Notification, and one throughout the Office suite in which in Visual Basic for Applications in Microsoft Office, certain VBA projects that contained references to code libraries with DBCS characters in the library name or library path would be viewed by the Office application as corrupt on load.

Get more info about Version 2005 (Build 12827.20268).

Version 2004 (Build 12730.20352)

Release date: May 21, 2020

This minor build fixes several bugs, including one in Excel in which the external link stopped working after the file was reopened if the file path was too long, one in Outlook that that caused users to experience crashes when submitting feedback from an Admin Notification, and one that affected the entire Office suite, in which Visual Basic for Applications projects with references that were expected to be found by searching locations specified in the PATH environment variable would not be found properly at runtime, leading to VBA runtime errors.

Get more info about Version 2004 (Build 12730.20352).

Version 2004 (Build 12730.20270)

Release date: May 12, 2020

This build fixes an Outlook issue that caused users to experience a crash when displaying toast notifications. It also includes a security fix for a Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. For details about the security fix, see these release notes.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2004 (Build 12730.20270).

Version 2004 (Build 12730.20250)

Release date: May 4, 2020

This minor update fixes an issue in Visual Basic for Applications throughout Microsoft Office in which certain VBA projects that contain references to code libraries with DBCS characters in the library name or library path were viewed by the Office application as corrupt on loading.

Get more info about Version 2004 (Build 12730.20250).

Version 2004 (Build 12730.20236)

Release date: April 29, 2020

This update includes a variety of minor updates and bug fixes. Excel no longer supports external data connections that use the Facebook connector, Outlook now lets you join meetings without leaving your Inbox, and Access offers several new improvements to help be more productive working in Query Designer, SQL view, and the Relationships window. Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word now have access to thousands of royalty-free stock images, icons, and stickers.

Among the bugs fixed are one that caused cause Excel to crash in some cases after copying a sheet containing a PivotTable, another that caused some users to experience a hang while exiting Outlook, and one that affected the entire Office suite, preventing users from restricting access and protecting files with a password simultaneously.

Get more info about Version 2004 (Build 12730.20236).

Version 2003 (Build 12624.20466)

Release date: April 15, 2020

This update includes “various bug and performance fixes,” which Microsoft has not detailed.

Get more info about Version 2003 (Build 12624.20466).

Version 2003 (Build 12624.20442)

Release date: April 14, 2020

This release includes a variety of security updates and several small bug fixes. Among the security vulnerabilities fixed are a Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability, a Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability and a Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability for the entire suite. Get more details in the Release Notes for Office 365 Security Updates. 

Among the bugs fixed are an issue that caused users to occasionally experience a crash when using the “X” button on their mouse in Word and Outlook, and Application.Evaluate (VBA) not working for user-defined functions in some cases in Excel.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2003 (Build 12624.20442).

Version 2003 (Build 12624.20382)

Release date: March 31, 2020

This update improves OneNote’s sync and server stability and fixes an issue in Project in which users were unable to enter time-phased Baseline Work when the setting to protect actual work is on.

Get more info about Version 2003 (Build 12624.20382).

Version 2003 (Build 12624.20320)

Release date: March 25, 2020

This update introduces several new features and fixes a number of bugs. In Outlook, you can now drag email to a group, and also more easily log into Wi-Fi networks. Co-authoring in Word has been sped up so that collaborators see changes more quickly. And throughout the Office suite, you can now apply sensitivity labels to prompt you for custom permissions.

Among the bugs fixed are one in which Excel crashed in certain cases when reopening a workbook embedded in Word or PowerPoint, and another in which copying a shape in PowerPoint slide might fail.

Get more info about Version 2003 (Build 12624.20320).

Version 2002 (Build 12527.20278)

Release date: March 10, 2020

This update has a single bug fix and addresses several security issues in Word. It fixes an issue in Project in which the OnUndoOrRedo event doesn’t fire without first running the OpenUndoTransaction method. It also plugs four Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities in Word. Find more details in the security release notes.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 2002 (Build 12527.20278).

Version 2002 (Build 12527.20242)

Release date: March 1, 2020

This update has only a single, minor change: an Outlook bug that that wouldn’t allow third-party applications to send email has been fixed.

Get more info about Version 2002 (Build 12527.20242).

Version 2002 (Build 12527.20194)

Release date: February 25, 2020

This update includes a few minor new features and fixes several bugs. In Excel and Word, you can now save objects as such as charts, shapes, ink, icons and pictures as an SVG (scalable vector graphics file). Click here for details. In Excel, you can also get at-a-glance analysis of the data in your columns, identify error and empty values, and see distribution histograms using the Query Editor.

In Excel, an issue was fixed in which CUBEVALUE functions would sometimes return an incorrect result. Among several Outlook bug fixes are one that that caused commas in the location field of a meeting to turn into semicolons, and another that could cause a crash when viewing the same item in multiple windows.

Get more info about Version 2002 (Build 12527.20194).

Version 2001 (Build 12430.20288)

Release date: February 19, 2020

This update includes “various bugs and performance fixes,” which Microsoft has not detailed.

Get more info about Version 2001 (Build 12430.20288).

Version 2001 (Build 12430.20184)

Release date: January 30, 2020

This update includes new features for Excel, Outlook and Word, along with bug fixes. In Excel, you can now respond to comments and mentions from within email without opening the workbook. Excel also gets a new XLOOKUP function that lets you search in a table by range or row. A new group naming policy in Outlook lets IT admins standardize and manage the names of groups created by users in an organization. Word now lets you save shapes as pictures and use the Lasso tool on the Draw tab to help select objects drawn with ink.

A bug has been fixed in Access that can cause Access to fail to identify an Identity Column in a linked SQL Server table, which can cause rows to be reported as deleted incorrectly. Also fixed was a bug in Excel and Outlook that caused users to experience crashes when renaming a signature.

Get more info about Version 2001 (Build 12430.20184).

Version 1912 (Build 12325.20344)

Release date: January 22, 2020

This very minor update resolves a single issue in which Microsoft Access failed to identify an Identity Column in a linked SQL Server table, which could have caused rows to be reported as deleted incorrectly.

Get more info about Version 1912 (Build 12325.20344).

Version 1912 (Build 12325.20298)

Release date: January 14, 2020

This security update addresses security issues in Excel and the entire Office suite. It plugs holes in three Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities, and one in a Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability. Find more details in the security release notes.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1912 (Build 12325.20298).

Version 1912 (Build 12325.20288)

Release date: January 8, 2019

This update includes a new feature that can create looping GIFs in PowerPoint, and new accessibility features for Outlook and PowerPoint. In PowerPoint, the new Accessibility Checker helps you arrange objects on your slides with screen readers in mind. And Outlook now displays an alert reminding you to make your content accessible when sending mail to a user who prefers accessible content.

There are also a variety of minor bug fixes, including fixing an issue in Outlook that caused users to experience hangs in Outlook when retrieving Cloud Settings, and an issue in Word in which the building blocks organizer had displayed an invalid alert: “You have modified styles, building blocks.”

Get more info about Version 1912 (Build 12325.20288).

Version 1911 (Build 12228.20364)

Release date: December 10, 2019

This update offers a few minor bug fixes and several security updates. It fixes the right-click menu for Excel’s Pivot Charts to enable the “Show Detail” option and also fixes an issue in Outlook that allowed web add-ins to access Digital Rights Managed messages.

Among the security updates are those that fix an Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability, a Word Denial of Service Vulnerability and a PowerPoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. For details, see the security update release notes.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1911 (Build 12228.20364).

Version 1911 (Build 12228.20332)

Release date: December 3, 2019

This update offers a few minor features and fixes a variety of bugs. Six new functions have been added in Excel: FILTER, SORT, SORTBY, UNIQUE, SEQUENCE and RANDARRAY. Excel also now has a data visualizer add-on that can create flow charts in Visio. Word’s co-authoring capabilities have been improved, making it more likely changes will be seen by others in real time.

Among the bugs fixed are one that caused crashes when users searched for recent files in Excel while no workbook was open, and another in which Office updates unexpectedly downloaded files from the Office CDN instead of the intended source, such as a local or network share or Configuration Manager-provided location.

Get more info about Version 1911 (Build 12228.20332).

Version 1910 (Build 12130.20410)

Release date: November 22, 2019

Microsoft isn’t saying much about this update except that it includes “various [unnamed] bugs and performance fixes.”

Get more info about Version 1910 (Build 12130.20410).

Version 1910 (Build 12130.20390)

Release date: November 18, 2019

This update includes unnamed bug and performance fixes in Microsoft’s description. It also fixes two issues with Outlook, one that caused users to see the location field in meetings change unexpectedly, and another that caused users to see an empty message box with an “OK” button when trying to contact support from the Account Creation context.

Get more info about Version 1910 (Build 12130.20390).

Version 1910 (Build 12130.20344)

Release date: November 12, 2019

This security update comprises two fixes for Excel, including Remote Code Execution Vulnerability CVE-2019-1448 and Information Disclosure Vulnerability CVE-2019-1446, and two for the entire Office suite, including ClickToRun Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability CVE-2019-1449 and Information Disclosure Vulnerability CVE-2019-1402.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1910 (Build 12130.20344).

Version 1910 (Build 12130.20272)

Release date: October 30, 2019

This update introduces a wide variety of minor new features, including one for Excel, Word and PowerPoint that checks PDFs you create for accessibility issues and offers fixes, and another for Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint that applies sensitivity labels to your documents and emails to keep them compliant with your organization’s information protection policies. Word also gets coauthoring improvements.

Get more info about Version 1910 (Build 12130.20272).

Version 1909 (Build 12026.20344)

Release date: October 22, 2019

This very minor non-security update fixes a bug in Microsoft Project, in which users could get several messages when opening a read-only project. And in order to protect Office users’ security, Microsoft Office updates are now being signed using the SHA-2 algorithm exclusively.

Get more info about Version 1909 (Build 12026.20344).

Version 1909 (Build 12026.20334)

Release date: October 14, 2019

This very minor non-security update fixes a single bug that affects the entire Office suite. The bug didn’t allow people to save Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents when they tried to create a new file and bring up the “Save as Model Dialog” option after clicking on the Save icon or pressing Ctrl + S.

Get more info about Version 1909 (Build 12026.20334).

NOTE: On Oct. 15, 2019, Microsoft released an unnamed update that temporarily disables the Cloud Save dialog to address the saving issue addressed on Oct. 14. Microsoft says the feature will be re-enabled soon.

Version 1909 (Build 12026.20320)

Release date: October 8, 2019

This build includes a security update and a number of minor bug fixes. In Outlook, several bugs were squashed, including one that wouldn’t allow people to open some instances of recurring calendar items, and another that caused Outlook to crash when a profile was being created. PowerPoint had an issue fixed that caused data loss when coauthoring and offline editing.  For the entire Office suite, several issues were fixed, including one that crashed Office when files were opened. In addition, Microsoft Updates are now signed using the SHA-2 algorithm exclusively in order to improve security.

There are also fixes for two Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities, detailed in CVE-2019-1327 and CVE-2019-1331.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1909 (Build 12026.20320).

Version 1909 (Build 12026.20264)

Release date: September 30, 2019

This build offers a variety of new features and fixes several bugs. In Outlook, it’s now easier and faster to update shared calendars. In addition, when you search through your mail, the most relevant email messages are now grouped at the top of the results.

PowerPoint lets you save illustrations as SVG files, and you can now animate an ink drawing so that it replays either forward or backward during the presentation. In Excel, Word, and PowerPoint you can now more easily share files by using the “recently used” list without having to open the file.

Get more info about Version 1909 (Build 12026.20264).

Version 1908 (Build 11929.20300)

Release date: September 10, 2019

This build offers several minor bug fixes and a security update. In Outlook, a bug was fixed that caused some users to encounter authentication errors when trying to retrieve their cloud settings. In PowerPoint, an issue was fixed that prevented some animations from starting. For the entire Office suite, an issue was fixed that caused large tree views to fail.

There are also security fixes for Excel and the entire Office suite, including a Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability, a Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability, a Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability affecting the entire suite, and a Microsoft Office Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability affecting the entire suite.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1908 (Build 11929.20300).

Version 1908 (Build 11929.20254)

Release date: August 26, 2019

This build offers a several new minor features throughout Office. You now have more control over text boxes and borders in Excel, Word and PowerPoint, and you can also more easily insert and manage icons in those applications as well as in Outlook. The entire Office suite also gets new icons. In addition, there are a variety of bug fixes.

Get more info about Version 1908 (Build 11929.20254).

Version 1907 (Build 11901.20218)

Release date: August 13, 2019

This build offers two minor bug fixes and a variety of security updates for Outlook, Word and the entire Office suite. Among the security issues fixed are remote code execution vulnerabilities in Outlook and Word and a Jet database engine remote code execution vulnerability in the entire Office suite. (See the security release notes for details.)

The non-security changes include fixing an issue in Outlook in which users having their mailbox upgraded from basic to modern authentication were ending up with the wrong account associated with their Outlook profile.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1907 (Build 11901.20218).

Version 1907 (Build 11901.20176)

Release date: July 29, 2019

This build offers a variety of new features for Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word. It’s now easier to code using Power Query in Excel, with enhancements including autocomplete and syntax coloring. In Outlook, when you type a person’s name in the Search box, the most relevant email messages will now be included alongside your search suggestions. PowerPoint lets you save a video to Microsoft Stream, which lets you insert a streaming video instead of the entire file into a presentation to reduce file sizes. Word now has two different sized erasers so you can fix small inking imperfections.

In addition, Excel, PowerPoint and Word make it easier to create map charts, and also let you decide whether links to Office documents should open in the appropriate app or instead in a browser.

Get more info about Version 1907 (Build 11901.20176).

Version 1906 (Build 11727.20244)

Release date: July 9, 2019

This build has security updates for Excel, Outlook, Skype for Business and the entire Office suite. For details, see these release notes. In addition, there is a fix to an Outlook bug that caused the current folder search to intermittently fail.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1906 (Build 11727.20244).

Version 1906 (Build 11727.20230)

Release date: June 27, 2019

This extremely minor build has only a single change: It fixes an issue that caused a subset of POP3 users to see all of their emails formatted as plain text, regardless of their settings. Users who want to see their messages formatted with HTML can now do so.

Get more info about Version 1906 (Build 11727.20230).

Version 1906 (Build 11727.20210)

Release date: June 24, 2019

This build offers a variety of new features for several Office applications, primarily Outlook. Outlook gets a simplified Ribbon that tames its frequently complex interface. (The simplified Ribbon has been available in a preview for quite some time, but now is officially launched.) In addition, you can now synchronize more than 500 folders when syncing shared mailboxes. The previous limit was 500. The quick action menu can also be customized.

You can now insert 3D animated graphics into Excel. In Word, multiple people can co-author documents in the open, XML-based.docm format. And in Skype, you can crop video in a meeting on a 4K monitor when the “Crop and Center my video in meetings” setting is turned on.

There are also a number of undocumented bugs and performance fixes, according to Microsoft.

Get more info about Version 1906 (Build 11727.20210).

Version 1905 (Build 11629.20246)

Release date: June 11, 2019

This build addresses two security holes in Word, remote code execution vulnerabilities CVE-2019-1034 and CVE-2019-1035.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1905 (Build 11629.20246).

Version 1905 (Build 11629.20214)

Release date: June 4, 2019

This build fixes a single, minor issue, one in which some add-ins caused unexpected errors to appear around shapes in PowerPoint charts.

Get more info about Version 1905 (Build 11629.20214).

Version 1905 (Build 11629.20196)

Release date: May 29, 2019

This build introduces minor new features to multiple Office applications. In Word, PowerPoint and Excel, if you @mention people in document comments, they will automatically receive an email notification that they’ve been mentioned, so they can check out the comments. Across all Office applications except Outlook, a new account manager is available; it displays all Office 365 work and personal accounts in a single location, making it easier to switch among them.

In addition, in PowerPoint, presenters’ words are automatically shown on screen as captions and can be translated into subtitles in the language of your choice. In Outlook, it’s now easier to add Outlook.com and Gmail accounts that use two-factor authentication.

Get more info about Version 1905 (Build 11629.20196).

Version 1904 (Build 11601.20204)

Release date: May 14, 2019

This build includes security fixes for a Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability, a Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability and a Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. Go to the release notes for Office 365 ProPlus Security Updates for more details.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1904 (Build 11601.20204).

Version 1904 (Build 11601.20178)

Release date: May 8, 2019

This build includes “various bugs and performances fixes,” in Microsoft’s words, that Microsoft hasn’t provided any details on.

Get more info about Version 1904 (Build 11601.20178).

Version 1904 (Build 11601.20144)

Release date: April 29, 2019

This build includes a few minor updates. The most notable is the ability to find files by typing into the Search box on the File > Home page in Excel, PowerPoint and Word. The entire Office 365 suite sports a new set of icons, and the suite also gets an updated set of privacy controls, covering things such as the types of diagnostic data sent to Microsoft. Administrators, not Office users, have control over setting them. Here’s an overview of the new settings.

Get more info about Version 1904 (Build 11601.20144).

Version 1903 (Build 11425.20244)

Release date: April 23, 2019

This build includes “various bugs and performances fixes,” in Microsoft’s words, that Microsoft hasn’t provided any details on.

Get more info about  Version 1903 (Build 11425.20244).

Version 1903 (Build 11425.20228)

Release date: April 17, 2019

This build includes “various bugs and performances fixes,” in Microsoft’s words, that Microsoft hasn’t provided any details on.

Get more info about Version 1903 (Build 11425.20228).

Version 1903 (Build 11425.20218)

Release date: April 16, 2019

This build includes “various bugs and performances fixes,” in Microsoft’s words, that Microsoft hasn’t provided any details on.

Get more info about Version 1903 (Build 11425.20218).

Version 1903 (Build 11425.20204)

Release date: April 9, 2019

This build includes security updates for Excel and the entire office suite. Among the holes fixed are the Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability, the Microsoft Graphics Components Remote Code Execution Vulnerability, and the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. For details, go to the security update’s release notes.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1903 (Build 11425.20202).

Version 1903 (Build 11425.20202)

Release date: April 1, 2019

This build includes minor updates for Excel, PowerPoint and Word. All three of them now have an accessibility checker which examines documents to see how accessible they are, and offers suggestions if they’re not. Go to Review > Check Accessibility to try it out. In addition, PowerPoint gives you more control over how its Morph feature works.

Get more info about  Version 1903 (Build 11425.20202).

Version 1902 (Build 11328.20158)

Release date: March 12, 2019

This build includes very minor bug and performance fixes — so minor that Microsoft has not detailed what they are.

Get more info about Version 1902 (Build 11328.20158).

Version 1902 (Build 11328.20146)

Release date: March 4, 2019

This build adds a variety of features to several Office applications. It’s now easier in PowerPoint to insert videos from YouTube and Vimeo. You can also hand-draw math expressions in PowerPoint and have them turned into standard characters.

Outlook lets you set meetings to end five to ten minutes early by default, so that people can easily attend back-to-back meetings. Outlook can now also read mail aloud. Excel lets you use @mentions in comments to let co-workers know when you’re looking for their input. And a new Ideas button in Excel lets you look for patterns in your data and uses them to create personalized suggestions for how to use the data.

Access now clearly lets you see the active tab, easily drag tabs to rearrange them, and close database objects with a click.

Get more info about Version 1902 (Build 11328.20146).

Version 1901 (Build 11231.20130)

Release date: January 31, 2019

This minor build includes small changes to Excel, Outlook, Visio and the entire Office suite. A reply box has been added to Excel, making it easier to make comments during collaboration. Outlook now lets you use animated GIFs in your emails. Visio gets a series of Azure stencils so you can design a cloud app or plan a cloud architecture. And the entire Office suite now allows Office add-ins to insert graphics in SVG format.

Get more info about Version 1901 (Build 11231.20130).

Version 1812 (Build 11126.20266)

Release date: January 14, 2019

This minor build addresses performance issues.

Get more info about Version 1812 (Build 11126.20266).

Version 1812 (Build 11126.20196)

Release date: January 8, 2019

This build includes both security fixes and a minor bug fix. The bug was an issue in Project in which you couldn’t uncheck the Critical, Late and Slack bar styles for the Gantt chart after you had checked one of them.

Security patches include closing an information disclosure vulnerability in Outlook, fixing a remote execution vulnerability and an information disclosure vulnerability in Word, and closing a remote code execution vulnerability for the entire Office suite.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about non-security changes in Version 1812 (Build 11126.20196) and security fixes in Version 1812 (Build 11126.20196).

Version 1812 (Build 11126.20188)

Release date: January 3, 2019

This build offers minor improvements to several Office applications. In Word, you can now use a feature called line focus that lets you move through a document with one, three, or five lines in view at a time. A new feature also lets you create a web page from a Word document by going to File > Transform > Transform to Web Page.

PowerPoint now lets you convert your ink to standard shapes and text, then get smart slide-design ideas from PowerPoint Designer. Outlook has new options for encrypting messages. And Word, Excel and PowerPoint all now let you keep track of accessibility issues in your documents without having to keep the accessibility checker open all the time.

Get more info about Version 1812 (Build 11126.20188).

Version 1811 (Build 11029.20108)

Release date: December 11, 2018

This build focuses only on security updates, including fixing two Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities, two Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerabilities, a Microsoft Outlook Remote Code Execution Vulnerability and a Microsoft PowerPoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1811 (Build 11029.20108).

Version 1811 (Build 11029.20079)

Release date: November 27, 2018

This build adds several minor features to Outlook, including letting you sort mail by flag status when using Focused Inbox and integrating the Focused Inbox better with search. PowerPoint now lets you add slide numbers to printed handouts. And for the entire Office suite, the Share, Copy Path to Clipboard, and Open File Location buttons are now more visible and more easily accessible.

Get more info about Version 1811 (Build 11029.20079).

Version 1810 (Build 11001.20074)

Release date: October 29, 2018

This build introduces new features throughout Office. In Excel, you’ll now be able to use a reply box to add and reply to comments in cells. You can also more easily edit text and formulas by using Ctrl-A to select text in a cell or the formula bar. In Outlook, it’s now easier to reserve a room via the calendar and to set your calendar to automatically dismiss reminders for events after they’ve ended.

PowerPoint gets new proofing tools. In addition, PowerPoint now takes rough, hand-drawn text and shapes it into finished diagrams. In Word, you can insert animated 3D graphics into documents.

In Access, Publisher, Project and Visio, Ribbon icons have gotten a new look. And in Excel, PowerPoint and Word you can change the opacity of a picture to, for example, allow text or information behind a picture to be visible.

Get more info about Version 1810 (Build 11001.20074).

Version 1809 (Build 10827.20181)

Release date: October 16, 2018

This non-security build fixes a variety of performance issues throughout the Office suite.

Get more info about Version 1809 (Build 10827.20181).

Version 1809 (Build 10827.20150)

Release date: October 9, 2018

This build focuses only on security updates, including fixing a Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability, a Microsoft PowerPoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability, a Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability, a Microsoft Graphics Components Remote Code Execution Vulnerability for the entire suite, and Microsoft Office Defense in Depth Updates for Outlook and Word.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1809 (Build 10827.20150).

Version 1809 (Build 10827.20138)

Release date: September 27, 2018

This update offers new features for Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook, summarized below.

Excel

• A new Ideas pane, which Microsoft says is powered by AI, analyzes your data and displays visuals about it, and offers suggestions on what to do with it.
• Get & Transform has been tweaked by improving its connectors and the Column from Example feature.
• Ribbon icons have a new look.
• VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, and MATCH calculations have been sped up.

Word

• You can now use @mentions in comments to let collaborators know you want their input.
• Equation Editor Converter lets you convert equations created using Microsoft Equation editor to Office Math ML format so they can be edited.
• Ribbon icons have a new look.

PowerPoint

• You can now insert animated 3D graphics in slides.
• PowerPoint now has proofreading tools that offer grammar and writing suggestions.
• Ribbon icons have a new look.

Outlook

• Safe Links protect you from malicious URLs you receive, but they hide the original URL. You can now hover your mouse over a URL to see the original URL, even in links protected by Safe Links.
• After you do a search, Outlook provides a suggested search query with spelling corrections.
• A Coming Soon tool lets you try new features before they’re released.
• Ribbon icons have a new look.

Get more info about Version 1809 (Build 10827.20138).

Version 1808 (Build 10730.20102)

Release date: September 11, 2018

This security update fixes four security issues: a Remote Code Execution Vulnerability and an Information Disclosure Vulnerability in Excel, a PDF Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Word, and Win32k Graphics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in the entire Office suite.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1808 (Build 10730.20102).

Version 1808 (Build 10730.20088)

Release date: September 5, 2018

This non-security update adds a variety of minor new features and fixes for several Office applications. In Outlook you can prevent people forwarding your meeting invitation. Visio gets 26 new stencils and lets you add diagram content, including shapes and metadata, to a Word document, then customize it to create process guidelines and operation manuals. The update also fixes an issue in Excel in which the dotted line marking the range of cells selected for copying does not disappear and remains in the clipboard even after a subsequent user operation like paste.

Get more info about Version 1808 (Build 10730.20088).

Version 1807 (Build 10325.20118)

Release date: August 14, 2018

This security update fixes vulnerabilities in Access, Excel, Outlook, and the entire Office suite. In Access there’s a fix for a remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2018-8312), in Outlook there’s an update for Microsoft Office Defense in Depth (ADV180021), and in the Office suite, there’s a fix for an information disclosure vulnerability (CVE-2018-8378). Excel gets three security fixes: two remote code execution vulnerabilities (CVE-2018-8375 and CVE-2018-8379), and an information disclosure vulnerability (CVE-2018-8382).

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1807 (Build 10325.20118).

Version 1806 (Build 10228.20104)

Release date: July 10, 2018

This security update fixes three vulnerabilities: a Microsoft Access Remote Code Execution Use After Free Vulnerability in Access, a Microsoft Office Tampering Vulnerability in Outlook, and a Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability for the entire Office suite.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1806 (Build 10228.20104).

Version 1806 (Build 10228.20080)

Release date: June 25, 2018

This non-security update gives Office a variety of new features. In Excel, you can use Ctrl-A to select text in a cell or the formula bar. There’s also improved support for emojis and other complex characters. In PowerPoint, you can title your slides using a pen, and Project keeps a running list of where you’ve saved other projects. The way in which you create recurring appointments in Outlook has been tweaked — “End by” rather than “No end date” is now the default setting. Visio gets more stencils and more icons. And support for Scalable Vector Graphics (SVGs) has been added to Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

Get more info about Version 1806 (Build 10228.20080).

Version 1805 (Build 9330.2118)

Release date: June 12, 2018

This release has on several security updates and two non-security fixes. Two security holes are fixed in Excel: a Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability and a Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. One security hole is fixed in Outlook: a Microsoft Outlook Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability.

In addition, a non-security issue has been fixed in Outlook in which an application calling the MAPI API could result in a crash. In Project, a non-security issue has been fixed in which users are blocked from saving a subproject when working with them through the context of a master project.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more info about Version 1805 (Build 9330.2118).

Version 1805 (Build 9330.2087)

Release date: May 24, 2018

This extremely minor non-security update fixes a single issue, in which Outlook crashes when using the iCloud add-in.

Get more information about Version 1805 (Build 9330.2087).

Version 1805 (Build 9330.2078)

Release date: May 23, 2018

This update introduces a number of new minor features throughout Office. You can now chat with co-authors when collaborating in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Voice input for a variety of purposes has been added to Outlook, PowerPoint and Word. Word now lets you use pen input to split or join words, add a new line, or insert words. Access gets 11 new charts for visualizing data. In Visio, the Organization Chart, Brainstorming, and SDL templates have new starter diagrams. In Outlook, you can more easily share your calendars. In addition, calendars shared from Outlook Desktop are now also available in Outlook Mobile.

Get more information about Version 1805 (Build 9330.2078).

Version 1804 (Build 9226.2156)

Release date: May 14, 2018

This extremely minor, non-security update fixes a single issue in which, when you open an application, you might see a message about launching in Safe mode and then the application fails to open.

Get more information about Version 1804 (Build 9226.2156).

Version 1804 (Build 9226.2126)

Release date: May 8, 2018

This security update addresses issues in Excel, Outlook and the entire Office suite. It fixes several Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities and a Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability. In Outlook, a Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability is patched. And in the overall Office suite, two Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities are fixed.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more information about Version 1804 (Build 9226.2126).

Version 1804 (Build 9226.2114)

Release date: April 25, 2018

This update includes a variety of minor feature enhancements. Outlook can now read your email to you. You can also set reminders in Outlook to pop up over windows in which you’re working. There’s also a new option for encrypting messages.

PowerPoint can now convert scribbled notes and drawings into readable text and crisp shapes. In Project, you can now switch from one sprint view to another, and quickly move tasks between sprints. And in Word, the Editor pane now displays an overview of proofing issues found in a document, so you can focus on fixing the ones that are most relevant to you.

Get more information about Version 1804 (Build 9226.2114).

Version 1803 (Build 9126.2152)

Release date: April 11, 2018

This update addresses a variety of security problems and fixes a number of small issues. It fixes a Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability as well as two Office-wide Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities and an Office-wide Microsoft Office Information Disclosure Vulnerability. PowerPoint gets several non-security fixes, including one in which multiple users co-authoring the same presentation caused an incorrect duplication of slide masters. Word received a fix for an issue in which insufficient memory messages appeared.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more information about Version 1803 (Build 9126.2152).

Version 1803 (Build 9126.2116)

Release date: March 27, 2018

This non-security update fixes a number of small issues and adds several minor features. Microsoft Translator is now available from directly inside Excel and PowerPoint. Word, PowerPoint and Visio get improved support for high-definition displays. Several issues have been fixed in Excel, including one in which Quick Print of an Excel workbook attached to an Outlook email sometimes didn’t print, and another where using cube functions caused Excel to crash. And Outlook will now issue a blind carbon copy (Bcc) warning if you choose Reply All to a message that you were Bcc’ed on.

Get more information about Version 1803 (Build 9126.2116).

Version 1802 (Build 9029.2253)

Release date: March 13, 2018

This security update fixes vulnerabilities in Access, Excel and Word. A Microsoft Access Remote Code Execution Vulnerability was closed in Access, a Microsoft Office Excel Security Feature Bypass was closed in Excel, and a Microsoft Office Information Disclosure Vulnerability was closed in Word.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more information about Version 1802 (Build 9029.2253).

Version 1802 (Build 9029.2167)

Release date: February 26, 2018

This minor non-security update fixes a few minor bugs and adds several minor features. Among the new features are one in Outlook in which you can now see other people’s responses to meeting requests, even if you not the meeting organizer. In addition, Visio has a new database model diagram template that will let you accurately model your database as a Visio diagram. Among the issues fixed is one in which  Skype for Business hangs when using the “call using conference center” option to invite users from the roster.

Get more information about Version 1802 (Build 9029.2167). 

Version 1801 (Build 9001.2171)

Release date: February 13, 2018

This security update fixes vulnerabilities in Excel, Outlook, and the entire Office suite. In Excel, it targets a remote code execution vulnerability, and in Outlook it fixes an elevation of privilege vulnerability and a memory corruption vulnerability. For the entire Office suite, it fixes a memory corruption vulnerability and an information disclosure vulnerability.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more information about Version 1801 (Build 9001.2171).

Version 1801 (Build 9001.2144)

Release date: February 7, 2018

This extremely minor, non-security update fixes only one very small bug in Excel: an issue in which if your editing language is Japanese, Chinese, or Korean, Excel may freeze when you try to choose a new font on the Home tab or when you edit.

Get more information about Version 1801 (Build 9001.2144).

Version 1801 (Build 9001.2138)

Release date: February 1, 2018

This minor, non-security update fixes small bugs in Project and Skype for Business. Among the bugs fixed in Project is one in which the “Progress point shape” is drawn at an unexpected location, and another in which Actual Work is still shown in the reporting tables after being removed in a Save for Sharing session.

Among the bugs fixed in Skype for Business is one in which “More Options” and “Invite More People” buttons are hidden when a meeting is in full-screen mode, and another in which the P2P audio call window or conference call window becomes transparent when you attempt to join.

Get more information about Version 1801 (Build 9001.2138).

Version 1712 (Build 8827.2179)

Release date: January 30, 2018

This minor, non-security update fixes two small bugs. In Excel, an issue was fixed in which scroll bars were missing when a workbook was opened with Excel minimized. In Outlook, an issue was fixed in which search failed with “No matches found” when search was set to All Mailboxes.

Get more information about Version 1712 (Build 8827.2179).

Version 1712 (Build 8827.2148)

Release date: January 17, 2018

This non-security update adds a variety of minor features throughout the Office suite. Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Visio, and Word can now transform SVG pictures and icons into Office shapes so their color, size, and texture can be changed. An issue was fixed in Excel in which workbook references failed when opening multiple workbooks by double-clicking on the file names in File Explorer. In PowerPoint, you can add animations to 3D models. Skype for Business gets a number of minor additions, including a new call transfer button in the toast user interface for incoming PSTN calls.

Get more information about Version 1712 (Build 8827.2148).

Version 1711 (Build 8730.2175)

Release date: January 9, 2018

This security update fixes 14 security holes in Outlook, Excel, Word and the entire Office suite. It fixes a number of separate remote code execution vulnerabilities in each of those applications and the entire suite, in which an attacker can run arbitrary code or take control of the entire system if the current user is logged on with administrative user rights. It also fixes several memory corruption vulnerabilities in Word, which would allow an attacker to take control of the entire system if the current user is logged on with administrative user rights.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more information about Version 1711 (Build 8730.2175).

Version 1711 (Build 8730.2165)

Release date: January 2, 2018

This very minor update fixes two bugs. It resolves a PowerPoint issue in which removing document properties and personal information prevents saving to SharePoint. And it fixes a Project issue in which VBA code gets lost from projects.

Get more information about Version 1711 (Build 8730.2165).

Version 1711 (Build 8730.2127)

Release date: December 12, 2017

This security update fixes one vulnerability in Outlook and one in PowerPoint. It fixes the Microsoft Office Information Disclosure Vulnerability in Outlook, in which an attacker could potentially extract plain-text content from DRM-protected draft emails because Outlook failed to enforce copy/paste permissions on them. It also fixes a Microsoft PowerPoint Information Disclosure Vulnerability that would allow an attacker to craft a special document file, convince a user to open it, and then compromise the user’s computer and its data.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more information about Version 1711 (Build 8730.2127).

Version 1711 (Build 8730.2122)

Release date: December 6, 2017

This non-security update adds two very minor features and has a variety of bug fixes. In PowerPoint, when you export a presentation to video, you can now save it in Ultra HD (4K) resolution. In Word, you can have the status bar display a document’s word count as you type. Enable the option from the Customize Status Bar menu.

Project has six bug fixes, including one where the application hangs when using the Task Path feature, and another in which you can’t drag tasks in the Timeline and Team Planner view. Skype for Business has nine bug fixes, including for one in which LinkedIn data does not appear in the Skype for Business Contact Card, and another in which in Conversation History, the caller is shown instead of the called person. This would happen when the called person’s work number is modified using Active Directory.

Get more information about Version 1711 (Build 8730.2122).

Version 1710 (Build 8625.2139)

Release date: November 22, 2017

This extremely minor update has only two bug fixes. It fixes an issue in which users incorrectly see a “catastrophic failure” error message when opening an Office 2007 or older workbook (.xls or .xla) with macros. And it also fixes a bug in which Office crashes when users try to activate Office using the Activate Office dialog box.

Get more information about Version 1710 (Build 8625.2139).

Version 1710 (Build 8625.2132)

Release date: November 20, 2017

This update focuses on minor bug fixes, including one in which Excel crashes when a user tries to insert an object in an existing workbook and clicks Browse, and another in Excel in which the dialog box to enter the password to unlock a protected range isn’t visible. The entire Office suite also received minor bug fixes for several issues, including one with zooming and scaling in Office Add-ins under dynamic DPI environment.

Get more information about Version 1710 (Build 8625.2132).

Version 1710 (Build 8625.2127)

Release date: November 14, 2017

This update focuses primarily on security. Included are three fixes to Excel security holes, including two memory corruption vulnerabilities and one security feature bypass vulnerability. In addition, Word and the entire Office suite received security fixes. Also included is a fix to a bug in Excel in which users couldn’t close a workbook in protected view when the file name contained square brackets.

What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more information about Version 1710 (Build 8625.2127).

Version 1710 (Build 8625.2121)

Release date: November 2, 2017

This non-security feature update adds a few minor capabilities and fixes several issues. Word, PowerPoint and Excel all get a new pencil-like digital pen texture. You can also now use Microsoft Translator from directly in Word and translate words, phrases or the entire document. Project gets a variety of bug fixes, including one in which graphical indicators weren’t displaying correctly.

Get more information about Version 1710 (Build 8625.2121).

Version 1709 (Build 8528.2139)

Release date: October 16, 2017

This non-security feature update adds a few minor capabilities and fixes a number of bugs. Word gets a SharePoint property panel that lets you display and edit SharePoint document library column values from within a document via a new button on the View tab. In PowerPoint, you can now run a slideshow using a digital pen on a touchscreen device — a feature that requires the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. Among the bugs fixed is one in which Project can crash when going to reports that contain several images.

Get more information about Version 1709 (Build 8528.2139).

Version 1708 (Build 8431.2107)

Release date: October 10, 2017

This security update plugs holes in Outlook, Word and the entire Office suite.  Outlook gets two fixes, one for a security feature bypass vulnerability and another for an information disclosure vulnerability. Word gets one security fix, for a memory corruption vulnerability, and the entire suite gets one for a remote code execution vulnerability.

What IT needs to know: Because of the security fixes in this update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more information about Version 1708 (Build 8431.2107).

Version 1708 (Build 8431.2094)

Release date: October 4, 2017

This non-security, non-feature update fixes a wide variety of bugs – 10 in Excel alone. Among the Excel fixes is one where Excel crashes when opening an .XLL file, and another in which the AutoSave toggle isn’t visible. In Outlook, one of the issues fixed is when Outlook crashes when the user is trying to set up a new account and they close the window without completing the account setup. Word, PowerPoint and Access also get a variety of miscellaneous fixes.

And several issues were fixed with the entire Office suite, including one in which Office file properties aren’t displayed in File Explorer, and another in which Office add-in buttons disappear from the ribbon when there is a second document open.

Get more information about Version 1708 (Build 8431.2094).

Version 1708 (Build 8431.2079)

Release date: Sept. 18, 2017

This update adds new features and fixes a variety of bugs. You can now add 3D objects to Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint that you can rotate 360 degrees and tilt up and down. Excel, Word and PowerPoint also get new ink effects with metallic pens including rainbow, galaxy, lava, ocean, gold and silver. Access has two new connectors to Microsoft Dynamics and Salesforce. A number of miscellaneous, minor bugs have been fixed in Project and Skype, including one in Project in which the status field doesn’t always calculate correctly for summary tasks, and one in Skype in which unread messages in persistent chat rooms are marked as read when you click IM conversation tabs.

Get more information about Version 1708 (Build 8431.2079).

Version 1707 (Build 8326.2107)

Release date: Sept. 12, 2017

This update focuses primarily on security issues, and includes security patches for Excel, PowerPoint, Skype and the entire Office suite. Among the fixes are two that have to do with memory corruption vulnerabilities in Excel, and two with remote code execution vulnerabilities in PowerPoint. Excel and PowerPoint also get minor, non-security patches.

What IT needs to know: Because of the security fixes in this update, it should be applied soon. Over the next few days, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.

Get more information about Version 1707 (Build 8326.2107).