An error message upon attempting to run Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) may be due to a missing helper file or incorrectly set permissions.
Check permissions and owner
To investigate this error, follow the steps below:
Step 1. Check permissions and owner - Privileged Helper Tools
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Open Terminal and run this command:
ls -al /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper
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In the output, such as the following example, look for permissions set to -rwxr-xr-x followed by root wheel as the owner.
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 326176 May 25 07:31 /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper
If you don't see these permissions, install the latest version of AutoUpdate below.
Step 2. Check permissions and owner - Launch Daemons
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In Terminal, run this command:
ls -al /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper.plist
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In the output, such as the following example, look for permissions set to -rw-r--r-- followed by root wheel as the owner.
-rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 326176 May 25 07:31 /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper
If you don't see these permissions, install the latest version of AutoUpdate below.
Missing files or incorrect results? Install latest version of AutoUpdate
If either of the mentioned files are missing or you don’t see the correct results as described here, do the following:
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Click the link below to download the installer for the latest version of AutoUpdate.
Download -
Run the downloaded installer package.
Note: If your device is managed by your organization and you don’t have permission to install software, contact your Helpdesk or IT administrator.
