If you use Microsoft Office 365, you may have come across the error: “Your account doesn’t allow editing on a Mac”. It’s annoying and frustrating, because it means you can’t work on documents even if your subscription should allow you to do that. Here’s how to fix it.
To fix the Office 365 doesn't allow editing on a Mac error, check your Office subscription is update and try reinstalling the software. The Word file may be set to open in read-only mode, which is why you are unable to edit it. If editing the Word document has been restricted, then this problem can occur. The Protected view feature is enabled can restrict editing documents that can potentially harm your computer.
There are two possible reasons for the error:
With regard to number 2, above, Microsoft has identified three files that may cause a problem and recommends removing those. We’ll show you how to do that below.
If you’re having problems with Office 365 and they’re not solved by the steps here, you can try resetting the app so that it returns to the state it was in when it was first installed. The easiest way to do that is to use CleanMyMac X. It has an Uninstaller which can also reset apps instead of completely uninstalling them. Read how to reset your MS Office with CleanMyMac X.
If that doesn’t solve the problem, the next step is to remove those files we mentioned earlier.
The “Your account doesn’t allow editing on a Mac” warning in Office 365 can be caused by broken or outdated permissions. You can try and fix it with a free tool in CleanMyMac X.
Download a free edition of this app (Apple-notarized version).
Additionally, check the System Junk section in the sidebar. Cleaning system junk rids your system of caches and other temporary items that could interfere with your MS Office.
Over time, these files grow and as well as taking up space on your drive, can slow your Mac down and cause it to run into problems. CleanMyMac X’s System Junk module can identify and remove these files with a couple of clicks.
The “Your account doesn’t allow editing on a Mac” warning in Office 365 can be caused by a licensing issue or by files Microsoft puts on your Mac becoming corrupt. To fix it, follow the steps above and you should be able to edit files in Office apps once more.