Microsoft is investigating a new issue preventing third-party applications from launching Microsoft Office applications or opening documents on up-to-date Windows systems.
This known issue affects Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and other Microsoft Office applications when launched from within the affected third-party apps.
"Microsoft has received reports of an issue in which certain third-party applications might be unable to launch Microsoft Office applications or open documents after installing the Windows updates released on or after June 9, 2026," the company said in updated advisories.
"This issue affects certain third-party applications that use OLE automation to interact with Microsoft Office applications. In some cases, the Office application or document might fail to open without displaying an error message."
According to user reports, the impacted third-party apps include CCH Engagement, Zotero, Workpaper Manager, dental software such as Dentrix and Softdent, and other similar applications.
