| Issue | Resolution |
|-------|-------------|
| Installer says "No compatible Office installation found" | Ensure Office 2021 is installed and same bitness (32/64) |
| Proofing language not showing in Word | Run repair from Control Panel > Programs > Office 2021 > Change > Quick Repair |
| Download via ODT fails | Verify XML syntax, channel name (PerpetualVL2021), and internet access initially to source files |
You cannot just double-click the .exe or .img file. To install silently via the offline tool, you use the Office Deployment Tool (ODT) with a specific configuration.xml file.
Sample configuration.xml for offline proofing: office 2021 proofing tools offline installer
<Configuration>
<Add SourcePath="D:\" OfficeClientEdition="64">
<Product ID="ProofingTools">
<Language ID="en-us" />
<Language ID="fr-fr" />
<Language ID="de-de" />
</Product>
</Add>
</Configuration>
Run: setup.exe /configure configuration.xml
msiexec /i "proofing_tools_2021_de-de.msi" /quiet /log C:\Logs\proofing_log.txt
For IT professionals deploying to 100+ machines silently: | Issue | Resolution | |-------|-------------| | Installer
For volume license customers, yes – it is included in your agreement. For retail Office 2021 Home & Student or Home & Business, proofing tools for additional languages are free downloads from Microsoft, but the offline MSI version is harder to obtain. You generally need a Volume License or an MSDN subscription.
This is critical. If Word, Excel, or Outlook is running, the installer will fail or require a reboot. Close them all, including background processes like Skype for Business or OneNote. Run: setup
If you only have the CAB and no setup.exe:
Cause: The language pack is installed, but the proofing components are not enabled.
Fix: In Word, go to File > Options > Language. Under "Office authoring languages and proofing," ensure the language is listed and "Proofing available" says "Installed" – not "Not installed."