Error Code 30038-28 when updating Office [Fix]

You may encounter an Error coded 30038-28 while trying to install or update your Microsoft Office package. This issue has been found in both Windows and Mac OS devices and is generally borne out of unstable internet connections, or other related factors. Today, we will be walking you through all the solutions you can implement to repair this error on your PC.

Fix Office Error Code 30038-28

The error message clearly states that Office ran into a problem while downloading updates. If you face this issue, try the following suggestions.

Change your internet connection
Restart your PC
Disable antivirus and VPN software temporarily
Delete Temporary Files using Disk Cleanup Tool
Quick Repair Microsoft Office
Reinstall Microsoft Office

1] Change your internet connection

Your first course of action for any issue should be the simplest one. Thus, you should first try restarting, and if that doesn’t work, changing your internet connection since this error is most commonly found in cases where there was poor internet connectivity.

2] Restart your PC

If restarting and changing your internet connection doesn’t work for you, it is recommended that you try and reboot your system first, before taking any steps that can alter your system’s configurations.

3] Disable antivirus and VPN software

Disable antivirus and VPN software temporarily and see if that works for you.

4] Delete Temporary Files

Every time you undertake a download on your computer, certain temporary files are accompanied by it. Getting rid of them can do the trick for you.

Open the Run command and in the blank box type ‘%temp%’. You can also find this folder in the ‘Windows (C:)’ location. This will open a Windows Explorer window for you with all the temporary files. Select all of them and press delete to permanently delete them from your computer.

Even better, use Disk Cleanup Tool to clear all your PC jink.

4] Repair or Reset Microsoft Office

To repair or reset the Microsoft Office suite on your PC, open the Control Panel and under the Programs head, click on Uninstall or Change a Program. This will open the said window.

Now, you have to find Microsoft Office from the list of programs that show up in the window. Click on Change which will open the Microsoft Office Repair utility. This is what the dialog box will look like.

Select Quick Repair and click on Repair. Confirm the process and wait a while for it to finish. The purpose of this Repair Utility is to help you find out what’s wrong with your MS Office package. Upon completion, you will be notified if there were any errors or bugs found in the repair process. If there are any, you have to follow the instructions provided to fix it.

5] Reinstall Microsoft Office

In case the error persists even after repairing MS Office, your final shot at this could be to remove the MS Office suite from your PC and download a new one.

Open your Windows settings by pressing the ‘Windows’ and ‘I’ keys together and here, search for apps and features. From the list of programs that show up, locate Microsoft Office, select it, and click on ‘Uninstall’. Then, visit the official website and download a fresh package for your computer.

6] Use the Windows Event Viewer

The Event Viewer is a built-in Microsoft Utility that can help you keep track of any keys that may be causing a problem to your system. Here’s how you can use it:

Press the Windows and ‘R’ keys together to open the run command and in the blank box there, type the term ‘eventvwr’ before pressing Enter. Double-click on Windows logs from the left-side options pane and select ‘Application.’

This will show you several logs that you then have to filter out to center your attention around the ones that concern Microsoft Office. Look through the logs to see if there’s anything you suspect has caused this issue.