The operating system is not presently configured to run this application

If you are receiving the error message “The operating system is not presently configured to run this application” on your system, this post is sure to help you fix it. This error message is majorly seen while opening the Office applications, such as Word, Excel, Outlook, etc. However, some users have also encountered this error message while using Windows Search and other applications.

The operating system is not presently configured to run this application.

This error message can appear when running Office programs like Excel, Word, Outlook or Solidworks or any other program, for that matter! The users who experienced this error message with Windows Search have reported that Windows Search did not work on their system and also affected the search feature in Microsoft Outlook. This article lists some solutions that may help you fix the issue.

The operating system is not presently configured to run this application

If you receive the error message “The operating system is not presently configured to run this application” when opening Office and other applications, the following solutions may help you resolve the issue.

1. Run Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter
2. Check for Windows Update
3. Run the application as an administrator
4. Disable third-party antivirus or Firewall temporarily
5. Troubleshoot the problematic Office applications in Safe Mode
6. Update your Office and other software
7. Repair Microsoft Office
8. Reinstall Microsoft Office
9. Update Norton Antivirus (solution only for Norton Antivirus users)
10. Delete all the files in the Tracing folder and clear the DNS cache
11. Check if the Windows Search service is running
12. Check your Indexing settings
13. Run SFC and DISM scans
14. Troubleshoot in a Clean Boot State

Let’s have a look at these troubleshooting methods in detail.

1] Run Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter

Some users are getting this error message without launching any Office application or other software. This isn’t very pleasant. One possible cause of this problem is the applications running in the background. If this is the case with you, running the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter can fix it.

2] Check for Windows Update

Check if there is any pending update available for your Windows 11/10 system. Installing the Windows Update has fixed the issue for many users. Maybe this will work for you too. You can check for Windows Update in the Settings app. If Windows indicates that your system is up to date, we recommend manually checking for updates by clicking the Check for updates button.

3] Run the application as an administrator

You can also try running the problematic application as an administrator to see if it resolves the issue. For this, right-click on the shortcut icon of the application you are experiencing the error with and select Run as administrator. Click Yes in the User Account Control (UAC) prompt. Now, check if the same error message appears again or not.

The shortcut icons for all the applications are placed on the Desktop. If you do not find the icon on your Desktop, click on the Windows Search and type the name of the application. Now, right-click on the application from the Search Results and select Open file location. Then, Windows will open the folder that contains the shortcut icon for that application. If you want, you can send its shortcut icon on your desktop by right-clicking on it.

If this fixes your problem, you can set the application to always run as administrator.

4] Disable your third-party Antivirus or Firewall

Disable Windows Firewall or your third-party Antivirus temporarily. After turning it off, launch the application that was causing the issue. If the application works correctly this time, it means that the Firewall or Antivirus is causing the problem. To fix this issue, you can whitelist that application on Windows Firewall. Third-party antivirus users need to contact customer support to resolve the issue.

Don’t forget to re-enable the Firewall and your antivirus, as your system becomes vulnerable to threats after disabling them.

5] Troubleshoot problematic Office applications in Safe Mode

One possible cause of receiving this error message on Office apps is faulty Add-ins. You can confirm it by troubleshooting the problematic Office apps in the Safe mode. The Office apps can be launched in the Safe mode by typing a command in the Run command box. Different Office applications require different commands. Launch the Run command box by pressing the Win + R keys and type the following commands to launch the desired application in Safe mode:

• Microsoft Word: winword /safe
• Microsoft Excel: excel.exe /safe
• Microsoft PowerPoint: powerpnt /safe
• Microsoft Outlook: outlook.exe /safe

If the Office app is launched successfully in Safe mode, an Add-in is causing the problem. We have explained the troubleshooting process below.

The following instructions are for Microsoft Office versions:

1. Launch the problematic Office app by typing the respective command in the Run command box.
2. Go to “File > Options.”
3. Select Add-ins from the left pane.
4. Select COM Add-ins in the Manage drop-down menu and click on the Go button. This will open a new window showing the list of all installed Add-ins.
5. Deselect one of the Add-ins and click OK.
6. Now, close the Office app to exit the Safe mode and launch it in normal mode. If you do not receive the error message this time, it means that the Add-in you have disabled just now is the culprit. Consider removing it. If you receive the same error message, repeat the process again until you find the culprit Add-in.

6] Update your Office and other software

Update your Office software to the latest version ensuring that you install all Windows as well as Office updates.

If the error occurs with another software, ensure that it is updated as well.

7] Repair Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 apps are quite handy when it comes to creating documents, spreadsheets, slideshows, and more. If you use them every day, but are now unable to do so due to the error, it may not be very pleasant for you. It used to occur with some older versions of Office apps, but it is now resolved on the Microsoft side.

If you receive the same error message after launching the Office app in Safe mode, the Microsoft Office application might be corrupted. This problem can be fixed by repairing Microsoft Office. In most cases, a repair fixes the issues with Office apps.

To use the Online Repair option, your computer must be connected to an internet connection. Otherwise, you cannot use this functionality. The best thing is that you do not need to download any third-party software to repair the installation.

To repair Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office in Windows 11/10, do the following:

• Press Win+Ito open Windows Settings.
• Switch to the Apps tab on the left side.
• Click on the Apps & features menu.
• Find out Microsoft 365.
• Click on the three-dotted icon and select the Modify option.
• Click on the Yes button.
• Choose the Online Repair option.
• Click the Repair button.

Now you need to wait for some time to let it finish everything. Once done, you can restart your computer and check if you can open the app or do the job you were trying to do earlier.

8] Reinstall Microsoft Office

If repairing Microsoft Office does not help, reinstalling it may fix the problem. There are multiple methods to uninstall the Microsoft Office installation. For example, you can use Windows Settings or third-party software like Revo Uninstaller, CCleaner, etc. Once done, you can download the image from the official website and reinstall it.

If the error occurs with another software, try reinstalling that software and see if it resolves the issue.

9] Update Norton Antivirus (solution only for Norton Antivirus users)

According to some Norton Antivirus users, the error message was occurring on their systems because Norton was preventing the Office applications from getting launched. If you have installed Norton Antivirus on your computer, run Norton Live Update to update your antivirus. This should fix the problem.

10] Delete all the files in the Tracing folder and clear the DNS cache

If you are experiencing the error message “The operating system is not presently configured to run this application” with Skype for Business app, deleting the files inside the Tracing folder and clearing the DNS cache may fix the problem. We have explained the process below:

Exit Skype for Business app if you have opened it. Also, close the app if it is running in the background. For this, press Win + R keys to launch the Run command box and type taskmgr. After this, click OK. This will launch the Task Manager. Now, look for the Skype for Business app in the Background Processes section. Once you find it, right-click on it and select End Process.

Launch the Run command box and type %UserProfile% and click OK. Open the AppData folder. By default, the AppData folder is hidden. Therefore, if you do not see it, you have to enable the Hidden Files and Folders feature in Windows.

Lync is an old name of the Skype for Business app. After April 2015, Microsoft renamed the Lync app as Skype for Business. Depending on the version of the app installed on your system, go to the following path:

• Lync 2013 and Skype for Business 2015 users: Microsoft\Office\15.0\Lync
• Skype for Business 2016 users: Microsoft\Office\16.0\Lync

Open the Tracing folder and delete all the files inside it. Do not delete the Tracing folder.

Now, click on the Windows Search and type cmd. Click on the Command Prompt app from the Search Results. In the Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter.

ipconfig /flushdns

The above command will clear the DNS cache. After clearing the DNS cache, check if the issue persists.

11] Check if Windows Search service is running

This solution is for users who receive the error message while using Windows Search. If Windows Search is not working and giving you the “The operating system is not presently configured to run this application” error message, check if it is running or not.

Follow the steps below:

1. Launch the Run command box and type services.msc.
2. Scroll down the list of services and look for Windows Search.
3. Check whether its Status is Running or Stopped. If its Status is showing Stopped, right-click on it and select Start.

Now, check if the issue still persists.

12] Check your Indexing settings

If the Windows Search service is already running or if the error persists despite starting the Windows Search service, check your Indexing settings. The process to check the Indexing settings is explained below:

1. Click on the Windows Search and type Indexing Options.
2. Select Indexing Options from the Search Results.
3. Click on the Advanced button. Click Yes if you receive the UAC prompt.
4. Click Rebuild under the Troubleshooting section.

The Rebuild process of Indexing will take some time. You can view the indexing progress in the Indexing Options window. After the completion of the process, the Indexing Options window will display the Indexing Complete message. Now, check if the issue persists.

13] Run SFC and DISM scans

System File Checker (SFC) is a utility from Microsoft that scans a computer for corrupted or missing system files and attempts to repair them (if possible). Some users have reported that their system displays the error message randomly without launching any application. In such a case, running the SFC scan can fix the problem.

If the SFC scan does not fix your problem, run the DISM scan and see if it brings any changes.

14] Troubleshoot in the Clean Boot state

This solution is also for users who receive the error message without launching any application. By starting your system in the Clean Boot state, you can identify the culprit program or software. If you find a program causing the problem, consider uninstalling it.

That’s all! Hope this guide helped.

What does it mean Operating system not supported?

The error message “This operating system is not supported by this application” means that your operating system is not compatible with the application or game you want to install. Let’s say, the game or app is developed for Ubuntu or iOS and you are trying to install it on Windows.

Another possible cause of this error is the outdated version of the operating system. For example, if you are installing a Windows 8 or older version app on Windows 11, you may receive this error message. To fix this, you can run the installer file in compatibility mode.

How do I fix Windows Setup could not configure Windows to run on this computer hardware?

When you try to install a Feature Update or full install Windows and you receive Windows Setup could not configure Windows to run on this computer’s hardware, then you should manually run the msoobe.exe application to complete the installation. You may also need to manually install any problematic drivers and disable CPU overclocking (if your CPU is overclocked).

Read: There is a problem with the proxy server’s security certificate – Outlook error