Fix: Error Code 30088-4 when Installing Office

Several Windows users are encountering the Error Code 30088-4 when trying to install Microsoft Office on a Windows machine. In most cases, the error is reported to occur when the user tries to install Office365, but the issue is also reported with Office 2013 and Office 2010. We have managed to find reports of this particular issue occurring on Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.

What is causing the Error Code 30088-4 issue?

We investigated this particular issue by looking at various user reports and the repair strategies that are commonly being to fix this error code.  Based on our investigations, there are several different potential culprits that might end up causing this particular issue:

If you’re currently struggling to resolve this particular issue, this article will provide you with several troubleshooting guides that ended up resolving the issue for other users in a similar situation.

For the best results, follow the methods below in the order that they are presented as they are ordered by efficiency and severity. One of them is bound to resolve the issue regardless off the culprit that is causing the issue on your machine.

Method 1: Running the Office Fix It Uninstaller (applicable for Office 2016, Office 2019 and Office 365)

Several affected users have reported that the issue was resolved and they were able to install Office 365 or Office 2013 without encountering the Error Code 30088-4 after running the Fix-It Uninstaller (before re-installing the program).

Here’s a quick guide on how to do this:

1. Visit this link (here) and wait for the Off Scrub utility to download.
2. Double-click on the SetupProd_OffScrub.exe utility and wait until the application loads. When prompted by the Security warning, click on Install.

   

3. Wait until the utility is downloaded and installed on your computer. Once the process is complete, select the version that you want to uninstall, then click on Next.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation, then restart your computer to trigger the automatic uninstallation.
5. Once the next startup is complete, attempt the Office installation again and see if the issue has been resolved.

If the same issue is still occurring, move down to the next method below.

Method 2: Using a System Restore point

Since a bad Windows update has the potential of breaking the installation of a new Office version, you might be able to resolve the issue by using the System Restore utility to return your machine state to a point where the bad Windows update didn’t block the Office installation from completing successfully.

If you’re lucky enough to have a system restore point that was created before the bad Windows update installed, you will be able to circumvent the Error Code 30088-4 error. Here’s a quick guide on using the System Restore wizard:

1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Then, type “rstrui” and press Enter to open up the System Restore wizard.

   

2. At the first system Restore screen (when asked whether you want to use the recommended restore point), select the Choose a different restore point toggle and click Next to continue.

   

3. From the next screen, ensure that the box associated with Show more restore points is checked, then choose a system restore point that is dated before the bad Windows update got installed. With the restore point selected, click Next to continue.

   

4. At the final screen, click on Finish to kickstart the restoring process. After several seconds, your computer will restart and the older state will be mounted.

   

5. At the next startup sequence, attempt to install the Office Suite again. You should be able to do so without encountering the Error Code 30088-4 issue.