Office installation may be halted by error code 3‑1 when the setup can’t access or execute essential installation files—often due to corrupted installer packages, permission restrictions, or lingering components from a previous Office version. This error stops the process and prevents Office from being installed. To resolve it, begin by restarting your computer to clear any temporary installation locks, then run the Office installer as an administrator to bypass permission blocks. If that doesn't work, completely uninstall any existing Office installations using the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant, and delete leftover Office folders in
C:Program FilesMicrosoft Office, C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft Office, and %AppData%LocalMicrosoftOffice. Next, clear your temporary files using Disk Cleanup, then open an elevated Command Prompt and run sfc /scannow to repair any corrupted system files that might block installation. After rebooting, launch the Office setup again—ideally in a clean-boot environment to prevent interference from third-party software. These steps typically resolve error 3‑1 quickly. For a detailed, step‑by‑step walkthrough with recovery options, check out this guide.