VC++ errors after Word update (v. 2508)

If you suddenly start to receive VC++ errors when trying to use ClaimMaster (see example below), then the culprit is the latest Word update rolled out in the last few days.

Specifically, this is an issue caused by the latest Office update version 2508 from Current Channel (both 64-bit and 32-bit), which seems to break Office's Visual Basic's component used for executing regular expressions by ClaimMaster. Curiously, Microsoft still doesn't list v. 2508 in the list of supported versions or makes it available for download from the Office 365 website, but for some reason this version is installed when you check for updates inside Word.


You can see what version you are by going to File->Account->About Word

We've submitted the issue report to Microsoft and are also looking for possible work-around if it doesn't get fixed soon in the next Office update or so. In the meanwhile, you can quickly roll back your Office to the previous 2507 version to get ClaimMaster working again. After you roll-back Office, you do not need to reinstall ClaimMaster or update any other libraries or VC++ redistributable packages.


Here's more info on how to roll back to the previous stable Office version 2507: 

1) Disable auto-updates in the Office for now, as version 2508 appears faulty


From Word, click on : File -> Account -> Update Options -> Disable Updates:

If you are still at version 2507 or lower, we also recommend disabling automatic updates, as Word might auto-update to 2508 at any time, breaking ClaimMaster (and possibly other Office add-ins).

2) Run the following commands in CMD


If you do need to roll-back, open command prompt "as administrator":

Start -> (type) cmd <enter> -> Run as administrator

Execute the following two commands:

cd %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun\



OfficeC2RClient.exe /update user updatetoversion=16.0.19029.20208

Note that you may want to double-check your channel to make sure the last 5 digits of the build number (i.e., 19029.20208, etc.) in the command above pull the right version - you can find the latest build number for 2507 version here.


You will see message boxes informing you about the progress:

  • Downloading Microsoft 365 and Office updates.
  • Applying updates...
  • Updates were installed.

In case you want to learn more about this or the above method doesn't work for you, this helpful article provides detailed steps and explanations of several methods for rolling back Office.


The roll-back runs mostly in the background, so you can continue to use Word until the very end of the process. After the roll-back completes, you should be able to open Word and start to use right away ClaimMaster without having to reinstall it. That said, if you do encounter any hanging/Word closing issues after rolling back to version 2507, we also recommend reinstalling ClaimMaster as well.