How to Use Microsoft Support And Recovery Assistant (SaRA)

The Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant for Office or Microsoft 365 is a tool developed by Microsoft that assists users in resolving issues with Office 365 programs such as Outlook and Office applications (Word, Excel etc.) through a few straightforward steps.

How Does It Work?

The tool utilizes a built-in troubleshooting and repair process to address issues in Office 365. The Support and Recovery Assistant minimizes the need for support tickets related to Office or Microsoft 365. Most issues are automatically fixed by the assistant, but if a solution isn't found, it provides a set of further actions to try. The tool is regularly updated with new fixes as new issues emerge.

Instructions for Using the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant with Office Applications

1) Get the Support and Troubleshooting Assistant

You can download the tool from this Link. Ensure that the Troubleshooting Assistant is installed on the device experiencing the issue so it can accurately identify and resolve the problems you're facing.

2) Start the Assistant

After installing the tool on your device, open it to begin.

3) Choose the Application to Diagnose

From the list of available applications, pick the one you're experiencing issues with, then click Next. For this example, we'll choose Outlook.

4) Choose the Issue You're Facing

Select all descriptions that align with the problem you're encountering, then click Next.

5) Confirm the Affected Device

When prompted, select “Yes” to confirm that this is the device experiencing the issue. Click Next to continue.

6) Sign In to Your Office 365 Account

A login page for Office or Microsoft 365 should appear. Enter your email and password to sign in. Click Next to start the diagnostic process.

7) Allow the Assistant to Resolve the Issue

After the tool has explored all potential solutions, it will present a diagnostic report along with a summary of the actions taken to address the problem on your device.

8) Advanced Troubleshooting

If the issue wasn't resolved automatically, you can opt for advanced diagnostics from the Support and Recovery Assistant to create a detailed report.

Step 1: Open the assistant and choose the “Advanced diagnostics” option.

Step 2: Choose your Outlook type from the available options. For this example, we’ve selected Exchange Online.

Step 3: Choose the first option to test your Exchange Online connection. If no issues are found, proceed to the second option to perform an authentication check on your email address.

Step 4: Once the Support and Recovery Assistant has finished its validation process, it will produce a comprehensive diagnostic report like the one shown below. You can share this report with a Microsoft support specialist to give them a better insight into the problem.