What to Do When Microsoft Teams Can’t Find a Required Component to Run

Quick Tips

• Microsoft Teams now requires the WebView 2 utility to run properly, but Windows Update might not find the right version.
• Reinstalling Teams (rather than just updating) should install the prerequisite components.
• When performing registry updates, make sure to export a backup beforehand.

If you try to run Teams after an update, you might get an error such as “Microsoft Teams can’t find a required component to run,” with a button to install the WebView2 utility that doesn’t actually do anything. Even worse, searching for a download link online can lead to Windows stating that WebView2 is already on the PC.

This might sound confusing, but the fix should be relatively straightforward. Here’s what you can try.

How to Fix Microsoft Teams Can’t Find a Required Component to Run with WeBView2

The Windows registry contains information on the current version of WebView2 (or lack thereof), so you’ll need to fool Windows into thinking it doesn’t have it so you can reinstall it.

Part 1: Removing the Registry Entry

Step 1. Hit “Win + R” to open the Run utility. Type in “regedit” and hit “Enter.”

Step 2. Use the “Export” option in the “File” menu to create a current copy of the Registry in case anything goes wrong.

Step 3. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following address:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\Clients

You can enter it in the search bar on the top, but you have to drag over and remove the entire previous address there.

Step 4. In the clients folder, right-click on “{F3017226-FE2A-4295-8BDF-00C3A9A7E4C5}” and select “Delete.”

Step 5. Close the Registry Editor.

Part 2: Downloading WebView2 Again

With the registry thinking you don’t have WebView2, you can redownload it.

Step 1. Open your browser (Edge is preferred here), and go to the WebView2 download page.

Step 2. Click the download button.

Step 2b. Alternatively, you can scroll down and find the “Evergreen Standalone Installer” for your architecture (most Windows 11s are x64). You can find this by searching “System Information” and looking up the “System Type” entry.

Step 3. Confirm the download if prompted.

Step 4. Double-click on the file you downloaded through the browser and follow the installation instructions.

Step 5. You may need to restart your PC. Then, try to reopen Teams.

Alternative Fixes

If changing the registry doesn’t seem to work, you can try a few other options.

Option 1: Clear Teams Cache

Step 1. Go to the Run utility and paste in “%appdata%\Microsoft\Teams” then hit “Enter.

Step 2. Delete everything inside the folder.

Step 3. Go to “%localappdata%\Packages” inside Run.

Step 4. Delete everything in that folder as well.

Step 5. Restart your PC and turn on Teams.

Option 2: Repair or Reinstall Teams

Step 1. Open Settings with “Win + I.”

Step 2. Go to “Apps” then to “Installed apps.”

Step 3. Search for Microsoft Teams on the list and click on the three-dots icon on the right, then go to “Advanced options.”

Step 4. Scroll down and click “Repair.”

Step 5. If this doesn’t work, repeat the process and select “Reset.”

Step 6. If Teams still won’t run, hit “Uninstall,” then redownload Teams from your browser.