Generic trust failure when installing Visual Studio Tools for Office Runtime 2010 (VSTO)

Overview

Visual Studio 2010 Tools for Office Runtime is a component developed by Microsoft that is required in order to run Microsoft Office based add-ins. In order for Office Timeline to work, VSTO must be installed correctly. If VSTO is not successfully installed, Office Timeline cannot function.

Symptoms

When you try to install Office Timeline, you are prompted to install VSTO.  During the VSTO installation, you receive a "Generic trust failure" error message.VSTO Generic Trust Failure

Solution

  1. Download and install VSTO Runtime Version 10.0.60910  from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=105522

    NOTE: In most corporate environments, user accounts are typically restricted from installing some applications. You may need administrative rights or assistance from your IT department in order to install this successfully.

  2. After you have successfully installed VSTO, install Office Timeline.

If the solution above does not work...

You will need to involve your IT Department to install VSTO. Once VSTO is installed, you can then install Office Timeline. Additional causes and fixes for the Generic trust failure issue: