LibreOffice program disappeared

I opened Libre Writer yesterday and it said I needed to update the program. So I clicked on the update icon from within the program and it took me to the website with the update link. I downloaded the update and tried to install it. It wouldn’t install due to an error message that I needed admin authority to update it. That makes no sense on this machine and with this program, but whatever, so I cancelled the update.

I created a document and saved it. The document still exists. But the LibreOffice PROGRAMS no longer exist on my machine AT ALL. If I type “LibreOffice” into the search bar in the Start bar, the only things that come up are the original pre-install downloads of the programs - the “Windows Installer Packages”. That’s it.

When I find my document and double-click it to open it, a window pops up asking me to tell Windows which program to use to open it, which also tells me that LibreOffice no longer exists on my machine.

That’s just creepy. How did the programs get wiped from my machine? I think I should no longer use these programs until I get a good answer to this question.

Please inform on What information should I include in a question in addition to OS and LibreOffice version? - #4 by ROSt53

All details are important.

The default search of recent windows versions (which version?) does not include program file locations. The executables and some config files of LibreOffice aren’t named “Lib…” but “soffice…”. You should find them in “C:\Program Files (x86)\LibreOffice…\program”. Are there still DIRECT links to LibreOffice (On the desktop? As an icon in an icon bar? Another Launcher?).

Try them if present and report.
Did you find soffice.exe and try it? What happened?

What does happen if you try the install a second time NOT CANCELLING IT because of doubts?