"Microsoft Word has stopped working [9 Effective Fixes]"

These instructions apply to Word in Office 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2010, Word 2007, and Word for Mac.

There are nine ways in total to fix the "Microsoft Word has stopped working" and Word file recovery and repair issues. These methods can also be applied to similar problems in other Office apps, such as Excel or PowerPoint.

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Issue: Microsoft Word Has Stopped Working 2016/2013/2010/2007

As the popularity of Microsoft Office rises, its applications like Word have gained favor among users worldwide. However, with more users comes more issues. "Microsoft Office Word has stopped working" is one of the most common concerns for many Word users.

Quite often, when Microsoft Word is not running properly, an error will appear, giving you two options: to look for a solution online or to close the program. If you opt to close the application, you might encounter the issue of Microsoft Word not opening.

If you're also having issues with Microsoft Office Word 2016, 2013, 2010, or 2007 not opening, continue reading and check the solutions provided below. The fix that you need to apply may vary depending on your situation. We hope one of these methods works for you.

9 Solutions to "Microsoft Word Has Stopped Working" Error on Windows 10/8/7

If Microsoft Word stops working, first wait for the program to process and attempt to save your edited document. If it doesn't budge after some time, click “End Task” on the Word pop-up window and troubleshoot effectively with the methods below.

Solution 1: Repair the corrupted Word document using a file repair tool

When Word isn't working correctly, it's usually due to a corrupt document. You can fix the damaged document to resolve the issue.

Try using a powerful file repair utility like the Fixo Document Repair Tool to fix your corrupted Word document. This advanced repair tool employs sophisticated algorithms that can recover severely corrupted Word files.

With Fixo, you can repair unreadable content in your Word documents and restore them to their original form, including all objects.

Step 1: Download and run Fixo on your computer or laptop. Choose "File Repair" to fix corrupted Office documents, including Word, Excel, PDF, and more. Click "Add File" to select the damaged document.

Step 2. Click “Repair All” to fix multiple files. If you only want to fix one, hover over the target file and click “Repair.” You can also preview the document by clicking the eye icon.

Step 3: Click “Save” to save the selected document. Choose “Save All” to save all repaired files. Select “View Repaired” to locate the folder with the repaired files.

We also have a video that shows how to use the File Repair tool to fix corrupted files.

1. 00:14 Method 1: Insert into a New Word Document
2. 00:38 Method 2: Open and Repair
3. 00:55 Method 3: Restore Default Settings
4. 01:30 Method 4: Use Fixo Document Repair Tool

Fix 2: Disable add-ons in Safe Mode

Incompatible add-ins can cause the Word or Office apps to stop working error. A quick fix is to start the Office app in Safe Mode and disable the add-ins.

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys, then type in winword.exe /a, and hit Enter to launch MS Word in Safe Mode without add-ins. Alternatively, you can use winword /safe to start Word in Safe Mode. If Office Word still won't open in Safe Mode, the problem might not be with the add-ins. Try repairing Office or uninstalling and reinstalling it.

If Word starts in Safe Mode, resolve the issue by disabling add-ins and COM add-ins. Click File > Options > Add-ins.

Step 3: Click "Manage" at the bottom, then choose "COM Add-ins" and hit "Go." Untick the problematic add-in and hit "OK." Some older add-ins tend to cause more problems than others. If any of these are on your list, uncheck them first: Abbyy FineReader, PowerWord, and Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

Then restart Word and see if the problem is fixed.

Repair Office 2016/2013/2010/2007

According to some veteran users, when Microsoft Office malfunctions, it prevents users from opening Word or editing any files. This is when you encounter the “Microsoft word has stopped working” or “Microsoft word not opening” error.

Whether you're trying to create a new document or continue working on a file, the app would simply close on you. The immediate solution is to fix your Office installation by following these steps:

Step 1. In Windows 10, 8, or 7, open the Control Panel, click “Programs and Features,” and then click “Microsoft Office.”

Step 2. Locate and select your Microsoft Office, then click “Change” from the top menu.

Step 3: Click “Repair” and then “Continue” in the window that appears.

If you're using a newer version of Microsoft Office, choose Online Repair or Quick Repair, and then click Repair.

Step 4: Wait for the repair to finish, and then restart your computer.

Once the repair process is complete, open the Word application and check if the error appears again.

Fix 4: Install the latest Windows or Office updates

When your version of Office or Windows is outdated, Microsoft Office Word might stop working or crash. Here's how to install the latest updates for Windows or Microsoft Office:

1. Install the latest Windows updates

Step 1: Press Windows + I to open Settings.

Step Two: Click “Update & Security,” and then click “Check for updates” under “Windows Update.”

If a new Windows Update window appears, click Install Now and follow the instructions to install any available updates.

2. Install Microsoft Office updates

For Office 2013 and later:

Step 1: Open an Office app – such as Excel or Word – and click “File.”

Step 2: Click on “Account” > “Product Information” > “Update Options.”

Step 3: Click Turn on updates, then click Update Now.

Note: If the Enable Updates button is not available, it means that automatic updates are already enabled.

For Office 2010 or earlier:

Step 1: Open an Office program -- Excel or Word, for example -- and click "File" then "Help."

Step 2: Click on the "Check for Updates" or "Install Updates" option.

Follow the instructions, and then you can open a new Word document or resume work on an existing one.

Fix 5: Insert the Word Document into Another File

When attempting to open a previously saved document, you might encounter an error stating that "Microsoft Word has stopped working." In such cases, you can try resolving the issue by inserting the document into a new file. Follow these steps to do so: 1. **Launch Microsoft Word**: Start by opening a fresh instance of Microsoft Word. 2. **Create a new document**: Click on "File" in the top-left corner, then select "New" to create a new, blank document. 3. **Insert the problematic document**: In the new document, click on the "Insert" tab in the ribbon at the top. From there, choose "Object" in the "Text" section. 4. **Select the problematic file**: In the "Insert Object" dialog box, choose the "Create from File" tab. Then, click "Browse" to locate the problematic Word document on your computer. 5. **Insert the document**: Select the file and click "Insert." This will embed the contents of the problematic document into the new file. 6. **Save the new document**: After the content is inserted, save the new document with a different name to avoid overwriting the original file. Go to "File," click "Save As," choose a location, enter a new filename, and click "Save." Now, you should be able to work with the content of the original document without encountering the "Microsoft Word has stopped working" error. If the issue persists, consider repairing or reinstalling Microsoft Office.

Step 1: Run Microsoft Office Word and create a new blank document.

Step 2: Click on the "Insert" tab in the top menu bar, then select "Text."

Step 3: Click on “Object,” and then select “Load text from file.”

Step 4. Select the target Word document that cannot be opened or is corrupted, and click Insert.

Step 5: Review the document's contents, and then save it as a new file on your computer.

Fix 6: Remove or update outdated printer drivers

Printer drivers can interfere with Office and cause the “Microsoft Word has stopped working” error. So, sometimes, removing or updating your default printer can fix this issue. Here's how:

Step 1: Open Device Manager and find your printer.

Step 2: Right-click on your printer and select "Uninstall" or "Update Driver."

Step 3: Uninstall or update the old printer driver.

• To uninstall the driver, click OK, and then restart your computer. • To update the driver, click Search automatically for updated driver software, and then follow the instructions to complete the process. Or, you can download the driver from the printer website and install it on your computer.

Fix 7: Delete or Remove Word Registry Keys

Users have reported that Microsoft Word isn't working correctly due to a problem with the Registry. There's a key in the Registry that stores frequently used options in Word. If you delete this key, Word will rebuild it with default settings the next time you start the application, which might resolve the issue.

Step 1: Type regedit in the search bar, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

Step 2. Click Yes to open the Registry Editor and navigate to the Word key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Word\Options.

Step 3: Right-click the key and select Export.

Step 4: Save the “Options” key as “Wddata.reg” and place it on your desktop.

Step 5: Go back to the Registry Editor and delete the “Options” key from the menu.

Step 6. Exit the Registry Editor.

Then restart Word to see if the problem is fixed. If it isn't, run Wddata.reg from your desktop to restore the deleted keys.

Fix 8: Replace the Normal.dot Global Template File

Microsoft Word stores its formatting and macros in a global template file. If this file becomes corrupted, you'll get the “Microsoft Word has stopped working” error. You can fix this by renaming the Normal.dot file.

Note: Modifying the global template can cause you to lose customizations, such as styles and macros. To retain your previous settings, you can use Organizer to copy custom content from one global template to another. To replace Normal.dot, do the following:

Step 1: Press Windows + X and choose "Command Prompt (Admin)." If prompted for administrator permissions, log in.

Step 2: Enter the following command and press Enter:

Rename %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\OldNormal.dotm to Normal.dotm (Translation remains the same as it's already in American English.)

Step 3: Wait for the process to complete and exit the Command Prompt.

After that, restart the Word application and check if you can edit documents or create a new file with it.

Fix 9: Uninstall and reinstall MS Office

Note: This fix might cause your activation key to become invalid if you reinstall MS Office. Before proceeding with the following steps, make sure that your activation key allows for two activations.

Step 1: Save your MS Office activation key and keep it secure on another device.

Step 2: Open the Control Panel, click on "Programs and Features," and then locate and select Microsoft Office.

Step 3: Click "Uninstall" from the top menu.

Step 4: Reinstall Microsoft Office and activate it using your serial number.

If your old key doesn't activate the newly installed MS Office, please reach out to the Microsoft Support team for assistance: https://support.microsoft.com/contactus.

More tips: How to recover a lost or unsaved Word document

Another major concern for users is the loss of unsaved Word files when Word stops working. If you were editing a Word document when this happens, you might lose your unsaved work. In this section, you'll learn how to recover unsaved Word documents using useful tricks. Additionally, we'll introduce a renowned file recovery tool to help you fix and restore lost Word documents in the easiest way possible.

How to Recover an Unsaved Word Document

If you lost your unsaved Word document due to Word crashing, not responding, stopping working, freezing all the time, or any other Word issues, you can recover unsaved Word documents in Windows 10 with 3 methods. Click the link to view the details.

• Solution 1: Recover from temp file
• Solution 2: Recover from auto-recover
• Solution 3: Use Document Recovery

If you're on a Mac, check out this link to learn how to recover an unsaved Word document on a Mac.

How to use file recovery software to restore deleted Word documents

If the “Word cannot start the converter” error has corrupted your files, or you've deleted some important Word documents that you need to recover, the Data Recovery Wizard tool is a great choice. This software can help you not only retrieve lost files but also fix damaged documents during the recovery process.

Tool Data Recovery Software Features:

• Recover lost or deleted Word, Excel, PPT, and PDF documents
• Support for data recovery in cases of accidental deletion, formatting, hard drive failure, virus attacks, system crashes, and more
• Restore Word files from HDD, SSD, USB flash drives, USB sticks, SD cards, external hard drives, and other devices

Download the tool, and in just three simple steps, you can recover lost or corrupted Word documents from your hard drive, USB flash drive, external hard drive, and more.

Step 1: Select the location of the Word file

Select the drive or a particular folder where you lost your Word document and click on the “Scan” button.

Step 2: Locate your Word file

The software will instantly start scanning all lost data from the selected drive. Once done, click on “Documents” from the left panel. Select the targeted Word file from the scan results and then hit “Preview”.

Step 3: Recover the Deleted Word Document

After previewing, select the Word file you need and click “Recover.” Remember to save the recovered document in another location and not the original one.

Causes of the "Microsoft Word Has Stopped Working" Error

Aside from finding the right solution to fix the Microsoft Office not running error on your Windows PC, it's essential to understand the reasons behind Word's malfunction. Here are some of the primary causes:

• Your operating system on the computer is not compatible with the Office version.
• Word is outdated.
• Your device drivers are outdated.
• There is an issue with Word add-ins.
• The Word file has issues.

Practical Tips for Backing Up and Protecting Your Word Files

If you're looking for a reliable way to fix the 'Word has stopped working' error, the solutions from the above two sections can help you.

If you're looking for a more comprehensive plan to protect your valuable Word documents, you've come to the right place. Here are two reliable Word backup techniques you can try:

1. Enable the Auto-Save feature in Word

Applies To: Back up and save edited Word documents.

Step 1: Open the MS Word application and create a new document. Click on “File” > “Options.”

Step 2: Click “Save,” then check the two boxes below.

• "Save AutoRecover information every * minutes" (set a time for automatic saves, such as every 2 or 5 minutes)
• "Keep the last automatically saved version if I don't save before closing"

Step 3: Click OK to confirm.

2. Backup the saved Word file with a file backup software.

Applies to: Backing up Word files saved on a local drive.

A reliable file backup software like Todo Backup can help you easily and effectively back up important files, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc., to your local drive.

Backups are a lifeline, restoring your hard work when you lose it for unknown reasons.

Please download and follow these three simple steps to back up your Word files easily and securely:

Step 1: If you're using Todo Backup for the first time to back up your files, click Create Backup on the main screen, then click the big question-mark button to Select backup content.

Step 2. Since you want to back up files and folders on your computer, choose the "Files" backup mode. In this mode, you can select photos, videos, documents, and other types of files for backup.

Step 3: Browse and select the files, folders, or directories you wish to back up, then click OK.

Step 4: You will now need to select a backup location to save and keep your backups.

Step 5: Todo Backup allows users to save backup files to any convenient device, such as a local hard drive, external USB drive, SD card, network drive, or NAS drive, as well as to the tool's branded cloud drive. For ease of access, flexibility, and security, we recommend saving important backups to a cloud drive.

To use Tool Cloud, you just need to register and log in with an e-mail account.

Step 6: If you want the file backup task to run automatically and intelligently in the future, you can continue with the "Options" settings. Here, you can encrypt your sensitive file backups, compress the backup image size, or customize a backup schedule to tell the software when to start the backup next time.

Configure an advanced and automated backup task right here:

Step 7. Click on "Backup Now" to start the backup process. When finished, the backed up files will be displayed as cards in the left pane.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about "Microsoft Word Has Stopped Working"

Here are some issues related to "Microsoft Word not responding." If you're experiencing these problems, you can find solutions here.

1. How do I fix the "Microsoft Word has stopped working" issue?

When Microsoft Word isn't working correctly, you can fix it by repairing your Office installation.

Step 1: Open the Control Panel, click on "Programs and Features," and then click on "Microsoft Office."

Step 2. Locate and select your Microsoft Office, then click on “Change” from the top menu.

Step 3: In the window that opens, click Repair and then click Continue. If you have a newer version of Microsoft Office, you can choose either Online Repair or Quick Repair, and then click Repair.

Step 4: Wait for the repair to complete, and then restart your computer.

Why can't I open my Microsoft Word?

If you have damaged documents, or issues with Word or third-party add-ins, Word may not open.

How do I restart Microsoft Word?

Step 1: Click on the Tools menu, choose Customize, and then click on Options.

Step 2: Select "Reset menu and toolbar usage data." This will reset your toolbar to its default settings. If you want to reset more settings, continue with the following steps.

Why has my Office 365 stopped working?

If Microsoft Office 365, 2016, or 2013 stops working or won't open on your computer, you can also use the Office Repair utility to fix the issue on Windows 10/8/7: Right-click on Office 365, Office 2016, or Office 2013 > Select Change > Click Online Repair > Hit the Repair button.

How do I fix an Outlook that has stopped working?

When you come across Outlook 2016 not responding in Windows 10, you can try to fix it with Outlook recovery software, start Outlook in safe mode, install Outlook updates, repair Office programs, or repair Outlook data files.