"The Fix Command cannot be run because a dialog box is open."

Whenever I open a Word document, a dialog box pops up saying, “Command cannot be executed because a dialog box is open. Click OK, and then close any open dialog boxes to continue.” How can I fix this? This has never happened before.

A user from the Microsoft Answers forum

Command cannot be executed because a dialog box is open.

What caused this problem?

You may encounter the same issue as the user above when you open an older version of a Microsoft Word document (such as Microsoft Office Word 2003 or 2007) on a Windows 10 computer with McAfee security software installed.

The reason you're seeing this error message is because:

• A recent Windows update for McAfee security software mistakenly flags an older version of Microsoft Word as an error. • The Officeav.dll file is corrupted or outdated. This file is a plug-in for Norton AntiVirus Office. • You have a Word template in your "Startup" folder that contains an Autoexec macro that opens a dialog box.

To address commands that can't be executed due to an open dialog, you have three options. We've listed all possible solutions, and you can pick the one that suits you best.

Method 1: Rename the Normal.dotm file

This method involves fixing the issue by renaming the problematic Normal template file. The process might seem a bit complicated, but don't worry – just follow this step-by-step guide, and you'll be able to resolve it yourself.

Step 1: Open the local disk (C:) on your computer, and check the option "Hidden items" in the View tab.

Step 2. Open the “Users” folder, and then look for the hidden “AppData” folder.

Step 3: Open the Roaming folder, and then open the Microsoft folder.

Step 4: Navigate to the Templates folder and locate the Normal.dotm file. Rename it as Normal.dog.

Note: If renaming doesn't work, you can delete the Normal.dotm file.

5. Close all open windows, and then try to open your Word document again.

Method 2: Turn off Microsoft Office scanning

The second option you can try is to turn off the Microsoft Office scanning feature. This option is disabled by default in your Norton product. Here's how to turn it off:

Step 1. Launch your Norton product, and then click Settings.

Step 2. Do one of the following, depending on your product version:

• For Norton 2012 products: On the Computer tab, click Scan Computer. • For Norton 360: Under Detailed Settings, click Antivirus, and then click the Scans and Risks tab.

Step 3. Slide the toggle next to Microsoft Office AutoScan to the Off position.

Step 4: In the preferences window, click Apply, and then click OK or Close.

Method 3: Uninstall McAfee Antivirus

The last option is simply to uninstall McAfee Antivirus, which appears to fix the problem.

Solved: USB Flash Drive Not Showing Up in Windows 

We'll cover the symptoms, causes, and fixes for this issue, along with a helpful method to recover data from the USB drive using the tool Data Recovery Wizard.

   

 

"What is a dialog box in Word?"

After finding a solution, you might wonder what a dialog box in Word is. The answer is:

A dialog box is a common type of window in an operating system's GUI. It displays additional information and requires user input. For example, when you're using a program and want to open a file, you interact with an "Open File" dialog box. In Microsoft Windows, a "Properties" dialog box appears when you right-click a file and choose "Properties."

Additional Tip: How to Recover Lost Word 2007 Documents on Windows 11/10

Another issue that often comes up when discussing Word documents is how to recover deleted Word documents. In this section, we will show you how to use a data recovery software to restore your lost Word files. Here are some main features of the Data Recovery Wizard tool.

Download the Data Recovery Wizard tool now and follow the guide below to see how to recover lost Word documents.

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 document

The software will immediately start scanning all lost data from the selected drive. Once the scan is complete, click on “Documents” from the left panel. Select the desired Word file from the scanning results. Then, hit “Preview.”

Step 3. Recover the Deleted Word Document

After the scan, check the Word files you need, then click “Recover.” Remember to save the recovered files in a different location than the original one.

Summary

After reading this article, you can confirm that the McAfee security software update is the main reason behind the error message “Command cannot be completed because a dialog box is open. Click OK, and then close any open dialog boxes to continue.” There are several ways to fix this issue, and you can try them one by one until the problem is resolved. Additionally, if you're interested in data recovery, feel free to download the Data Recovery Wizard tool for a free trial.