"Error Encountered While Trying to Open a File in Word" [Ultimate Guide]

Applies to: Microsoft Word 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and more.

"I can't open my Word document. How can I fix the error 'Microsoft Word encountered an error trying to open the file' on my own? I'm using Microsoft Word 2019."

Are you seeing the 'Word experienced an error trying to open the file' error when attempting to open a Word 2019/2016/2013 document? Don't worry – seek help from this guide.

Error: Word encountered an error attempting to open the file.

This error typically occurs with Microsoft Word and Excel users who are trying to open a Word or Excel document file. The full error message reads:

What is the cause of that? How can we fix it? Let's take a look.

Solution: Word encountered an error while trying to open the file.

"Word encounters an error immediately - 5 solutions to fix it"

• #1. Word Recovery and Repair Tools
• #2. Unlock Word
• #3. Disable Protected View
• #4. Add Trusted Locations
• #5. Text Recovery Converter

Prerequisites - Before you begin, you need to:

• Quit all Microsoft Office applications. • Exit and close all antivirus programs. • Immediately back up all your Word files to another location.

#1. Text Recovery and Repair Tool

The most effective solution you can try is to resort to a Word recovery and repair tool. Fixo Document Repair is software that can quickly scan and fix corrupted or inaccessible Word files in Windows 10/8/7. This file repair utility can mend damaged Word, Excel, PPT, and PDF files of various formats.

You can watch this tutorial video first to get familiar with the steps:

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

If you'd prefer to read through the steps rather than watch the video, here they are:

Step 1: Download and run Fixo on your computer or laptop. Select "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 at once. If you only want to repair one document, hover over the target file and click “Repair.” You can also preview the document by clicking the eye icon.

Select the file to repair

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

#2. Unlocking Words

Source: https://support.microsoft.com/

Step 1: Right-click the problematic Word file and select Properties.

Step 2: On the General tab, click Unblock, and then click OK.

Then, try opening the Word file again to see if the issue persists.

#3. Disable Protected View

1. Open the Word application on your computer.

Step 2: Click on "File" > "Options" > "Trust Center" > "Trust Center Settings…"

Click to open Trust Center.

Step 3: Click on the Protected View options and uncheck the next three options, then click OK.

< li >Enable Protected View for files from the Internet.
• Enable Protected View for files located in potentially unsafe locations.
• Enable Protected View for Outlook attachments.

Step 4: Save the changes and close the Word application.

Then, when you see the error message “Word experienced an error trying to open the file,” you should be able to open the document without issue.

#4. Add Trusted Locations

Source: [How to fix the 'Word encountered an error trying to open the file' issue when opening Word 2007 or 2010 files](https://support.microsoft.com/zh-cn/topic/如何解决打开word-2007或2010文件时出现-word在尝试打开文件时遇到错误-的问题-0903bb9b-d8e4-aabd-0364-f832d26ecff7)

Step 1: Open the Word application on your computer.

Step 2: Click on File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings.

Click “Trusted Locations” and then “Add a new location.”

4. Click "Browse," find the location where you saved your Word file, and check the box for "Trust subfolders of this location." Click "OK" to save your settings.

Then, close Word and try opening the file that gave you the “Word encountered an error trying to open the file” error. You should now be able to access the contents of the document.

#5. Using a Text-to-Speech Converter

If a Word document won't open, you can try using the Text Recovery Converter to fix corrupted Word files that won't open due to an error message.

Step 1: Open the Word application and click on "File" then "Open" and then "Browse."

Step 2: Select the inaccessible Word file.

In the dropdown next to “File name,” click “Recover text from any file (*.*)”. Click “Open.”

Step 3: Be patient. When the Word application displays the contents of the unopenable file, save it as a new document.

Reason: Why can't Word be opened?

As the error message suggests, a Word document might be unable to open for one of these reasons:

• File permission issues
• Inadequate memory or disk space
• Opening the file with the wrong application
• The file being modified during transfer by third-party software

Select the appropriate solution from the article and follow the instructions to make your Word file accessible and open again in Windows 10/8/7.

Editorial review

If you're trying to open a .docx or .doc file but keep getting the error “Word encountered an error trying to open the file,” don't worry. There are ways to fix this.

All you need to do is stop using Word files and disable its background processes, particularly any cleanup utilities. Then seek help as recommended above. If you need to fix a corrupted Word document, file-repair software can help.

Moreover, the best way to protect important files and data is to create backups in advance. That way, you can restore them immediately when something goes wrong with the original file.