Microsoft word doc not opening

Our solutions work for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Office 365

by Milan Stanojevic

Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he… read more

Updated on October 31, 2022

Windows 10 users have reported an issue regarding Microsoft Office versions 2010 and 2013, where products like Word, Excel, or PowerPoint will not open and return no error or prompt.

In the reports submitted by Windows 10 users, Microsoft’s Office suite worked fine for a period of time, and for no apparent reason, the shortcuts of the different Office components stopped launching the program.

Microsoft Office didn’t return any error or give any prompt when this issue presented itself. But, by following the steps below, let’s hope that you will be able to solve your problems.

Why is my Office 365 not opening?

Sometimes the applications might encounter bugs, and this can result in We’re getting things ready Office error while trying to run certain apps.

Few users reported that MS Office shortcuts are missing from the Start Menu thus making them unable to run any of these apps.

Issues with your Microsoft account can also lead to various problems, one of them being There are problems with your account Office error.

How do I fix Microsoft Office not opening?

In this article

• Why is my Office 365 not opening?
• How do I fix Microsoft Office not opening?
• 1. Use Task Manager
• 2. Go to the source
• 3. Use Safe Mode
• 4. Use a Microsoft Office alternative
• 5. Repair or Reinstall
• 6. Install Windows updates
• 7. Uninstall Windows updates
• 8. Disable Add-Ins
• 9. Make sure Office is activated
• 10. Remove Word Registry Keys
• 11. Remove old printer drivers

1. Use Task Manager

If you’ve tried to open Microsoft Office Word (for example) from your Windows 10 computer or laptop and it didn’t do anything, try opening the Task Manager.

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc or right-click on the Taskbar and select Task Manager and take a look either through the opened apps or under the Details tab, where you will find it as WINWORD.EXE.

If you see the process there, this means that Windows 10 thinks the program is open and will not do anything about it. In this case, try to create a new document and right-click it, and select Edit.

In some cases, this method has proven useful and might help you in a tight spot.

2. Go to the source

If your Microsoft Office shortcuts don’t do anything when you try to launch them, then there might be an issue of communication between the shortcut itself and the actual executable it should open.

Depending on what Office version you’ve installed, you should find them in one of these locations:

• C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOffice14
• C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft OfficeOffice14

Try launching the tool you need from here, if it works, then your shortcut was to blame. Create a new shortcut for the Office components you use and replace the faulty ones.

3. Use Safe Mode

Starting an Office product in Safe Mode is pretty simple, as it was in previous Windows versions.

Just open the Run utility (Windows key + R) and type in the name of the product you want to follow by /safe.

For example, if you wish to open Microsoft Excel in Safe Mode, type in excel /safe.

5. Repair or Reinstall

1. Press the Windows key and type apps in the search box, then click the Apps & features result.

2. Here, type office inside the search bar, then click the Microsoft Office result.

3. Click on Advanced options.

4. Scroll down, then click the Repair button. By using this option, your app’s data won’t be deleted, but the app’s files will be checked for any damage or corruption.

5. Alternatively, you can use the Reset button in case repairing the app didn’t work. In this case, your app data will be lost as well.

The built-in Reset option for Microsoft Office will uninstall and reinstall the application, thus fixing the Microsoft Office not opening issue.

You can choose to fully reset the app or merely repair it, thus preserving your app data for later use. Choose the appropriate option according to your needs.

6. Install Windows updates

Microsoft regularly releases updates for Microsoft Office (and other in-house features and programs) through Windows Update.

So, if your current version of Office is disrupted in some way, there’s a chance a new update will fix it. And it doesn’t necessarily need to be an Office update.

Maybe some other features installed on your computer are interfering with Office, preventing you from accessing it. In both cases, installing fresh updates can resolve the problem.

To install the latest updates on your computer, simply go to Settings > Update & Security, and check for updates.

If you’re having issues opening the Setting app, take a look at this article to solve the issue.

7. Uninstall Windows updates

1. Go to Settings. Now, go to Updates & Security, followed by Windows Update.
2. Go to Update history > Uninstall updates.
3. Now, find the latest Office update installed on your computer (you can sort updates by date), right-click it, and go to Uninstall.
4. Restart your computer.

Now, let’s do the total opposite of the previous solution. If the problem started to manifest after you’ve updated your Office suite, then you can easily uninstall the latest updates and see if this fixes your problem.

8. Disable Add-Ins

1. Open the troublesome app.
2. Go to File > Options.
3. Click Add-Ins, and then disable all add-ins.
4. Restart the program, and run it without any add-ins enabled.

Sometimes, damaged add-ins may block your Word/Excel/PowerPoint from opening any document.

Since you can’t know for sure which add-in causes the problem, we recommend uninstalling all of them and then installing one by one again.

Read more about this topic

• FIX: Microsoft Publisher won’t open on Windows 10
• The file couldn’t open in Protected View [Excel, Word]
• Outlook keeps asking for your password? Here’s the fix

That way, you’ll be able to find out which one causes problems. The task is time-consuming, but you don’t really have too many choices.

9. Make sure Office is activated

If your copy of Microsoft Office Suite is not genuine, you won’t be able to open any Office app. Technically, you’ll be able to open any program normally, but you can’t do anything with it.

You can’t create new documents, or open and edit existing documents. It’s just an empty shell. So, make sure your Office is properly activated, and try to run in once again.

10. Remove Word Registry Keys

1. Go to Search, type regedit, and open Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to one of the following paths:
   • Word 2002: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice10.0WordData
   • Microsoft Word 2003: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice11.0WordData
   • Word 2007: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice12.0WordData
   • Word 2010: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice14.0WordData
   • Microsoft Word 2013: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice15.0Word
   • Word 2016: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice16.0Word
3. Now, just click on the Data key, and delete it.
4. Restart your computer.

If you specifically have problems with opening Word, we’ll try to delete some registry keys. Hopefully, the program will work after that.

11. Remove old printer drivers

And finally, some users have also reported that having old printer drivers installed on your Windows 10 PC prevents Microsoft Office from working. You have to remove your old printer drivers and install up-to-date ones.

Alternatively, you can use dedicated uninstaller software to automatically remove old printer drivers from your PC.

Third-party uninstaller software can scan your PC for any leftover files related to your specific app and permanently remove them.

After you finish removing your old drivers, check to see if the problem persists.

That’s about it. We certainly hope at least one of these solutions helped you resolve the problem with Microsoft Office.

Keep in mind that this problem mainly occurs with Microsoft Word. However, we’ve detailed solutions that apply to all Office programs, nevertheless:

• Microsoft Word not opening
  • There are times when trying to open any Word document leads to the same result: you just cannot get passed the opening blue box.
• Word documents not opening
  • Users often complain that double-clicking a Word document (.doc or .docx) is useless. They cannot open a Word file or the file icon is blank.
• Microsoft Office won’t open on Windows 10
  • Even more, you may face the unfortunate situation of having Office completely unable to open. Apply the above solutions and confirm the one that’s successful in your case.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, just let us know in the comments down below.

What to Do When Microsoft Word Files Won’t Open

How to recover your files and keep working

Updated on September 17, 2020

Occasionally, Windows files get damaged or corrupted. This makes it difficult to open these files in Microsoft Word. If this happens to you, the below guide can help you recover the files and continue working.

Instructions in this article apply to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010, and Word 2007.

How to Repair Microsoft Word File Associations

Windows file associations can change inadvertently. Follow these steps to fix the issue:

1. Open Windows File Explorer, navigate to the folder that contains the file, then right-click the file.

2. Select Open With.

3. Select Microsoft Word from the list of options. The next time you select the file, it will open correctly.

How to Open a Damaged Word File

If your file is damaged, use the Open and Repair feature to recover it.

1. Open Word, select File > Open > Browse, then navigate to the file location. Don’t open the file from the Recent section.

   In Office 2013, select the location, then select Browse. In Office 2010, you don’t need to select Browse.

2. Select the file you want, select the Open drop-down arrow, then choose Open and Repair.

How to Avoid File Corruption

Files typically become corrupted when a computer crashes or loses power. If this happens, open a previous version of the file if you’ve turned on the AutoRecover feature in the Word preferences.

File corruption also occurs when the file is stored on a USB device that’s disconnected while it’s open in Windows. If the device’s activity light is flashing, wait a few seconds after it quits blinking before removing it. If it doesn’t stop, go to the Windows taskbar and select the Safely Remove Hardware icon.

Additionally, in Microsoft 365, store files on OneDrive and use the AutoSave feature as an extra layer of protection.

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Read time 8 minutes

Imagine! You have put all your efforts and time into writing a great speech for an important event or a major meeting with the clients. But just a few minutes before the event, Microsoft Word shows you an error saying, “Word file won’t open.” Yes! This imaginary situation could easily become a reality for anyone, even you.

Microsoft Word continues to be the most used and reliable text processor developed by Microsoft way back in 1983 and includes various additional features like spell checkers, templates, layouts, and image formats. But it can also show an error ‘Word file won’t open.’ This error usually occurs when the user tries to open a Word document (initially created in an older version of the Word application) in the latest version. However, it could also take place due to corruption in the Word document.

Check the ‘Trust Center’ settings-

The Trust Centre settings of the Microsoft programs allow you to customize the privacy and security settings. With these settings, you can share the Word document with other users and even restrict some information. Disable the protected view settings; it can also resolve and open corrupt word DOC and DOCX files to fix the issue where the Word file would not open.

Change “Component Security” Settings

Sometimes Windows security levels prohibit users from opening the Word file. In such a situation, the user needs to set the “Component Security” settings to the default option.
Step 1- Go to the search box and type “dcomcnfg” and press the Enter key.
A new window will appear.
Step 2- Now select “Component Services” from the left pane.
Step 3- In the middle pane, go to the “Computers” and double-click over it to expand.
Step 4- Now go to the “My Computer” icon. Right-click over it and select “Properties.”
Step 5- Lastly, navigate to the “Default Properties” tab.
Step 6- Now, in the “Default Distributed Com Communication Properties,” set the “Default Authentication Level” to the Default option from the dropdown menu.
Step 7- Also set the “Impersonation level” from the to “Identify” from the Default impersonation level
Step 8- Finally, click the “Ok” button.

Utilize the ‘Open and Repair’ feature-

There is a chance that the Word file is damaged which is preventing it from opening in its usual way. But the ‘Open and Repair’ command in Word might be able to repair and recover the Word file. This feature can also Solved – A File Error has occurred in MS Word.

Convert Word file to a new format-

One of the reasons behind the issue ‘Word file won’t open’ could be the format of the document. The format could not be well compatible with a few elements of the Word file. In this case, converting the Word file to a different format could open prospects for the latest and additional features.

Change the Word file into a new format using this procedure-

Insert the document into a new one-

Any file can be inserted into a new Word document. The file that won’t open can be easily inserted into a new document, and it becomes part of it which can resolve the not opening issue. However, inserting a document leads to increasing the file size of the new Word document.
To insert the file, follow these steps-

Repair Word files using a professional approach-

If none of the methods help you to fix the ‘Word file won’t open issue, it can be concluded that the document has been severely corrupted. Repairing a corrupted file without losing any information is a critical task that needs a professional tool. Kernel for Word Repair is one such tool that can flawlessly complete the task in a jiffy. It has the ability to recover any Word file without any limitation of file size, number of files, and degree of corruption.

Follow these easy steps to repair the Word file-

Conclusion

Microsoft Word can work perfectly but suddenly display an error saying, “Word file won’t open.” However, certainly, there are methods to resolve this issue since it is a commonly used application for any type of work. There exist some ways within the Word application to fix the Word file won’t open error, including changing the Trust Center Settings, using the Open and Repair command and inserting the Word file into a new document. It can also be resolved by converting it into a new Word document format. But there is a high possibility that the Word file has gone completely corrupt. In such a situation, using a premium tool like this tool is recommended.

Мы довольно много писали о том, как работать с документами в программе MS Word, а вот тему проблем при работе с ней не затрагивали практически ни разу. Одну из распространенных ошибок мы рассмотрим в этой статье, рассказав о том, что делать, если не открываются документы Ворд. Также, ниже мы рассмотрим причину, по которой эта ошибка может возникать.

Урок: Как убрать режим ограниченной функциональности в Word

Итак, чтобы решить любую проблему, для начала необходимо узнать причину ее возникновения, чем мы и займемся. Ошибка при попытке открытия файла может быть связана со следующими проблемами:

Файл DOC или DOCX поврежден;

Расширение файла связано с другой программой или неверно указано;

Расширение файла не зарегистрировано в системе.

Поврежденные файлы

Если файл поврежден, при попытке его открыть вы увидите соответствующее уведомление, а также предложение восстановить его. Естественно, на восстановление файла нужно согласиться. Проблема лишь в том, что никаких гарантий на корректное восстановление нет. К тому же, содержимое файла может быть восстановлено не полностью, а только частично.

Неверное расширение или связка с другой программой

Если расширение файла указано неверно или связано с другой программой, то система будет пытаться открыть его именно в той программе, с которой он ассоциируется. Следовательно, файл “Документ.txt” ОС будет пытаться открыть в “Блокноте”, стандартным расширением которого и является “txt”.

Однако, из-за того, что документ на самом деле является вордовским (DOC или DOCX), хоть и неправильно названным, после открытия в другой программе он будет отображаться некорректно (например, в том же “Блокноте”), а то и вовсе не будет открыт, так как его оригинальное расширение не поддерживается программой.

Примечание: Значок документа с неверно указанным расширением будет аналогичен таковому во всех файлах, совместимых с программой. Кроме этого, расширение может быть неизвестным системе, а то и вовсе отсутствовать. Следовательно, система не найдет подходящей программы для открытия, но предложит выбрать ее вручную, найти подходящую в интернете или магазине приложений.

Решение в данном случае только одно, а применимо оно лишь в том случае, если вы уверены, что документ, который не удается открыть, действительно является файлом MS Word в формате DOC или DOCX. Все, что можно и нужно сделать — переименовать файл, точнее, его расширение.

1. Кликните по файлу Ворд, который не удается открыть.

2. Кликнув правой мышкой, откройте контекстное меню и выберите “Переименовать”. Сделать это можно и простым нажатием клавиши F2 на выделенном файле.

Урок: Горячие клавиши в Word

3. Удалите указанное расширение, оставив только имя файла и точку после него.

Примечание: Если расширение файла не отображается, а изменить вы можете только его имя, выполните следующие действия:

В любой папке откройте вкладку “Вид”;

Нажмите там на кнопку “Параметры” и перейдите во вкладку “Вид”;

Найдите в списке “Дополнительные параметры” пункт “Скрывать расширения для зарегистрированных типов файлов” и снимите с него галочку;

Нажмите кнопку “Применить”.

Закройте диалоговое окно “Параметры папок”, нажав “ОК”.

4. Введите после названия файла и точки “DOC” (если у вас на ПК установлен Word 2003) или “DOCX” (если у вас установлена более новая версия Word).

5. Подтвердите внесение изменений.

6. Расширение файла будет изменено, изменится также и его значок, который примет вид стандартного вордовского документа. Теперь документ можно будет открыть в Ворде.

Кроме того, файл с неверно указанным расширением можно открыть и через саму программу, при этом, менять расширение отнюдь не обязательно.

1. Откройте пустой (или любой другой) документ MS Word.

2. Нажмите кнопку “Файл”, расположенную на панели управления (ранее кнопка называлась “MS Office”).

3. Выберите пункт “Открыть”, а затем “Обзор”, чтобы открыть окно “Проводника” для поиска файла.

4. Перейдите в папку, содержащую файл, который вам не удается открыть, выберите его и нажмите “Открыть”.

Совет: Если файл не отображается выберите параметр “Все файлы *.*”, расположенный в нижней части окна.

5. Файл будет открыт в новом окне программы.

Расширение не зарегистрировано в системе

Данная проблема возникает только на старых версиях Windows, которые из обычных пользователей сейчас вряд ли кто-то вообще использует. В числе таковых Windows NT 4.0, Windows 98, 2000, Millenium и Windows Vista. Решение проблемы с открытием файлов MS Word для всех этих версий ОС приблизительно одинаковое:

1. Откройте “Мой компьютер”.

2. Перейдите во вкладку “Сервис” (Windows 2000, Millenium) или “Вид” (98, NT) и откройте раздел “Параметры”.

3. Откройте вкладку “Тип файлов” и установите ассоциацию между форматами DOC и/или DOCX и программой Microsoft Office Word.

4. Расширения файлов Ворд будут зарегистрированы в системе, следовательно, документы будут нормально открываться в программе.

На этом все, теперь вы знаете, почему в Word возникает ошибка при попытке открытия файла и как ее можно устранить. Желаем вам больше не сталкиваться с трудностями и ошибками в работе этой программы.

However, if MS word is showing up an error while accessing the file there are other workarounds that help fix this issue. Continue reading the article to know more about the causes and their solutions.

Why isn’t my MS Word file not opening?

Your Word file won’t open because a default program hasn’t been assigned, or it’s corrupted. You can open and read the files without difficulty by setting a default program or restoring the damaged Word document.

Open Doc/Docx Files with Microsoft Word

You can set MS Word as the default app and open the doc file. Here is how you can do it

• Right-click on the doc/docx file and choose Open with
• Next, expand More app and choose Word
• Finally, check the Always use this app to open .docx file option and click OK

If you were unable to open the file, you should try opening the file in protected mode. Read the next section to know more.

Open MS Word Document in Protected View

The Protected View option will fix any technical issues and allow you to open and access the information on the word document.

• Launch the MS Word on your computer and create a blank document.
• Next, click on the File tab and select Open from the left column
• Click on Browse and locate the doc file to be opened
• Close the Word document and expand the dropdown next to the Open button

• Now, select Open in Protected View
• This time you will be able to open the document
• In case you need to write information into the document, click on Enable Editing.

If this doesn’t help you fix the document, repairing the word document is your only option

Open and Repair the Word File

Microsoft Word does give you the option to repair the corrupted docx file and access the documents. By repairing the file, any logical errors or corruption will be resolved. Here are the detailed steps to Repair a Word document that refuses to open.

• Launch the MS Word on your computer and create a blank document.
• Next, click on the File tab and select Open from the left column
• Click on Browse and locate the doc file to be opened
• Close the Word document and expand the dropdown next to the open button

• Select the Open and Repair option from the dropdown
• This will allow you to access the Word file and its information

The Repair and Open feature have certain limitations. It can only fix minor logical errors and corruption. If the word file is corrupted due to physical damage to the hard drive or any other major reasons, this method is not reliable. It can also damage the file even more and cause more corruption.

However, by using a dedicated Word repair tool you can fix the Word file safely without any trouble.

One of the safest and easiest ways to repair corrupt word files is by using Remo Repair Word  Software. This tool helps you repair the Word document regardless of the extent of corruption. Tool repairs documents that are created on all versions of MS Word including the latest 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010, Word 2007, and Word for Office 365.

Download the free tool and follow the instructions given below to repair the Word document that cannot be opened.

Repair MS Word File That Fails to Open 

Download and install the Remo Repair Word on your computer by clicking on the download button given above.

• Launch the software and click on Browse to select your corrupt .doc or .docx file.

• Next, hit the Repair button to repair the corrupted word file.
• After repairing the corrupted Word file.

• Finally, click on Save and browse for a location to save the repaired file.

How to fix Microsoft Word cannot open error?

To fix a Word document that cannot be accessed, follow the steps below:

• Start Microsoft Word.
• Go to File and select Options.
• Navigate to Trust Center and tap the button just below Trust Center Settings.

• Select Protected View.

• Uncheck everything before clicking the Ok button.
• Restart Microsoft Word and attempt to open the same document once again.

Conclusion:

To access a word document that won’t open you can try using the inbuilt Open and Repair option or use a reliable tool like Remo Repair Word Tool which can repair any word document regardless of the amount of corruption. The best part of the tool is the read-only mode so that your word data is safe and no further damage is caused. Let us know if this article helped you resolving the Word document issue.

There are many reasons Microsoft Word not opening and responding. Maybe there are issues with the add-ins that you’ve installed?

Follow These Guidelines to Eliminate Microsoft Word not Opening/Responding Error on Windows and MAC

Solution 1 -Open Doc/Docx Files with Microsoft Word

You can set MS Word as the default app and open the doc file. Here is how you can do it

• Right-click on the doc/docx file and choose Open with
• Next, expand More app and choose Word
• Finally, check the Always use this app to open .docx file option and click OK

If you were unable to open the file, you should try opening the file in protected mode. Read the next section to know more.

Solution 3- Open MS Word Document in Protected View

The Protected View option will fix any technical issues and allow you to open and access the information on the word document.

• Launch the MS Word on your computer and create a blank document.
• Next, click on the File tab and select Open from the left column
• Click on Browse and locate the doc file to be opened
• Close the Word document and expand the dropdown next to the Open button

• Now, select Open in Protected View
• This time you will be able to open the document
• In case you need to write information into the document, click on Enable Editing.

If this doesn’t help you fix the document, repairing the word document is your only option

Solution 3 – Open and Repair the Word File

Microsoft Word does give you the option to repair the corrupted docx file and access the documents. By repairing the file, any logical errors or corruption will be resolved. Here are the detailed steps to Repair a Word document that refuses to open.

• Launch the MS Word on your computer and create a blank document.
• Next, click on the File tab and select Open from the left column
• Click on Browse and locate the doc file to be opened
• Close the Word document and expand the dropdown next to the open button

• Select the Open and Repair option from the dropdown
• This will allow you to access the Word file and its information

The Repair and Open feature have certain limitations. It can only fix minor logical errors and corruption. If the word file is corrupted due to physical damage to the hard drive or any other major reasons, this method is not reliable. It can also damage the file even more and cause more corruption.

How to Fix “Microsoft Word Not Opening on Mac”?

Here is a summarized list of solutions that can work when Microsoft Word is not opening on Mac. All these methods are useful and easy to carry out. So, give them a try one by one.

Solution 1. Remove Word Preferences to Open Frozen Word

Sometimes, it is the random words combination or special characters that lead to such issues. It can be resolved if you follow the steps below.

• Open library and type Library in the Go to the Folder and hit the Go button.

• Look for a folder that says “Preferences.” This folder contains the preferences file you set for the MS Word program.

• Open the folder, search for a file named- “com.microsoft.Word.plist,” and move the file to the desktop. Now, try opening the Word file and see if the problem persists. If it does, then move the file to its original location and move on to the next step.

• Exit every Microsoft program running on your Mac and click on the Word option in the Apple Menu. Tap on the “Preferences” option from the list.

• Choose the File Locations option and select the “User templates.”

• Locate the file which saved as Normal and moves it to the desktop.

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Solution 2. Open and Repair Microsoft Word

Everyone knows how to open Microsoft Word on Mac, but we do not talk about just opening and closing the files. You can also repair the MS Word files with the following steps.

• Start MS Word and click on the File menu. Choose the Open option, and it will open up a dialog box where you can select the Word file which needs repair.
• While you are selecting the file, at the right bottom side of the window, choose the Repair option and click on the Ok button.

The Mac utility will automatically repair the not opening Word file, and you will be able to use it now.

Solution 3. Run Disk Utility to Repair Word

Besides the above methods fail, you can also run the Disk Utility to repair the Word file if the Microsoft Word is not opening on your Mac computer.

• Inside the Go menu, choose the Utility option and start the Disk Utility program.

• Ensure that you choose the Primary hard disk of your Mac and then click on the “First Aid” tab.

• You will get a pop-up option that asks you to run First Aid on the drive. Hit the Run option, and the Disk Utility will repair the Disk volume errors and permissions issues.

When the process finishes, click on “Done” and check whether the problem is fixed or not.

Follow these steps to fix the Microsoft Word Not Opening and not responding problem.

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