Microsoft word will not open documents

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.

These suggestions apply to Microsoft Word for Office 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2010, Word 2007, and Word for Mac.

There are eight methods in total for Microsoft Office Word has stopped working and Word file recovery and repair. These approaches can also be applied to fix similar issues on other Office apps, such as Excel, PowerPoint, etc.

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

With the increasing fame of Microsoft Office, its applications like Word have gained worldwide users’ favor. However, the more users there are, the more problems there are. «Microsoft Office Word has stopped working» is one of the top concerned questions for many Word users. 

Usually, when Microsoft word stopped working error shows up, you have two available options to undertake: check online for a solution or close the program. When you choose to close the application, you may run into the problem that Microsoft word not opening.

If you are also facing Microsoft word not working issue in Microsoft Office Word 2016, 2013, 2010, or 2007, read on and check the provided solutions below. Depending on your situation, the solution may be different. We hope one will work for you.

9 Fixes for Microsoft Word Has Stopped Working Error in Windows 10/8/7

Once Microsoft Word stopped working, wait for the program to process firstly and try your best to save the editing document. If you’ve waited for a very long period with no progress, click «Close the program» on the pop-up window in Word and follow the methods to fix the issue effectively.  

Fix 1. Repair Corrupted Word Documents with a File Repair Tool 

You may encounter Microsoft Word stopped working issue when opening and viewing a corrupted Word document. Try to fix the damaged Word document with a robust file repair tool — EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. This file repair software enables you to repair corrupted Word, Excel, and PPT from Microsoft Office 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, & previous versions. 

EaseUS file repair software fixes unreadable content in Word and restores them to the original form. It also can fix damaged, corrupted, or inaccessible PDF files, and recovers all objects.

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, and then scan disk with corrupted documents. This software enables you to fix damaged Word, Excel, PPT, and PDF files in same steps. 

Step 2. EaseUS data recovery and repair tool will scan for all lost and corrupted files. You can find the target files by file type or type the file name in the search box. 

Step 3. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can repair your damaged documents automatically. After file preview, you can click «Recover» to save the repaired Word, Excel, and PDF document files to a safe location.

Fix 2. Disable Add-ins in Safe Mode

Some incompatible add-ins may cause Word to stop working error with Office apps. A quick way to find out is by starting the Office app in Safe Mode and disabling the add-ins.

Step 1. Press Windows + R keys and type: winword.exe /a and hit Enter to open MS Word in Safe Mode without plugins. Or you can also use winword /safe to start Word in Safe Mode. If Office Word cannot be launched in Safe Mode, the problem is not with add-ins. Try repairing Office or uninstalling and reinstalling it instead.

Step 2. If Word starts in Safe Mode, fix the problem by disabling the application add-ins and COM add-ins. Click «File» > «Options» > «Add-Ins».

Step 3. Click «Manage» at the bottom and select COM Add-ins, click «Go» to uncheck the problematic ones and click «OK» to confirm. Some out-dated add-ins are more likely to cause problems. Uncheck these add-ins first if they are in your list: Abbyy FineReader, PowerWord, and Dragon Naturally Speaking.

After this, restart Word to check if the issue has been resolved.

Fix 3. Repair Office 2016/2013/2010/2007

According to some experienced users, when Microsoft Office contains errors, it would prevent users from opening a Word or edit any files. Then, you will get the Microsoft word has stopped working or Microsoft word not opening error. 

The application would directly shut down no matter you want to create a new document or continue editing a file. The direct solution towards this issue is to repair Office installation with the below steps:

Step 1. In Windows 10, 8, or 7, open Control Panel, click «Programs and Features» and click on «Microsoft Office».

Step 2. Locate and select your Microsoft Office, and click «Change» in the top menu.

Step 3. On the window, click «Repair» and then «Continue».

For Newer versions of Microsoft Office users, you can choose «Online Repair» or «Quick Repair» and click «Repair».

Step 4. Let the repair finish and restart your computer. 

When the repair process finishes, open your Word application to check if the error appears again.

Fix 4. Install Latest Windows Update or Office Update

When your Office version or Windows system is out of date, Microsoft Office Word may stop working and even crashes. Here are the steps to install the latest updates of Windows or Microsoft Office:

1. Install Latest Windows Update

Step 1. Press Windows + I to open Windows Settings. 

Step 2. Click «Update & Security» and select «Check for updates» under Windows Update.

Step 3. If a new Windows update window pops up, click «Install Now» and follow the instructions to install the available update.

2. Install Microsoft Office Update

For Office 2013 and newer versions:

Step 1. Open an Office application — Excel or Word, click «File».

Step 2. Click «Account» > «Product Information» > «Update Options» .

Step 3. Click «Enable Update» and then select «Update Now».

Note: If the Enable Update button is not available, it means that the automatic update feature is enabled.

For Office 2010 or older versions:

Step 1. Open an Office application — Excel or Word, click «File» > «Help».

Step 2. Click the «Check for Updates» or «Install Updates» option.

Follow the instructions to finish the process. After this, you can re-open a Word document or create a new Word file again.

Fix 5. Insert Word Document into Another File

Microsoft Word has stopped working error can sometimes occur while trying to open your previously saved documents. In this case, you can try inserting your document into another file to fix the issue. Do it by following these steps:

Step 1. Run Microsoft Office Word, and create a blank new file.

Step 2. Click «Insert» from the top ribbon menu, click «Text».

Step 3. Click «Object» and select » Text from File».

Step 4. Select the target Word document which is unopenable or not working, and click «Insert».

Step 5. Check the document content and save it as a new file on your PC.

Fix 6. Remove or Update Old Printer Drivers

Your printer drivers can interfere with Office and cause Microsoft Word has stopped working error to arise. So, sometimes you can fix this problem simply by removing or updating the default printer. To do that, follow these steps:

Step 1. Open Device Manager, and locate your printer.

Step 2. Right-click on your printer drivers and select «Uninstall» or «Update drivers».

Step 3. Uninstall or update the old printer drivers.

• For uninstalling the driver: click «OK» and restart the PC. 
• For updating the driver: click «Search automatically for updated driver software» and follow the instruction to finish the process, and restart the PC. Or, you can download a relative driver from your printer website and install it on your PC.

Fix 7. Remove or Delete Word Registry Keys

Some users have reported that Microsoft Word has stopped working error can appear due to problems with your registry. There is a key in the registry that stores frequently used options in Word. If you delete the key, Word rebuilds it the next time you start Word by using the default settings, thus fixing the problem.

Step 1. Bring up Registry Editor by typing regedit in the search bar and hit Enter.

Step 2. Click «Yes» to open Registry and follow the path to locate the Word options key: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice16.0WordOptions.

Step 3. Locate and right-click the key, and select «Export».

Step 4. Save the Options key as «Wddata.reg» and save it on your Desktop.

Step 5. Go back to Registry Editor and locate the Options key, and delete it from the menu. 

Step 6. Exit Registry Editor.

After this, restart your Word and check if the problem is resolved. If the problem still exists, run the Wddata.reg on your Desktop to restore the deleted key.

Fix 8. Replace the Normal.dot Global Template File

Microsoft Word stores formatting and macros in a global template file. When the global template file is corrupted, you’ll get the Microsoft word stopped working error message. To resolve the problem, you need to rename the Normal.dot file. 

Note: Modifying the global template file will lose some customization features, such as styles, macros, etc. To keep previous settings, you can copy the customization from one global template to another by using the Organizer. Do the following to replace Normal.dot file.

Step 1. Press Windows + X and select «Command Prompt (Admin)». Sign in if the program requires administrator permission.

Step 2. Enter the command below and hit Enter:

ren %userprofile%AppDataRoamingMicrosoftTemplatesOldNormal.dotm Normal.dotm

Step 3. Wait for the command to finish and exit Command Prompt.

After this, restart your Word application to check if you can use it to edit documents or create new files again.

Fix 9. Uninstall and Reinstall MS Office

Note: This fix may cause your activation key invalid after the reinstallation of MS Office. Make sure that your activation key can be used twice before taking the below steps.

Step 1. Keep your MS Office activation key and save it to another secure device.

Step 2. Open Control Panel, click «Program and Features», then locate and select Microsoft Office.

Step 3. Click «Uninstall» in the top menu.

Step 4. Re-install Microsoft Office on your PC and activate it with your serial key.

If your old key fails to activate the newly installed MS Office, please contact the Microsoft support team for help: https://support.microsoft.com/contactus.

More Guides: How to Recover Lost or Unsaved Word Documents 

Another big issue that concerns users the most is the lost or unsaved Word file when Word stopped working. If you’re editing a Word document when it happens, you’re likely to lose documents that haven’t been saved. In this section, you can learn how to recover unsaved Word documents with useful tips. What’s more, a renowned file recovery tool is introduced to help you repair and recover lost Word documents in the simplest way. 

How to Restore Unsaved Word Documents

If you lost unsaved Word documents due to Word crash, Word not responding, Word stopped working, Word keeps freezing, or other Word problems, there are three ways for you to recover unsaved Word documents in Windows 10. Link to the page to see details. 

• Fix 1. Recover from Temporary Files
• Fix 2. Recover from AutoRecover
• Fix 3. Use Document Recovery

For a Mac user, check this link to see how to recover unsaved Word document on Mac. 

How to Restore Deleted Word Document with File Recovery Software

If the Word has stopped working error lead to file corruption or if you have deleted some crucial Word documents and need to get them back, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a great choice. This software will not only help you recover lost files but also help you repair damaged documents during the recovery process. 

EaseUS data recovery software features:

• Recover lost or deleted Word, Excel, PPT, and PDF documents
• Repair corrupted files after the data recovery, such as repair corrupted Excel, Word, PPT, and PDF 
• Support data recovery for sudden deletion, formatting, hard drive corruption, virus attack, system crash under different situations
• Recover Word document on HDD, SSD, USB flash drive, pen drive, SD card, external hard drive, etc.

Download EaseUS file recovery tool to recover lost or corrupted Word documents on HDD, USB flash drive, external hard drive, and more in only 3 simple steps.

Step 1. Choose the Word file location

Choose the drive or a specific folder and click the «Scan» button.

Step 2. Locate your Word files

The software will start immediately scanning all lost data on the selected drive. After the scan, click the «Documents» option in the left panel. Choose «Word» from the category bar. Then, click «Preview».

Step 3. Recover Word files

After previewing the lost Word files, select the desired Word files and click «Recover». Then, select a folder to store the Word files.

Causes of Microsoft Word Has Stopped Working Error 

Except for finding the right solutions to solve the Microsoft office has stopped working error on Windows PC, it’s highly necessary to know the reasons that cause your Word malfunction. Here are the main reasons:

• Office edition isn’t compatible with the current OS on your PC.
• Word is out of date.
• The device driver is out of date.
• Word Add-in issue. 
• Word file issue.

Useful Tips to Back Up and Protect Word File

If you are looking for a reliable method to fix the «Word has stopped working» error, the solutions included in the above two parts are capable to help you out.

If you prefer a more comprehensive plan to protect your precious Word documents, stay here. Two reliable Word backup tips are available here for you to try:

1. Enable Auto-Save Feature in Word

Applies to: Back up and save editing Word document.

Step 1. Open MS Word application and create a new file, click «File» > «Option».

Step 2. Click «Save» and check the below two boxes:

• «Save AutoRecover information every * munites» (set a time for autosave — every 2 or 5 minutes will be good)
• «Keep the last autosaved version if I close without saving»

Step 3. Click «OK» to confirm.

2. Back Up Saved Word File with File Backup Software

Applies to: Back up saved Word file on your local drive.

Reliable file backup software like EaseUS Todo Backup can help you effectively back up important files including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. on a local drive with ease.

The backup will be a lifesaver to immediately bring your hard word back once you lose it due to unknown reasons.

Download and follow the below 3 steps to safely back up your Word file with ease:

Step 1. For the first time you use EaseUS Todo Backup to back up files, click Create backup on the home screen and then mouse click the big question mark to select backup contents.

Step 2. Since you’re going to back up files and folders on your computer, go on with the «File» backup mode, where you can select pictures, videos, documents and all other types of files to back up.

Step 3. Follow the paths to locate the files, folders or directories you want to back up, select them all and click «OK«.

Step 4. Now you need to select a backup location to save and retain the backup.

Step 5. EaseUS Todo Backup allows users to save the backup files to every device that is handy for you, like a local hard drive, external USB drive, SD card, network drive, or a NAS drive, plus a cloud drive of the EaseUS brand. We personally recommend users to choose the cloud drive prior to a physical drive to save important backups due to the greater accessibility, flexibility and safety.

To be able to access to EaseUS cloud, all you need is an email registration and login. 

Step 6. If you’re interested in an automatic and intelligent backup schedule for the next file backup task, go on with the «Options» setting. There you can encrypt a confidential file backup, compress the backup image size, or customize a backup scheme to tell the software in what time to start the next backup. 

Customize an advanced and automatic backup task here:

Step 7. Click «Backup Now» to start the file backup process. Your completed backup files are visible on the left area in a card style.

Here are a few questions related to Microsoft Word has stopped working. If you also have any of these problems, you can find the methods here.

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

When MS word has stopped working, you can fix it by repairing Office installation.

Step 1. Open Control Panel, click “Programs and Features» and click on «Microsoft Office».

Step 2. Locate and select your Microsoft Office, and click «Change» in the top menu.

Step 3. On the window, click «Repair» and then «Continue». For Newer versions of Microsoft Office users, you can choose «Online Repair» or «Quick Repair» and click «Repair».

Step 4. Let the repair finish and restart your computer.

2. Why is my Microsoft Word not opening?

When there are a few corrupted documents, or you have an issue with a Word or 3rd party add-on, your Word maybe not opening.

3. How do you restart Microsoft Word?

Step 1. Go to the Tools Menu, then Customize, then click options.

Step 2. Choose the option for the Reset menu and toolbar usage data. This will put your toolbars back to the original settings. If you would like to reset your settings further, move on to the steps below.

4. Why has my office 365 stopped working?

When Microsoft Office 365, 2016 or 2013 stops working or not opening on your PC, you can also use the Office repair feature to get the problem fixed in Windows 10/8/7: right-click on Office 365, Office 2016 or Office 2013 > Select Change; click Online Repair > click on Repair button.

5. How do I fix Outlook that has stopped working?

When you happen to encounter Outlook 2016 Not Responding in Windows 10, you can try to fix it by using Outlook recovery software; start Outlook in Safe Mode; install Outlook updates; repair Office program, or repair Outlook data files.