What can i do when word freezes

Have you ever encountered the Microsoft Word frozen issue? This issue is annoying, which upsets plenty of users. Here, MiniTool analyses potential reasons for it and then offers some solutions. Additionally, it shows you how to recover the lost data resulting from the MS Word freezing issue.

Why Does Word Keep Freezing

A lot of factors can lead to MS Word freezing. The corruption of Word’s Normal Template is one of the primary reasons. In addition to that, MS Word freezes when there is damage to MS Office settings associated with the Word application.

Third-party add-ins in the Word application could lead to the Microsoft Word frozen issue. If there are software conflicts in the system while editing any documents, Word may get unresponsive or frozen.

The MS Word freezing issue occurs in the following situations as well.

• Malware invasion
• Incorrect installation of Word application
• Presence of bad sectors in the location where the Word program and documents are stored
• Improper termination of Word.

Also read: Cyberpunk 2077 Crashing on PC/PS5/Xbox – Fixed Issue

Solution 1: Repair or Replace the Corrupted Template

As learned earlier, the corrupted Word’s Normal Template is the main cause for the Word frozen issue. Hence, the first operation you should take when the issue appears is to repair or replace the corrupted template.

Steps for Repairing Corrupted Template

Step 1: Close Microsoft Word application.

Step 2: Open the Run window by holding Windows and R keys, and then input %appdata%microsofttemplates and hit Enter to open the Templates window.

Step 3: In the templates window, find the Normal.dotm file. Click on it and press F2, and then rename it as oldNormal.dotm. After that, reload Word to see if it runs properly.

Steps for Replacing Normal.dotm Global Template File

Alternatively, you can also directly replace the Normal.dotm template file using steps below.

Step 1: Type cmd in the search box, and then right-click on Command Prompt from search results and click Run as administrator in the elevated window.

Step 2: In the pop-up window, input the command below and then hit Enter to execute it.

ren %userprofile%AppDataRoamingMicrosoftTemplatesOldNormal.dotm Normal.dotm

Step 3: Wait for the finish of the operation and then exit Command Prompt.

Recommended reading: How to Allocate a Hard Drive? Try This Full Guide Now!

Solution 2: Run Word in Safe Mode

You can see if Microsoft Word works properly in Safe Mode. If yes, it indicates that there are some programs on the computer interfering with the running of Word. Then you need to uninstall the newly installed programs on your PC.

On the contrary, if it works poorly, it means that the Word itself has some issues. You should try reinstalling it.

Step 1: Open the Run window and then type winword /safe. After that, hit OK. Alternatively, you can also hold the Ctrl key and double-click the Word shortcut on the desktop at the same time. Then click Yes in the prompted window to enter the Word Safe Mode.

Step 2: Try to save your Word file and then exit the Safe Mode. After that, restart the Office application.

Solution 3: Disable Microsoft Word Add-ins

As Third-party add-ins in the Word program could result in the Word frozen issue, disabling Microsoft Word add-ins is also an available solution. You can do that by following these steps.

Step 1: Run Microsoft Word into Safe Mode from the Run window.

Step 2: After you open the Microsoft Word in Safe Mode, click on the File tab.

Step 3: Click the Options button at the bottom of the left panel.

Step 4: In the Word Options window, click Add-Ins. Then you can open the Manage drop-down menu by clicking the down icon. Choose COM Add-ins from the menu and click Go to move forward.

Step 5: Uncheck all the add-ins options and click OK to save the changes.

Step 6: Exit the Safe Mode and then run Word again to see if the Word frozen issue disappears.

According to user reports, the Office built-in feature is capable of fixing the MS Word freezing issue. Here are steps for doing that.

Step 1: Open Settings by holding Windows and I keys, and then tap Apps from the home menu.

Step 2: Scroll down the content in the right side of the next window to find Microsoft Office.

Step 3: Click on it and tap the Modify button and then click Yes to confirm it.

Step 4: Then you need to choose an option to repair your Office programs. Here, you can try Quick Repair first. After the process ends, restart your PC and check if the issue is solved. If not, try the Online Repair instead.

Solution 5: Fix the Damaged Word Document

If Microsoft Word keeps freezing Windows 10 due to damaged Word files, you can repair the specific Word file with these steps.

Step 1: Run the Microsoft Word in Safe Mode.

Step 2: Click on Files > Open > Browse.

Step 3: In the prompted window, choose the file you want to fix, open the Open dropdown menu by clicking the down icon, and then pick the Open and Repair option.

Step 4: After that, run the Word file normally and see if it works properly.

Solution 6: Switch the Default Printer

The Word frozen issue might occur if your computer connects with an incompatible printer. In this case, try switching the default printer to other available printers to get rid of the error.

For that, please refer to these steps.

Step 1: Right-click on the Windows icon on the desktop and then click Settings in the Start menu.

Step 2: Click Devices > Printers & scanners.

Step 3: Scroll down the content in the right side of the window until you locate the Allow Windows to manage my default printer section. Then uncheck this option.

Step 4: Scroll up the content to find the Microsoft XPS Document Writer option. Then click on it and tap the Manage button.

Step 5: Click on the Set as default button under the Manage your device section.

Solution 7: Check Hard Drive for Errors

Learning from the above content, bad sectors on the location where the Microsoft Word application and Word files are saved might trigger the MS Word freezing issue. It is recommended to check hard drive for bad sectors when the issue appears.

As an all-in-one partition management expert, MiniTool Partition Wizard comes into use. Its Surface Test feature enables you to find bad sectors on the hard drive within a few clicks. With a straightforward interface, this program is even friendly to beginners.

Moreover, it also allows you to create/extend/move/resize/format/delete/wipe disks. As for advanced features, you can use it to Migrate OS to SSD/HD, Convert MBR to GPT, recover missing data and partitions, etc.

Kindly reminder:

The MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition only allows you to perform some basic operations. To use advanced features, you are required to get its Pro or higher editions. If you want to pick a suitable edition, please refer to this edition comparison page.

Here, MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition is enough. Download and install this program by clicking the button below and then following the on-screen instructions. After that, follow the given steps to check if your hard drive has bad sectors.

Free Download

Step 1: Launch MiniTool Partition Wizard to enter its main interface.

Step 2: Highlight the hard drive where the Microsoft Word is located and click Surface Test.

Step 3: In the prompted window, click on the Start Now button to begin the process.

Step 4: Then wait for the finish of the process. The scanning results will appear with the progress of the scanning, which means that you can view the real-time results. If there are any blocks in the scanning area marked with red colour, it means that the hard drive contains bad sectors. Then you can refer to this repair guide to fix them. On the contrary, you should try other methods to resolve the Word frozen issue.

Solution 8: Reinstall Microsoft Office

If Microsoft Word keeps freezing Windows 10 after trying the above solutions, it’s time to reinstall Microsoft Office. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial.

Step 1: Open the Run window, and then input control and hit Enter.

Step 2: In the Control Panel window, click on Programs and Features to continue.

Step 3: Scroll down the content in the next window until you find Microsoft Office.

Step 4: Right-click on Microsoft Office and click Uninstall. If you are prompted with a confirmation window, just allow it.

Step 5: After uninstalling, download and install Office from Microsoft on your computer. Then activate it with your serial key.

Recover the Lost Data Caused by Word Frozen

When MS Word freezes, some of Microsoft Word data could be missing. Therefore, you should make efforts to recover the lost data after the Word frozen issue is fixed. Well, the Data Recovery feature of MiniTool Partition Wizard can help you recover the missing/formatted/deleted data on the hard drive.

Free Download

Step 1: Run MiniTool Partition Wizard and then click Data Recovery at the top toolbar.

Step 2: Click on the Devices tab. Put your cursor on the hard drive and then click on the Scan button.

Step 3: Wait for the finish of the process, and then find the target data and click Save.

Step 4: Follow the prompted instructions to finish the operation.

RAW Read Error Rate: How to Recover Its Data & Avoid the Error

Why does Word keep freezing? How to solve the Microsoft Word frozen issue? This post shows you the answers. Moreover, it provides you with steps for recovering the lost data due to the error.Click to Tweet

Bottom Line

How to do when MS Word freezes? Here are 8 solutions to the Microsoft Word frozen issue. In addition, here is a data recovery guide for you. With this tutorial, you can fix the issue and find the lost data caused by it.

Is this post helpful for you? Do you have other ideas about the Word frozen issue? You can leave your words in the following comment area. If you encounter difficulties while checking bad sectors or recovering data with MiniTool Partition Wizard, please contact us via [email protected].

Microsoft Word is a highly renowned program with a user-friendly design to create, edit, and save documents. It supports basic formatting like changing font size and colors, text style, creating bulleted lists, inserting images, and many more. Whenever you create a Word file, it gets saved in DOC or DOCX file format. However, due to some human mistakes or bugs, you might find a few flaws in the Word application such as MS Word program freezes or showing an error message saying “Microsoft Word not responding”.

When your MS Word freezes frequently and throws a Word not responding error on the top of the menu then it can be due to corrupt Word documents, incompatible third-party add-ins, improper installation of Word application, latest Windows updates are not installed, etc.

This Word error might put you in a complex situation and you will be worried about what to do when the Word is not responding. Stay calm! In such a case, you just try terminating the Word application and restart the program else restart the system. If it can’t help you, then follow the below-proven methods to fix Microsoft Word not responding.

Note: If the Word not responding is due to Word document corruption or damage then, you can easily fix it using Remo Repair Word software. Refer to method 4 to know more about it.

How To Fix Word not responding on Windows?

1. Start Microsoft Office program in Safe mode

To handle this situation, the first and foremost thing that you need to do is to open the MS Word in Safe Mode with no add-ons (or plug-ins).

• Press Windows Key + R at once.
• Copy or type winWord /safe in the Open box of the Run window and click Enter.
• Now, press and hold the Ctrl key, and double-click on the Microsoft Office Word to open it.

If the above process successfully opens your Word application in Safe mode then, the problem is not related to the Word file corruption but is due to the add-ins, which can be easily fixed using method 2.

In case, if Microsoft Word application doesn’t open in the Safe mode then your Word file is damaged or corrupted. To easily fix Microsoft Word not responding issue, make use of the Remo Repair Word tool by referring to the below method 4.

2. Disable Add-ins causing Microsoft Word not responding

After opening the Word application in Safe mode. The next thing to do to resolve Microsoft Word not responding is to disable the incompatible add-ins that cause Microsoft freezing, crashing, or not responding errors.

• Open Word file which is still in the safe mode to fix Word not responding.
• Click the File tab and then select Options.
• Select the Add-ins option and click on the Go button.
• Now, uncheck the available third-party add-ins one at a time and Restart the Windows computer.
• Repeat this method till all the add-ins causing the Word not responding is not disabled.

Once you fix the Microsoft Word not responding issue by disabling the third-party add-ins, you can exit the Word program to stop Safe mode and then start it again normally to access your Word document on Windows without any error.

3. Repair Microsoft Word/ Office Programs

You can make use of the below steps to fix Word not responding using the inbuilt Repair option. This method will fix all the issues related to the Microsoft Word program and thereby you can easily access all your Word documents.

• Go to Settings on your Windows computer.
• Click on the Apps option and then choose Apps and features.
• Select Microsoft Office Professional or Word (if it is shown) and hit the Modify button.
• Click on the Quick Repair if you want to fix the Word not responding frequently without the internet or select Online Repair to fix the issue using the internet.
• Finally, click the Repair button to start fixing Word not responding in Windows 10.

If your Word application still crashes or not responds after you open a Word file, then this Microsoft Word error is due to severe Word file corruption, which can be easily fixed using the below method.

4. Utilize the Remo Repair Word tool

Remo Repair Word is the ultimate solution to repair your corrupt Word document that is not responding in just a few simple clicks. The tool is equipped with highly advanced algorithms that could easily detect and repair all Word document errors securely. After repair, you can easily extract all your Word data including the attached hyperlinks, embedded tables, pictures, clip arts, and many others with high accuracy.

Download and try the tool now without having to pay anything!!!

Free Download For Windows

Step 1: Download and install the Remo Repair Word tool on your Windows.

Step 2: Launch the tool and click on the Browse option to select the corrupt Word document showing not responding error.

Step 3: Click on the Repair button to initiate the repair process.

Step 4: After the completion of the Repair process, click on the Save button to restore the fixed Word document to your desired location.

Features Of Remo Repair Word tool

• Allows you to preview the repaired Word document for free.
• Easily repairs .doc and .docx Word file formats created on MS Word 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, and 2000.
• Easy to use GUI to help even the novice users to fix the frozen Word file, Word not responding, Word file crashing, etc.
• Offers 24 / 7 free technical support.
• The tool is compatible with all the latest versions of the Windows operating system including Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, etc. to repair the Word document safely.

5. Uninstall and Reinstall Microsoft Word

Before you uninstall the Word application to fix Word not responding due to improper installation, it is advised to save your MS Office activation/ serial key in a text document to activate the Microsoft Word again.

• Click on the Windows Start button and type Control Panel.
• Open Control Panel and click on the Program and Features.
• Locate and select the Microsoft Word program and click Uninstall.
• After the uninstallation process completes, reinstall Microsoft Word.

Step 1. Press the combination Cmd+Option+Esc, and a window will pop-up. Step 2. After pressing the above keyboard combination, the Force Quit Applications should appear, select Microsoft Word and then click on the “Force Quit” button.

What happens if I force quit Word?

If you force quit the Microsoft Word program, you may lose any unsaved changes to your document.

Will word AutoSave if I force quit?

Also, if you have closed or quit the file manually, then the AutoRecover file is gone. Each time Word opens, it searches for AutoRecover files. If it finds anything to recover, it will show up in the Document Recovery task pane. This will only work if the AutoRecover feature was enabled.

What do you do when an unsaved document is not responding?

Open the Office application that you were using. Click the File tab. Click Recent. Scroll to the bottom of your “Recent Documents” (Office 2013 only), then click “Recover Unsaved Documents” if you are in Word, “Recover Unsaved Workbooks” if you are in Excel, or “Recover Unsaved Presentations” if you are in PowerPoint.

Will word save if force quit?

If the document was saved at least once and AutoRecover was enabled in Word > Preferences, you can force-quit Word, as it will detect the AutoRecover files next time around and offer you to recover the file.

What happens when you quit Word with unsaved changes to a document?

If you quit Word when there are unsaved changes to a document, Word displays a warning dialog box that prompts you to save. A tab that displays the Backstage view and contains a menu of commands that you can use for the common tasks performed with your database files—such as opening, saving, and printing.

How do you save a document with the spinning wheel?

can I save my document once the spinning wheel shows up?turn on hidden characters the ¶ button.click at beginning of document.scroll to end of document.click just before the last ¶.*now do a copy (⌘-C)open a new blank document.now do a Paste (⌘-V)now save document with a slightly different name (example: letter.docx would become letter1.docx.

How do I stop the spinning wheel in Word?

To bring up the Force Quit Applications window, there is a keyboard shortcut known as Command + Option + Escape. Then Select Microsoft Word and click Force Quit.

What if force quit doesn t work?

If one method doesn’t work, try it a second time, and if that doesn’t work, try another. If nothing works, restart your Mac. Remember that you may lose unsaved changes when force-quitting an app.

How do I force quit not responding?

If the app still doesn’t quit, then follow these steps:Simultaneously press these three keys: Option, Command, and Esc (Escape).Select the app in the Force Quit window, and then click Force Quit.

How do you force quit a frozen game?

Hit Ctrl + Alt + Del and say that you want to run Task Manager.

How do you fix a frozen game?

If a full-screen application, like a game, freezes and prevents you from leaving it, press Alt+F4. This closes the application if the game is just experiencing graphical problems, but it won’t work if the application has frozen completely. To see if the computer is still responding, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

How do I force a program to close without task manager?

To force stop an application without using the Task Manager, you can use the taskkill command to do that. Typically, you would have to enter this command at the Command Prompt to kill a particular process.

How do you force shutdown a PC game?

How to Force Quit on a Windows 10 PC Using Windows Task ManagerPress the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys at the same time. Then select Task Manager from the list. Click on the application you want to force quit. Click End task to close the program.

How do you force shutdown on Windows?

The easiest method is to simply hold down the shift key before you click the power icon and select “shut down” on Windows’ Start Menu, the Ctrl+Alt+Del screen, or its Lock screen. This will force your system to actually shut down your PC, not hybrid-shut-down your PC.

How do you force quit full screen on Windows?

The usual way to get into and out of full screen mode is by using the F11 key. If this does not work for you, try to hit Alt + Space to open the application menu and click (or use the keyboard) to choose Restore or Minimize. Another way is to hit Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.

How do I get out of fullscreen mode?

Click the Maximize button (top right corner of the Navigation Toolbar) to leave full screen mode or right-click empty space on a toolbar and choose “Exit Full Screen Mode” or press the F11 key.

How do you get to task manager without Ctrl Alt Delete?

The name of the executable file for Task Manager is “taskmgr.exe.” You can launch Task Manager by hitting Start, typing “taskmgr” in the Start menu search box, and hitting Enter. You can also run it by hitting Windows+R to open the Run box, typing “taskmgr,” and then hitting Enter.

How do I get my computer off full screen?

Full screen mode hides things like the address bar and other items from view so you can focus on your content. To exit full screen mode, move your mouse near top of the screen or swipe down with your finger and select the “restore” icon in the top-right, or press “F11” again.

How do I get my screen back to normal size on Windows 10?

First, try changing the size of what’s on the screen.Stay in Display settings. Scroll to Scale and layout.Next, in Change the size of text, apps, and other items, select an option. Typically, it’s best to choose the one that’s marked (Recommended).

How do I get my screen back to normal size on Windows 7?

To change your screen resolutionOpen Screen Resolution by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, and then, under Appearance and Personalization, clicking Adjust screen resolution.Click the drop-down list next to Resolution, move the slider to the resolution you want, and then click Apply.

Why is my screen zoomed in Windows 7?

It’s part of the Ease of Access center on a Windows computer. Windows Magnifier is broken down into three modes: Full-screen mode, Lens mode and Docked mode. If the Magnifier is set to Full-screen mode, the entire screen is magnified. Your operating system is most likely using this mode if the desktop is zoomed in.

How do I change my screen back to normal size?

Open the Start Menu and click on the “Control Panel” icon. Open the “Appearance and Themes” category, and then click on “Display.” This opens the Display Properties windows. Click on the drop menu labeled “Theme.” From the menu, select the default theme. Click “Apply” at the bottom of the Display Properties window.

Press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar, and then click Task Manager. Click on the processes tab> look for Winword.exe > click on it and click on end process. Was this reply helpful?

How do you fix Microsoft Word when it freezes?

Option 1. Manually Repair Office Installation with Programs and Features

1. Open Control Panel, click “Programs and Features”, locate and select your Microsoft Office.
2. Click “Change” in the top menu.
3. Click “Repair” and then “Continue” on the pop-up window.
4. Wait for the repair process to finish and restart your computer.

Why is my Microsoft Word freezing?

Most often, a damaged standard Word template results in Microsoft Word freezing. In addition, incorrect settings of the application or its add-ons, as well as potential conflicts, will certainly lead to MS Word freezing.

What happens when word is not responding?

If MS Word does not respond, try shut down the app with Task Manager. Open the task manager (enter “Task Manager” in the search box or use ctrl + alt + del). Secondly, if you see that the disk usage is 100%, then this means that Word not responding due to RAM overload, and you need to fix it first.

What do you do when Microsoft Word isn’t responding but you haven’t saved?

These can be found via File, Open and clicking the Recover Unsaved Documents button found at the very bottom of the Recent File List.

1. Open Word and select File, Options.
2. In the Options dialog box select Save from the left hand menu.
3. Note the AutoRecover files location.
4. Open Windows Explorer/My Computer.

What to do if Microsoft Windows is not responding?

Follow the below steps:

1. Press Windows and X key together and select Control Panel.
2. Click on Troubleshooting.
3. Click on View all option on the left side of the Windows.
4. Click on System Maintenance option.
5. Click on Next and follow the onscreen instructions.

How do I fix an unresponsive computer?

What to do if your computer has frozen

1. The best way to restart is to hold the power button for five to 10 seconds.
2. If you’re working with a frozen PC, hit CTRL + ALT + Delete, then click “End Task” to force-quit any or all applications.
3. On a Mac, try one of these shortcuts:
4. A software problem may be one of the following:

What to do if PC is not responding?

Press Ctrl + Alt + Del to open the Windows Task Manager. If the Task Manager can open, highlight the program that is not responding and choose End Task, which should unfreeze the computer. It could still take ten to twenty seconds for the unresponsive program to be terminated after you choose End Task.

Why is my computer freezing and not responding?

It could be your hard drive, an overheating CPU, bad memory or a failing power supply. In some cases, it might also be your motherboard, although that’s a rare occurrence. Usually with hardware problem, the freezing will start out sporadic, but increase in frequency as time goes on.

Why does my PC randomly freeze?

Check to make sure your computer is not overheating. Overheating is often a result of the environment that the computer is in. Third-party software is often the culprit for computer freezes. Run a quick scan to see if all of the software on your computer has the latest version of the software installed.

How do I fix my computer from freezing randomly?

FIX: Windows 10 Freezes Randomly

• Repair Corrupt System Files.
• Update Graphics/Video Drivers.
• Reset the Winsock Catalog.
• Do a Clean Boot.
• Increase Virtual Memory.
• Incompatible Programs Reported by Users.
• Turn Off Link State Power Management.
• Turn Off Fast Startup.

What is causing Windows 10 to freeze?

Malware, outdated drivers, and corruption with system files are several reasons why your PC is freezing. Since you’ve tried some troubleshooting steps already but the issue still persists, try updating the device drivers which is helpful in resolving the issue.

Why does Windows 10 keep not responding?

Windows 10 may stop responding if there is virus or malware. So run a virus scan across your entire Windows system. If any malware has been detected, follow the instructions provided by the antivirus program to fix it. Then restart your computer and try to launch your program again to see if it works.

How do I troubleshoot Windows 10 from freezing?

How to Fix Random Freeze in Windows 10

1. Solution 1: Run the SFC scan.
2. Solution 2: Update that Device Drivers.
3. Solution 3: Scan for Virus.
4. Solution 4: Turn Off Fast Startup.
5. Follow the steps to do so:
6. Solution 5: Remove Problematic Software.

How do you close an unresponsive program?

To close a program that’s frozen on Windows:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to directly open the Task Manager.
2. In the Applications tab, click on the program that’s not responding (the status will say “Not Responding”) and then click the End Task button.
3. In the new dialog box that appears, click End Task to close the application.

What do you do when force quit doesn t work?

If the app still doesn’t quit, then follow these steps:

1. Simultaneously press these three keys: Option, Command, and Esc (Escape).
2. Select the app in the Force Quit window, and then click Force Quit.

What do you do when Safari won’t force quit?

All you need to do is the following:

1. Press and hold the keys “Command” + “Option” + “Escape”
2. Now, you should be able to see the window “Force Quit Application”
3. Select “Safari” and then click on “Force Quit”

How do I force quit an app that won’t quit?

Android

1. Open the Settings app on the Android device.
2. Scroll the list and tap Apps, Applications or Manage apps.
3. (optional) On certain devices like Samsung, tap Application Manager.
4. Scroll the list to find the app to force quit.
5. Tap FORCE STOP.

How do I force quit an application on my PC?

How to Force Quit in Windows 10

1. Hold Control + Alt + Delete at the same time. Your keyboard may vary. If this does not work, try Control + Shift + Escape.
2. Select Task Manager.
3. Select the unresponsive app.
4. Tap End Task.

How do I close an unresponsive program without task manager?

The easiest and fastest way you can try to force kill a program without Task Manager on Windows computer is to use Alt + F4 keyboard shortcut. You can click the program you want to close, press Alt + F4 key on the keyboard at the same time and don’t release them until the application is closed.

How do I kill a frozen program in Windows?

How to Force Quit on a Windows 10 PC Using Windows Task Manager

1. Press the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys at the same time.
2. Then select Task Manager from the list.
3. Click on the application you want to force quit.
4. Click End task to close the program.

What to Do When Word Crashes on Windows Machine?

Most of the people are using MS Word for creating a business document, including company reports, presentations, and so on. But, sometimes the file gets crashed when it is opened. Some of the reasons are virus attacks, slow network connection, accidental deletion of the Word document. If you are facing this kind of issue, then here we have explained the complete solution on What to do when Word crashes.

Different Ways to Fix Crashed Word Document When Word Freezes

There are following methods by which users can solve crashing problem whenWord hangs up. Some of them are mentioned below:

For MS Word 2003 & Earlier Versions

• Go to Tools menu and choose Options
• After that, click on the save button

Make sure your Allow fast saves option is unchecked because it is a major source of Word document bloat and corruption. As the bloated Word file will take longer time to save, the function is really useless.

For MS Word 2007 & Later versions

MS Word 2007 have the same options, although in Word 2007 they are accessed by selecting the Office Button and in later versions from the File tab. This dialog box is similar to the illustrations below:

Fast saves have been dropped, but you have to check the following options:

• 

Note: According to above screenshot, there is no “autosave” function in MS Word, however manually saving a document is too complicated, check Automatically backup Word documents. This feature is not only to remind you to save, however, but you can also set it to perform save at a predetermined interval.

For All Versions ( Orphaned Temporary Files)

When you open a Word document, then Word creates a variety of hidden temporary files, in different locations on the hard drive. Open the document and more are created. Now, you can edit a document and there are much more. In the normal events, each file is closed when they will no longer be needed, but when word crashes and is unable to recover, they can be considered left behind, where they can get damage, and in the worst case, prevent you from re-opening document and even from re-starting Word.

Before Restarting MS Word

By default, Windows Explorer is configured to hide system folders and hidden folders. Configure Internet Explorer to display all hidden files and extensions to know the file type. In Windows 7, this option can be accessed from the Internet Explorer menu.

Windows 8/10 Operating System

Windows8 established the ribbon to Windows Explorer and renaming the function as File Explorer. Even though the principles are the same.

• 

Note: You cannot display the protected operating system files from ribbon. You can access the command from Microsoft Windows, go to Start and click Control Panel. Then, choose Appearance and Personalisation, and click on File Explorer Options that will show the dialog box in the previous section.

Temporary Data Files

Using Windows Explorer, first navigate to the Windows temp folder, allocation to be determined by Operating system, but it can also be found by typing %temp%in address bar of Windows Explorer and press Enter key. This shortcut will definitely work with Internet Explorer but not other web browsers.

You can safely remove everything in a folder. Windows does not allow to erase anything actually in use; but if Windows has locked a file, and with Windows 95/98 if someone is still using old systems, first you should reboot to free locked files.

The crash has left a machine in unstable condition, in any situation this is not a bad plan.

Now, you can find the remaining files problem and delete them. MS Word creates a temporary file in different places. On the other hand, those were easy to locate with an old machine, in Windows 7 they are more elusive as a standard search pattern of

“~$*.do*”

cannot locate them, so at the following locations:

• User Templates folder: This folder takes place in Word Options, go to File Locations and select User Templates, which contains the normal template. MS Word will always create a temporary file with a standard template.
• Document template: Word cannot attach to its template folder location as did in previous versions. If you were using a Word document template somewhere other than classified User templates folder when the Word crashes, you can delete the temporary files associated with template in folders.
• Word Startup folder: This folder includes some templates used for add-ins.
• Office Startup folder: If any add-ins available, then use this folder, but it works in a similar way as Word Startup folder. It is situated at C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft OfficeOffice14STARTUP (where 14 is MS Office version: here Office 2010 and x86 indicates a 64 bit operating system).

Professional Way to Repair Corrupt DOCX File

Sometimes, users cannot recover a damaged .docx file manually from MicrosoftOffice. Thus, they start searching for a reliable third-party tool,i.e., SysTools DOCX Repair Software. It is designed in such a way to retrieve more than one DOCX file at a time. This software helps to fix DOCX corruption issue without losing a single bit of data. The best part of this tool is that there is no need to install MS Office to restore DOCX file.

Final Words

Most of the time, users document may be crashed due to a corruption of the Word file. Therefore, in this write-up, we have discussed what to do when Word crashes in a clear way. Also, we have recommended a trustworthy approach that is mentioned above. It is the best solution, which helps to recover DOCX files with all of its formatting.