With the growing popularity of Microsoft Office, its applications such as Word have gained popularity among users all over the world. However, the greater the number of users, the greater the number of issues. “Microsoft Office Word has stopped working,” is one of the most frequently asked concerns among Word users.
In general, when this error occurs, Microsoft Word stops working. On the tab, you can see two options: check online for a solution or close the program and Close the Program.
Effective Solutions for the Microsoft Word Has Stopped Working Error in Windows 10/8/7
The solution can vary depending on your circumstances. We hope one of these works for you.
Fix The Corrupted Word Document
If Word malfunctions or fails to respond only with those documents, there may be a problem with those documents. One solution is to restore the corrupt documents and then open them in Word.
- Open Microsoft Word on your computer. If the normal mode does not function, switch to safe mode.
- In the left sidebar, select the Open option.
- On the following screen, click Browse to search your computer for the problematic document.
- Navigate to the folder where you saved your document, select it, click the arrow icon next to Open, and then select Open and Repair.
Word will open and restore your document for you.
Launch Word In Safe Mode & Disable Add-Ins
One way to fix when Microsoft Word is not responding is to use safe mode. This mode lets you open Word only with the essential files and it’ll help you troubleshoot any add-in issues with the app.
- Hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard while clicking the Word shortcut on your desktop.
- You will be asked if you want to open Word in safe mode. To proceed, click Yes.
- At the top of your computer, select the File menu.
- Choose Options from your screen’s left sidebar. It belongs at the bottom of the chart.
- On the following screen, in the left sidebar, select Add-ins.
- On the right-hand side window, locate the Manage dropdown menu and press Go next to it.
- Uncheck all of the checkboxes on your computer and press OK.
When you launch Word in normal mode, it should open
Repair The Microsoft Office Suite
Since problems with Microsoft Office applications, such as Word, are common, these apps provide a utility for troubleshooting. You can use the utility to fix any problems with the Office apps on your device by selecting the repair method.
Use Control Panel
- Launch the Control Panel on your computer.
- Uninstall a program should be selected. Nothing is being uninstalled.
- Choose Microsoft Office from the list and then press Change at the end.
- In the box on your screen, select Quick Repair and then press Repair.
- If Quick Repair did not resolve the issue, choose Online Repair.
Use Settings
- On your PC, open the Settings app.
- On the following tab, click Apps.
- Locate Microsoft Office in the list, click it, and then click Modify.
- To repair the Office suite, select the Quick Repair option
Update Your Printer Drivers
If your printer drivers are out of date, Word will fail to respond because the computer is unable to communicate with the printer hardware. You can resolve this by updating your printer drivers.
- Using Cortana, look for and open Device Manager.
- Choose your printer from the list, right-click it, and then select Update driver.
- Select Browse my computer for driver apps if you’ve downloaded the drivers to your computer.
- If you don’t already have the drivers, choose Search automatically for updated driver software.
Change Your Default Printer
One reason Microsoft Word is not responding is that you have a defective printer set as your computer’s default printer. Word is closely integrated with your system’s printers, and any problems with your printers will cause Word to fail to respond.
- This problem can be resolved by making another printer the default printer.
- On your PC, launch the Settings app.
- On the following screen, select the Devices option.
- From the left sidebar, choose Printers & Scanners.
- Uncheck the Allow Windows to manage my default printer box.
- Locate a working printer in the list, right-click it, and select Manage.
- To make your newly selected printer the default printer on your screen, click the Set as default button.
Uninstall Recent Windows & Office Updates
If Word stops responding after an Office or Windows update, try uninstalling the update and see if that resolves the issue. If the problem is triggered by one of these updates, this should work.
- Start your computer and go to the Control Panel.
- Uninstall software should be selected.
- In the left sidebar, select the View installed updates option.
- Choose the update that you believe is causing the problem and press Uninstall.
- To uninstall the selected update, click Yes in the prompt that appears on your computer.
Turn Off Your Antivirus Software
Some antivirus programs have been known to cause conflicts with other applications. As a result, we recommend that you temporarily disable your antivirus software to see if this resolves the problem with Word on your device.
Most antivirus apps can be disabled by right-clicking on their device tray icons and selecting Disable, Turn off security, or a similar alternative.
If Word starts responding after you’ve turned off your antivirus, your antivirus and Word aren’t getting along. You may want to uninstall your current antivirus software and install a new one.
Reinstall Microsoft Office On Your Computer
Lastly, if nothing works, you can uninstall Microsoft Office completely from your computer and then clean install it. This will fix any issues with the Office apps and Word will no longer have any issues.
Use Settings
- Navigate to the Settings menu on your device.
- On the following tab, click Apps.
- Find Microsoft Office, then press the Uninstall button.
- To uninstall Office, click Uninstall again.
- Download and update Office as usual on your computer.
Use Uninstall Support Tool
- Microsoft provides an uninstall service to assist you in removing the Office suite from your device.
- On your device, download and install the Uninstall Support Tool.
- Choose your Office version and then press the Next button.
- On the following screen, check the box and then press Next.
When prompted, restart your computer and allow the tool to fully remove Office.