Why is that Word keeps crashing when I have used Editor, what can I do?

Sarah Newman 0 Reputation points
2026-03-16T13:13:24.1833333+00:00

Today every time I have used editor Microsoft Word crashes, and has not saved the changes. This has happened four times. I have tried to disable an add on, I have restarted the laptop, I have checked I have the right version etc. I am at a loss to know what else to do.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. AI answer

    2026-03-16T13:13:43.1566667+00:00

    Word crashes are commonly caused by problematic add-ins or a damaged Office installation, even if some add-ins were already disabled and the device was restarted.

    Try these steps in order:

    1. Start Word in Safe Mode This checks whether any remaining add-ins (including Editor-related components) are causing the crash.
      1. Select the Search icon in Windows and type run, then open the Run app.
      2. Type: 
              winword /safe
        and press Enter.
      3. Confirm that the title bar shows something like Microsoft Word (Safe Mode).
      • If Word still crashes in Safe Mode, skip to step 3 (repair Office).
      • If Word works in Safe Mode, proceed to step 2 to turn off add-ins.
    2. Disable all add-ins (including COM add-ins)
      1. With Word running in Safe Mode, select File > Options > Add-Ins.
      2. In the Manage list at the bottom, first choose Word Add-ins (if available) and select Go.
        • Clear all check boxes to disable the add-ins, then select OK.
      3. Back in File > Options > Add-Ins, set Manage to COM Add-ins and select Go.
        • Clear all check boxes to disable every COM add-in, then select OK.
      4. Close Word, then start Word normally (without /safe) and test Editor again.
      • If Word no longer crashes, re-enable add-ins one at a time (Word Add-ins and COM Add-ins) and restart Word after each change until the crashing add-in is identified. Leave that add-in disabled or check the vendor’s site for an updated version.
    3. Repair the Office installation (Online Repair) If Word still crashes even with all add-ins disabled, the Office installation may be corrupted.
      1. Close all Office apps.
      2. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
      3. Find Microsoft Office (or Microsoft 365), select it, then choose Modify.
      4. Select Online Repair, then Repair.
      Online Repair performs a deeper fix and often reinstalls Office components that cause repeated crashes.
    4. If crashes continue after Online Repair If Word still crashes after a full Online Repair, completely uninstall Office, restart the PC (full restart, not shutdown), then reinstall Office from the Microsoft account page associated with the subscription.

    These steps address the most common causes of repeated Word crashes after using features like Editor: faulty add-ins and damaged Office binaries.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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