How to fix windows word app

Gary Bishop 0 Reputation points
2026-05-28T23:55:09.24+00:00

i have updated my pc to windows 10 I have to add a TPM to upgrade to windows 11. At first I could open word doc and print from a user account now I can only print from my admin account. word wants to open in safe mode only from a user account and if I change the document I create in word in my user account to a PDF when I print the PDF doc it has lines across the top it does not have the line when I print from word on my admin account it will print from paint fine from notepad fine no lines and from admin account fine just not from my user account please help me resolve this issue I have been working on this with 365 copilot for almost 2 weeks.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows
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  1. AI answer

    2026-05-28T23:55:38.0566667+00:00

    Follow these steps in order, focusing on the standard (non-admin) user account where Word only opens in Safe Mode and printing is distorted.

    1. Verify Windows and Office are fully updated
      • Install all available Windows 10 updates, including printer and device drivers.
      • If the issue started after a Windows update, ensure any follow-up fixes are installed.
      • In Word (from the admin account where it works), go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now to ensure Microsoft 365/Office is current.
    2. Test printing from other apps (user account)
      • In the user account, print from Notepad and Paint (already confirmed OK) and from another Office app such as Excel if available.
      • This confirms the problem is specific to Word in that user profile, not the printer or Windows printing system.
    3. Check printer selection and settings in the user account In the user account:
      1. Open Word (even if it opens in Safe Mode).
      2. Select File > Print.
      3. Confirm the intended printer is selected and shows Ready.
      4. Ensure Print to PDF or Print to file is not selected.
      5. Confirm page size, orientation, and layout are correct.
    4. Print a Windows test page (user account) This confirms Windows can talk to the printer from that user profile.
      • On Windows 10: Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
      • Select the printer > Manage > Printer properties > Print Test Page.
      • If the test page prints correctly, the printer and driver are fine; the issue is with Word or Office in that user profile.
    5. Repair Office from Windows (affects all accounts) Corrupted Office files can cause Word to only start in Safe Mode and misprint.
      1. Sign in with an account that has permission to modify apps (admin if needed).
      2. Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
      3. Select Microsoft 365 (or Microsoft Office) > Modify.
      4. Choose Quick Repair, then test Word in the user account.
      5. If the problem persists, run Online Repair (this may effectively reinstall Office).
    6. Restart the Print Spooler service
      • Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, press Enter.
      • Find Print Spooler, right-click > Restart.
      • Test printing from Word in the user account again.
    7. Update or reinstall printer drivers
      • Select Start > Device Manager.
      • Expand Printers.
      • Right-click the printer > Update driver.
      • If no update is found, choose Uninstall device, restart the PC, and let Windows reinstall the driver.
      • Test printing from Word in the user account.
    8. Change the default printer (user account) Word can behave differently depending on the default printer.
      1. Exit all Office apps.
      2. Go to Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
      3. Set Microsoft XPS Document Writer as the default printer.
      4. Start Word in the user account and see if it now opens normally (not only in Safe Mode) and prints without lines.
      5. If it works, switch the default back to the real printer and test again.
    9. Apply Word-specific troubleshooting for the user account If Word still only opens in Safe Mode for the user account, follow these Word repair options (run them under the affected user profile):
      • Start Word with the /a switch (diagnostic mode):
        1. Press Windows key, type Run, press Enter.
        2. Type winword /a and press Enter.
        3. If Word opens normally and printing is correct, the issue is likely with add-ins, the Normal template, or user-specific Word settings.
      • Replace the Normal template (Normal.dotm):
        1. Close all Office apps.
        2. Open Command Prompt and run: 
                  ren %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Normal.dotm OldNormal.dotm
        3. Start Word in the user account and test printing.
      • Disable Startup folder add-ins:
        1. Close Office apps.
        2. Open File Explorer and navigate to the appropriate Startup folder for the Word version and installation type (for example, %programfiles%\Microsoft Office\root\office16\Startup\ for many Microsoft 365 installs).
        3. Rename each file by adding .old to the end of the file name.
        4. Start Word and test printing.
      • Change default printer again as a test (already covered in step 8 but repeat if needed) to confirm Word’s behavior changes with printer context.
    10. If Word still fails only for the user account After the above steps, if Word continues to open only in Safe Mode and printing from that user account still shows lines while admin printing is fine, the profile itself may be damaged. In that case, creating a new Windows user profile and testing Word there is the next escalation path.

    References:

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