Microsoft Word won't open

Lewis Annabelle 0 Reputation points
2026-08-16T21:15:47.83+00:00

Microsoft Word is not working for me. The program does not open or freezes on startup. I have already restarted my computer, but the problem persists. Please help solve this problem.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For education | Windows
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  1. Stefan Blom 351.1K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-08-16T22:17:22.0166667+00:00

    You have received multiple suggestions. I would suggest that you start with an Online Repair. See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/lifecycle/repair-an-office-application .

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  2. BabybooHN 3,040 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-16T21:43:50.49+00:00

    Dear @Lewis Annabelle

    I am sorry to hear that Microsoft Word is freezing or refusing to open on your computer. Since restarting your system did not resolve the issue, the problem is usually caused by a corrupted add-in, a damaged startup file, or corrupted Office program files. 

    Please follow these official Microsoft troubleshooting steps in order to resolve the issue:

    Step 1: Open Word in Safe Mode

    Starting Word in Safe Mode bypasses add-ins and custom settings that might be causing the freeze. 

    1. Press Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box. 
    2. Type ⁠winword /safe⁠ and press Enter (ensure there is a space before the slash). 

    If Word opens normally in Safe Mode: A third-party add-in is causing the crash. Go to File > Options > Add-ins. At the bottom, set Manage to COM Add-ins and click Go. Uncheck all items, click OK, and restart Word normally. 

    If Word still does not open: Proceed to Step 2.

    Step 2: Run an Office Repair

    If core Office files are corrupted, the built-in Microsoft repair tool will fix them. 

    1. Right-click the Start button and select Installed apps (or Apps and Features).
    2. Scroll down to find Microsoft 365 (or your version of Microsoft Office).
    3. Click the three dots next to it and select Modify (or Change).
    4. Select Quick Repair first and click Repair. 
    5. If Quick Repair does not fix it, repeat the process and choose Online Repair (this performs a full fix and requires an internet connection). 

    Please refer to this document: Repair an Office application

    Step 3: Reset the Default Word Template (Normal.dotm)

    A corrupted global template file frequently stops Word from launching. 

    1. Press Windows Key + R to open Run. 
    2. Type ⁠%appdata%\Microsoft\Templates⁠ and press Enter.
    3. Locate the file named Normal.dotm and rename it to Normal.old. 
    4. Try launching Word again (Word will automatically create a new, clean template file). 

    For official documentation on this issue, you can refer to Microsoft's article: How to troubleshoot problems that occur when you start or use Word

    Please let me know how it goes after trying these steps. I am glad to assist you further if needed.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".   

    Note: Please follow the steps in the forum document to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  3. AI answer

    2026-08-16T21:16:09.6766667+00:00

    Try these steps in order:

    1. Install the latest Windows and Office updates, then restart Windows and test Word again.
    2. Start Word with the /a switch to check whether add-ins or templates are causing the startup problem:
      • Open Start > Search
      • Type Run and press Enter
      • In the Run window, type winword /a and press Enter
      If Word opens this way, the issue is likely caused by add-ins, templates, or Word settings.
    3. Disable COM add-ins in Word:
      • In Word 2007: Microsoft Office button > Word Options > Add-ins
      • In Manage, select COM Add-Ins, then click Go
      • Clear one add-in at a time, click OK, exit Word, and start it again
      If Word starts normally after disabling one add-in, that add-in is the cause.
    4. Disable Startup folder add-ins:
      • Check the Word Startup folder under:
        • Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\Startup for Word 2007
        • %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\Startup on Windows 10/8.1/8/7
        • %userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\Startup on Windows XP
      • Move or rename add-in files one at a time, then restart Word after each change
    5. Change the default printer to Microsoft XPS Document Writer, then start Word again. If Word works after that, the printer driver is the cause.
    6. If Word still freezes or will not start, reset Word settings. Warning: Registry changes can cause serious problems if done incorrectly. Export the key before deleting it. For Word 2007:
      • Open regedit
      • Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Options
      • Export the key
      • Delete the Options key
      • Close Registry Editor and start Word
      If needed, also remove the window data key for Word 2007:
      • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Data
    7. If the problem began when opening a specific document, try recovering the content:
      • Open Word
      • Select File > New > Blank Document
      • Go to Insert > Object > Text from File
      • Select the affected document and insert it into the new file
    8. If restart already did not help, run an Office repair. Community guidance in the provided material recommends an Online Repair when Word still does not open after restart.

    References:

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

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