Why doesn't word work

Anthony Cafaro 0 Reputation points
2026-09-14T15:23:24.1866667+00:00

I try to open word file and get an error message, I click on repair and it just closes.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows
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  1. Stefan Blom 352.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-09-14T15:32:20.6366667+00:00

    If you are being offered an option called Repair Now, refuse it and do the following instead: Exit all Office apps and then run an Online Repair from Windows Settings.

    Before you begin, verify that you can access your account at https://account.microsoft.com/services and that your Office product is associated with it. That way, you make sure that you can reinstall Office, which is usually the final step of an Online Repair.

    Instructions for running an Online Repair can be found in the support article at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/lifecycle/repair-an-office-application .

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-14T15:23:39.3566667+00:00

    Try this in order:

    1. Start Word in Safe Mode.
      • Press Windows + R
      • Type winword /safe
      • Press Enter
      • Confirm it says Safe Mode in the title bar.
    2. If Word opens in Safe Mode, disable add-ins one at a time.
      • In Word, go to File > Options > Add-Ins
      • In Manage, select Word Add-ins or COM Add-ins, then select Go
      • Clear one add-in, select OK, then restart Word normally
      • If Word opens normally, the add-in that was just disabled is the cause
    3. If Word does not open in Safe Mode, repair Office.
      • Right-click Start > Apps and Features or Installed apps
      • Select Microsoft 365 or Office > Modify
      • For Click-to-Run, use Online Repair > Repair
      • For MSI-based installs, choose Repair > Continue
      • Restart the PC after the repair if prompted
    4. If Word files still will not open, try opening the file with repair.
      • In Word, select File > Open > Browse
      • Select the document
      • Select the arrow next to Open
      • Choose Open and Repair
    5. If the problem happens when double-clicking a Word file, repair the Office file association.
      • Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features
      • Select the Office product > Change
      • Choose Quick Repair > Repair

    If Word opens but a specific document fails, that document may be corrupted. If Word itself fails even after clicking Repair, the most relevant next step is Online Repair, because Quick Repair may only replace corrupted files while Online Repair is intended to fix the full installation.

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

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