Unable to open the PowerPoint and MS Word documents and edit.

Meenakshy Shaju 0 Reputation points
2026-09-20T13:39:43.55+00:00

Unable to open the PowerPoint and MS Word documents and edit. When its open showing error and options of repairing, help, and close. When click any option the tab is closing in both the word and the Power point.

Microsoft 365 and Office | PowerPoint | Other | Windows
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-20T13:40:03.0666667+00:00

    Try this in order:

    1. Start Word or PowerPoint in Safe Mode to check whether an add-in is causing the crash.
      • Press Windows + R.
      • For Word, type winword /safe and press Enter.
      • For PowerPoint, type powerpnt /safe and press Enter.
      • If the app opens in Safe Mode, the title bar will show Safe Mode.
    2. If the app opens in Safe Mode, disable add-ins one at a time.
      • In the app, go to File > Options > Add-Ins.
      • In Manage, select the app add-ins or COM Add-ins, then select Go.
      • Clear one add-in, select OK, then restart the app normally.
      • If the app opens normally, the disabled add-in is the cause.
      • Older add-ins such as Abbyy FineReader, PowerWord, and Dragon Naturally Speaking are specifically called out as known problem add-ins.
    3. If the app does not start in Safe Mode, repair Office.
      • Open Control Panel.
      • Go to Programs > Programs and Features.
      • Select the Office product.
      • Select Change.
      • Choose Quick Repair, then Repair.
    4. If the repair prompt inside the app keeps failing, use the full Office repair path from Windows settings.
      • Open Settings > Apps.
      • Find Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365.
      • Select Modify.
      • Choose Online Repair.
      • This is more thorough than the in-app repair prompt.
    5. If the issue happens only with specific files, try repairing the file itself.
      • Open the app.
      • Select File > Open > Browse.
      • Select the file.
      • Select the arrow next to Open.
      • Select Open and Repair.
      • Do not open the file from Recent for this step.
    6. If PowerPoint shows "Can't read file" or "Presentation cannot be opened", unblock the file.
      • In File Explorer, right-click the file and select Properties.
      • If Unblock appears, select it, then select Apply and OK.
      • Try opening the file again.
    7. If the problem started when opening cloud files in Microsoft 365 Apps Version 2205, update Office.
      • Open an Office app.
      • Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
      • The fix for that known issue was released in Version 2206 (Build 16.0.15330.20230).

    If Word and PowerPoint both close immediately after showing the repair/help/close dialog, the most likely next actions are Safe Mode, then disable add-ins, then Online Repair.

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

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  2. Stefan Blom 353.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-09-20T13:48:03.59+00:00

    First, verify that you can access your account at https://account.microsoft.com/services and that your Office product is associated with it. Then run an Online Repair; see https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/lifecycle/repair-an-office-application .

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