Word Keeps Crashing or Not Responding How to Fix It

Word Keeps Crashing or Not Responding How to Fix It

Word freezes, the title bar says (Not Responding), or it closes with "Microsoft Word has stopped working". The cause is usually one of three things: an add-in, a problem document, or damaged Office files. The steps below go from quick checks to a full repair, and they work for Microsoft 365, Word 2021 and Word 2019 on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Before you start, if Word is frozen with unsaved work, give it a minute or two - it may be busy saving or printing. If it stays frozen, close it from Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc > select Microsoft Word > End task). When you reopen Word, check the Document Recovery pane on the left for your work.

1. Restart and Update

1. Restart the PC. This clears stuck background processes, including half-finished Office updates.
2. Open Word (or any Office app), go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
3. Also run Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.

Many crash fixes arrive through Office updates, so do this first even if Word only crashes now and then.

2. Test Word in Safe Mode

Safe mode starts Word without add-ins and custom settings. It tells you quickly whether something extra is causing the crash.

1. Close Word.
2. Press Windows key + R, type winword /safe and press Enter.

You can also hold Ctrl while you open Word and select Yes when it asks about safe mode.

• Word works in safe mode? An add-in is the likely cause - go to step 3.
• Word still crashes in safe mode? Skip to step 4 (the document) and step 5 (repair).

3. Turn Off Add-ins One at a Time

Add-ins from PDF tools, translation tools, reference managers and older software are a common cause of crashes.

1. Open Word normally (or in safe mode if it won't start).
2. Go to File > Options > Add-ins.
3. At the bottom, next to Manage, choose COM Add-ins and select Go.
4. Untick one add-in, select OK and restart Word.
5. If Word now works, that add-in is the problem. Update it from its maker or leave it off.

Repeat with the others until you find the one. Check Manage > Word Add-ins as well. Turning an add-in off doesn't delete it - you can tick it again at any time.

4. Check Whether One Document Is the Problem

If Word only freezes with one file:

1. Open Word, go to File > Open > Browse and select the file.
2. Select the arrow next to Open and choose Open and Repair.
3. If it still freezes, open a blank document and use Insert > Object > Text from File to pull the content into a new file.

Very large documents with many high-resolution images, thousands of tracked changes or embedded spreadsheets can make Word slow to respond. Compress pictures (Picture Format > Compress Pictures) and accept or reject old tracked changes.

If the file is on a network drive or a USB stick, copy it to your Documents folder first. Files opened over a slow or dropped connection often make Word hang when saving.

5. Repair Office

Repairing replaces damaged Office program files. It doesn't touch your documents.

1. Close all Office apps.
2. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
3. Find Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office, select the three dots (...) and choose Modify.
4. Select Quick Repair and then Repair.
5. If the crashes continue, run it again and choose Online Repair. It takes longer and needs an internet connection, but it fixes more.

On older Windows 10 builds, use Control Panel > Programs and Features, select Office and choose Change.

6. Check the Default Printer

Word talks to your default printer when it opens and lays out a document. A broken or offline printer driver can make Word hang. As a test, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and set Microsoft Print to PDF as the default. If Word now works, reinstall the real printer's driver from the maker's website.

7. Get Your Work Back

If a crash cost you text, see how to recover an unsaved Word document. Turning on AutoSave (files saved in OneDrive) means you lose very little the next time Word crashes.

Excel or Other Office Apps Crashing Too?

If Excel freezes as well, the cause is more likely Office itself or an add-in shared by both apps. The steps in Excel not responding follow the same order. If Windows itself freezes, not only Word, see computer freezing randomly on Windows 11.

Still Not Fixed?

• Sign in to Windows with a different user account and try Word there. If it works, your user profile's Office settings are the problem.
• Uninstall Office, restart, and reinstall it from your Microsoft account page. Your documents stay where they are, but make sure you know which account your Office licence belongs to first.
• Use Word for the web (office.com) to keep working on the file while you fix the desktop app.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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See Also:word microsoft office windows 11