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The reason for this Microsoft Error is that you are dealing with large files on a computer with somewhat weak specifications or that the document you are working on has problems and errors. It is not important which version of Microsoft Word you have; very often it can happen that this word processor does not open. What can you do to fix it? In this article, I'll describe why won't Microsoft word open.
- If not, then try this: Exit all Microsoft Office for Mac programs. On the Go menu, click Home. Open the Library folder. Open the Preferences folder. Open the Microsoft folder. Locate the file that is named com.microsoft.Word.prefs.plist. Move the file to the desktop. Start Word, and check whether the problem still occurs.
- These suggestions apply to Microsoft Word for Office 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2010, and Word for Mac. Cause of Microsoft Word Not Responding Messages You'll most often encounter a 'Microsoft Word is not responding' message for one of several reasons.
- I would really appreciate some help with this issue: my Word 2011 for Mac does not open at all (the cursor freezes at the top of the screen). We tried the safe boot and everything else and nothing helped. Both Excel and Powerpoint work fine though.
Word is too essential software for everyday life. Usually, the PC is used to surf the Internet, to read e-mails, and to write, edit, and read Word documents. But if Word doesn't open what alternatives do we have? Take your time, and let's understand together why Word doesn't open more on your pc. Before starting to analyze possible problems, keep in mind that the problem could occur on any program in the Office package so that this guide can extend to all other programs.
Microsoft word document won't open, Focus on the operating system
It is not a major factor in which version of Microsoft office you use and which version of Windows you have installed on your PC. So why should you keep an eye on the system? The Word process often remains open, even if you don't notice it. You must first check that it has not been left open. Usually, when you open a Word file, and the latter does not open but remains in the taskbar to flash. It means that the Word process has remained open.
To close the Word process, you need to click on the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys on your keyboard. Now a Windows screen opens, click on 'Start Task Manager'. Now you will see that a new screen will open, in the processes tab, look for WinWord.exe. Click on it and press 'End the process'. Now try to open a Word file again and see if it opens.
Microsoft word won't open, restore it!
How do you say? Are you frustrated because you haven't found any open Word processes and don't know what to do anymore? You have another alternative. Try to restore Word. Yes, I know, now I know you, you have no idea how it can be done. By now you should know I'm here to help you. To restore Word follow the following guide:
- Just go to the control panel and simply uninstall the program file.
- Now, in the list of programs, look for your version of the Office package, then select it and finally click on 'Change' at the top. Now you will see that a small screen will open showing you how you want to restore your Office. With quick recovery the time it will take will be much less but the recovery will be inaccurate, while with the online recovery the time will be much greater, but at 90% your problem will be solved. The advice is to try with the quick reset first if it does not solve the problem try with the online one.
- Once you have chosen the recovery mode and clicked on 'Restore', a new screen opens where you will have to confirm your choice for the umpteenth time. At this point, the recovery of Office will start, which at 90% will solve the problem that Word does not open.
Install the latest update
If you can't open word document windows 10 then you should try downloading and installing the latest updates for your version of Office. You may look for the Spell Check not working in Word.
If Microsoft Word won't open on windows 10, sometimes you can go to Control Panel and find the latest updates. You can visit the Office Download Center and download service packs for Office, etc.
Remove old printer drivers.
If you had an old print driver on your Windows machine, and when you removed that driver, Word started working without any issues! If you are running Windows 10, you may need to download the latest version that is compatible with the operating system.
You can exclude individual printer drivers from going to the registry. Note that only going to printers and faxes and to remove the printer driver after deleting the printer.
Disable all extras
Sometimes an add-on is automatically installed by another program (such as Adobe, etc.), which may prevent the word from crashing. In this matter, you can start your Microsoft Word in Safe Mode. Just click Start and then Run or if you are using Windows 7, just type the following command in the search box:
winword.exe / a
In Windows 10, press the Windows key + R. Now click on the Office button and click on Word Options. On the new version of Office, click File and then Options.
What's the solution of Microsoft word won't open on Mac
If you are a Mac OS user, sometimes you may face these types of errors.
- The Microsoft Word for Mac application has closed unexpectedly.
- Microsoft Word has encountered an error and needs to close.
- If you cannot open Microsoft Word due to this problem. Check with the developer to make sure MS Word works with this version of macOS.
Since MS Word is a widely used program, having some problem resolutions is an essential skill. Today we are going to learn three tricks to solve the problem when Word for Mac doesn't open. The solutions provided apply to all versions of Word.
Run Repair Disk Permissions
- Enter the Utility folder located in the Applications folder, open Disk Utility.
- From the list of volumes select the startup disk, and click on the SOS panel
- Click Repair Disk Backgrounds, and wait for the process to complete.
Remove Word preferences
- Open the ‘Library' folder. You can open it in Finder by pressing COMMAND + Shift + g and insert ~ / Library in the window.
- Find a file named ‘Preferences.'
- Find the com.microsoft.Word.plist file. Move it to the desktop.
Start the Word application and check if the problem occurred. If the problem exists, close the program and restore the com.microsoft.Word.plist file to its original location. And go to step 4.
- If the problem has been resolved, you can move the file to the trash.
- Exit all Microsoft Office programs, and open the Liberary> Application Support> Microsoft> Office> User Templates folder.
- Locate the file named Normal, and drag it to the desktop.
- Launch the Word application; the problem should be solved.
Try to open and repair Word
- Start Word, and in the File menu, click Open.
- In the Open dialogue box, select the file you want to open. Click the arrow on the Open button and choose ‘Repair.'
Recover deleted and lost Word on Mac
Don't worry if the error causes data loss; you can recover the unsaved Word document on Mac from its temporary folder and save AutoRecovery. While for a deleted Word document, the easiest way is to use Mac data recovery software.
- Select the location where Word documents were lost and click the Scan button.
- The program immediately starts a scan of the selected volume. In the meantime, the scan results will be presented in the left panel.
- Then, You can filter the files by location or file type. Select the files and click the Recover button to restore them
FIX MS Word 2016/2019 | Microsoft Word Won't Open
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-->Symptoms
Word For Mac Not Responding
When you try to open a file in any Microsoft Office program that's listed in the 'Applies to' section, you receive one of the following error messages:
Filename is not valid.
The file could not be accessed.
The path you entered, 'filename', is too long. Enter a shorter path.
filename could not be found. Check the spelling of the filename, and verify that the file location is correct.
A DDE error has occurred, and a description of the error cannot be displayed because it is too long. If the filename or path is long, try renaming the file or copying it to a different folder.
Note
This issue occurs when you open a file from a mapped drive, a UNC path, or a URL (web address).
Cause
- Start Word, and in the File menu, click Open.
- In the Open dialogue box, select the file you want to open. Click the arrow on the Open button and choose ‘Repair.'
Recover deleted and lost Word on Mac
Don't worry if the error causes data loss; you can recover the unsaved Word document on Mac from its temporary folder and save AutoRecovery. While for a deleted Word document, the easiest way is to use Mac data recovery software.
- Select the location where Word documents were lost and click the Scan button.
- The program immediately starts a scan of the selected volume. In the meantime, the scan results will be presented in the left panel.
- Then, You can filter the files by location or file type. Select the files and click the Recover button to restore them
FIX MS Word 2016/2019 | Microsoft Word Won't Open
We know you are enjoying the 6 secret ways to solve the problem of Microsoft Word won't open windows 10 & Macbook. So don't forget to share with your friend and tweet. Enjoytechlife!
-->Symptoms
Word For Mac Not Responding
When you try to open a file in any Microsoft Office program that's listed in the 'Applies to' section, you receive one of the following error messages:
Filename is not valid.
The file could not be accessed.
The path you entered, 'filename', is too long. Enter a shorter path.
filename could not be found. Check the spelling of the filename, and verify that the file location is correct.
A DDE error has occurred, and a description of the error cannot be displayed because it is too long. If the filename or path is long, try renaming the file or copying it to a different folder.
Note
This issue occurs when you open a file from a mapped drive, a UNC path, or a URL (web address).
Cause
This issue occurs because of a character limit on creating and saving files in Office products. This issue occurs if the path of the file that you open or save meets the following condition:
Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Access: The total length of the path and the file name, including file name extension, exceeds 259 characters.
Microsoft Excel: The total length of the path and the file name, including file name extension, exceeds 218 characters.
Note
This limit includes the three characters that represent the drive, the characters in folder names, backslash characters between folder names, and the characters in the file name itself.
Workaround
To work around this issue, try any of the following workarounds.
Workaround 1: Reduce the character count
- Rename the file so that it has a shorter name.
- Rename one or more folders that contain the file so that they have shorter names.
- Move the file to a folder that has a shorter path name.
Workaround 2: Manually access, open, and repair
Start Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
On the File tab, select Open > Browse to locate the damaged file.
Select the file, select the Open menu at the bottom of the window, and then select Open and Repair.
This option repairs the damage to the file, and then opens the file. After you repair the document, workbook, or presentation, it's important to verify that the issue has been resolved successfully. To do this, begin working on the file, and make sure that everything is working as expected.
Workaround 3: Change file format and resave
You might be able to rescue a damaged file by resaving it in a different file format, and then reverting it to the original format. This example uses Word.
Step 1: Save the file to another format
Start Word.
On the File menu, select Open, and then locate and open the damaged file.
On the File menu, select Save as > Browse.
Navigate to the file location that you want to save in.
On the Save as type list, select the desired file format. For example, select Rich Text Format (*rtf).
Select Save, and then select File > Close.
Step 2: Resave the file as a Word document
Select File > Open.
Select the new file that's saved as a Rich Text File, and then select Open.
Select File > Save as.
On the Save as type list, select Word Document.
Rename the file, and then select Save.
You have to do this only one time to make sure that the document will now function correctly on your device. However, keep in mind that by saving the file as a new document, you are creating a different file. To avoid confusion, name the new file something distinctive, and archive or delete the damaged version. By doing this, you won't accidentally re-open the original file that hasn't been reformatted.
Workaround 4: Open unrecognized file format
Why Is Microsoft Word Not Opening On Mac
If you can rule out file corruption as the culprit, check for file associations and unrecognized file formats. Sometimes, a file won't open on your device because the device that the file was created on used software that your device doesn't have.
For example, in Word, you want to view a PDF file that's attached to an email message. However, you don't have a PDF viewer installed. Therefore, your device doesn't know what program to open to view the file. In this case, you can change the format of the file to match a program that you do have installed.
My Microsoft Word Will Not Open
Save the attachment to your computer. To do this, select the down arrow next to the attachment in the message, select Save as, navigate to the desired location, and then select Save.
On the File menu, select Open > Browse to locate the file.
Right-click the file, point to Open with, and then select a different program to open the file.
If the desired program is not on the list, select 'Choose another app' to locate a different program.
Note
If this works, and you would like the selected program to always open this type of file, select the Always use this app to open .docx files Native instruments vst mac. (for example) check box.
For more information about file formats and how to manage them, see Learn about file formats.
Workaround 5: Clear some disk space
You might not be able to open a new file or save a file to your device if you're running out of space on the hard disk. On a full disk, much of the space is being used up by temporary, duplicate, and unnecessary items. The fastest and easiest method to free up space on a hard disk is to use the Disk Cleanup app that's included in Windows.
Select Search, and type Disk Cleanup.
In the results list, select Disk Cleanup.
A dialog box opens and provides options to delete unnecessary files. Select the check box next to each category of items that you want to delete from your device, and then select OK. Everything in this list can be deleted safely.
When you are prompted, confirm that you want to permanently delete the unnecessary files.
The following files types are examples of removable items that you might see in the Disk Cleanup list:
- Windows Update: Recent files that were downloaded from Windows Update (selecting these does not remove currently installed update versions)
- Downloaded Program Files: Unnecessary program files, often related to the program installation
- Temporary Internet Files: Files saved automatically by web browsers when you visit websites
- Windows Error Reporting: Error reporting files that are created by the system
- Recycle Bin: Any files that are stored in the Recycle Bin that you have not manually deleted
- Temporary files: Other temporary files that are created by programs or web browsers
- User file history: Files that record your browsing history (websites that you accessed, search results, and so on)
More information
Still need help? Go to Microsoft Community.
