How to fix startup problems in Word

Microsoft Office is constantly working to improve their software but sometimes Word refuses to start. Here are a few ways to help you fix startup problems in Word.

Update Microsoft Office

You should update the software regularly because the company constantly makes fixes for bugs and vulnerabilities that hinder application performance.

Since Office 2013, Microsoft releases automatic updates for their Office applications unless you disable this feature. If you encounter a startup problem with Word, you must update it to the latest version to see if that fixes the problem.

You can do this from any Office application. Therefore, if Word does not start, you can update it via Excel, PowerPoint or other Office programs.

To update, open the Office application, click the File tab, and then click Account at the bottom of the left pane.

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In the Product Information section, click Update Options next to Office Updates . In the dropdown menu, choose Update Now .

Office checks and applies updates. After the update is completed, you will see the message for successful update.

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Now, try opening Word. If the problem persists, try the steps below.

Repair Office from Control Panel on Windows

Before clearing registry keys or general sample files, see the Windows Repair tool to perform the trick.

Right-click on the Windows icon on the Taskbar and then select Apps and Features from the menu that appears.

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In the Settings window that appears, scroll down the list and select the Office application, then click on Modify .

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The next message you see will vary depending on your version of Office. In the click and run version like Office 365, select Online Repair and then select Repair . If you are running an MSI-based copy (you use the installer software to install it on your computer) of Office, select Repair and then select Continue .

After fixing, restart the computer and then try to restart Word.

Use the / a switch on Windows

When you use the / a switch to start Word, it starts in the original state. This prevents add-ins and generic templates like Normal.dot from automatically loading.

You can also start Word in Safe Mode if you type / safe instead of / a in the step below. Starting Word in this mode also has no add-ins, templates, and other customizations.

To try this method, press the Win key, type Run and then press Enter . The Run dialog box appears, type winword / a and then click OK .

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If Word starts successfully, the problem is in the Office startup folder or registry data key.

Reset user options and registry settings in Word on Windows

Unusual behavior is often caused by formatting, options, and / or custom settings in Word. If you use Registry Editor to edit the registry, you can reset them.

Warning : Registry Editor is a powerful tool, if abused it can cause system instability or improper functioning. This is a simple trick if following the instructions exactly, you will not encounter any problems at all.

However, if you have not worked with this tool before, you should back up the registry and computer before making changes.

First, close all Office applications. Next, press Win + R to open the Run window, type Regedt32.exe and click OK .

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Registry Editor appears. Navigate to the key location you want to delete by following the link below:

 HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice16.0Word 

Note, 16.0 in the file path may vary depending on the version of Office you use. If using 2013, search for 15.0.

Next, select the key you want to delete, then click Edit> Delete .

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Click Yes in the dialog box that appears to delete the key.

You will be notified through the setup process the next time you start Word.

Restore Word to factory settings on Mac

You can also perform a hard reset of Word's original installation on Mac. To do that, close all Office applications and then open Finder . Press Shift + Command + G to open the Go to the Folder search box.

Type the following:

 ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates 

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Click on Go . Here you will see the Normal.dotm file, moving it to the desktop.

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Next, open the Go to the Folder search box again ( Shift + Command + G ). This time go to the file path below:

 ~/Library/Preferences 

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Click Go , find the files com.microsoft.Word.plist and com.microsoft.Office.plist, move it to the desktop. Restart Word.

Office automatically rebuilds these files.

Replace the Normal.dot generic template file on Windows

The generic sample file contains macros, Auto Text entries, and format settings that often prevent Windows from starting correctly. If you replace this file, it will eliminate the problems you encountered by corrupting the previous file, but you have to go back and configure all custom settings.

To replace Normal.dot (or the template file Normal.dotm) press the Win key. Type cmd in the Windows search bar, then press Enter to open Command Prompt.

In the Command Prompt, type the following command:

 Ren %userprofile%AppDataRoamingMicrosoftTemplatesOldNormal.dotm Normal.dotm 

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Hit Enter . When done, you can exit the Command Prompt.

When you launch Word, you will be notified of the setup.

Above are a few ways to diagnose and fix Word startup problems, hopefully helpful to you.

I wish you successful implementation!