Ways to fix 'Word Found Unreadable Content' error

Are you getting the error ' Word Found Unreadable Content ' ? Here are some easy and quick steps to fix ' Word Found Unreadable Content '.

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Word shows 'Word Found Unreadable Content' error when you try to open a document? Even if Word is still one of the most popular word processors, it can still run into problems from time to time.

When this happens, follow the basic troubleshooting steps like restarting Word or the system. But if you're lucky, the ways below will help you fix the 'Word Found Unreadable Content' error quickly.

Edit Document

The truth here is that the error message doesn't tell you much about how to fix the problem. Even if you click Yes , Word may not be able to load the document content.

However, Word can help you fix this error. Do the following:

1. Create a blank Word document.
2. Go to File > Open .
3. From Other locations , click Browse .
4. Search and select the document in question.
5. Expand the Open drop-down menu and select Open & Repair .
6. Wait until Word completes this process and check to see if the problem has been fixed.

Turn off the Read Only property

The cause may be different due to the error that the content cannot be read because the document is set to Read-only mode . To fix this, right-click the document and open the Properties menu . Here, select the General tab and uncheck the Read-only check box . To save the changes, click Apply and the OK button .

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Repair Microsoft 365

If Word isn't the only Microsoft 365 app experiencing problems, this could be a sign of a larger problem. Chances are Microsoft 365 is missing important updates or files are corrupted.

To fix it on your computer, do the following:

1. Press Windows key + I to open the Settings menu.
2. From the left panel, select Apps > Installed apps .
3. Click the 3-dot icon next to Microsoft 365 > select Modify .
4. In the pop-up window, click Repair .

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If you still can't get rid of the unreadable error, repeat the steps above but this time, choose Online Repair . You may have to wait longer, but the chances of the problem being resolved are higher.

Turn off Protected View

The Protected View feature is designed to prevent you from opening dangerous files. However, this feature is sometimes a bit too cautious, it can prevent you from accessing secure files and show an error that the content cannot be read.

If you can't open one of your personal documents or files from a trusted source, you can temporarily disable Protected View.

1. Open Microsoft Word .
2. Go to File > Options .
3. Select Trust Center > Trust Center Settings .
4. From the left hand menu, open Protected View .
5. Uncheck all 3 options
6. Click OK .

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Try reopening the problematic document. If it works, copy the content to the new document and re-enable Protected View. This way, you won't accidentally open a file containing malicious code.

Use the Recovery feature

Whenever you have problems with a Word document, you should use Recover Text from any file . This way, you can recover the document content even if the file is damaged.

1. Open Microsoft Word .
2. Go to File > Open Browse .
3. Select the document that has problems opening.
4. Open the Browse menu .
5. Select Recover Text from Any File .

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While it is possible to successfully restore content from an earlier version, this method cannot restore everything. You will have to re-insert pictures, drawings and other media elements, and even reformat the document.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 24 July 2023