Why Did Microsoft Word Stop Working On My Mac

Microsoft Word for Mac has suddenly stopped working on my iMac. The program will not open at all, which is a big problem, as I need it for work. Feb 25, 2020 The solutions for Microsoft Office Word has stopped working and Word file recovery can also be applied to fix similar issues on other Office apps, such as Excel, PowerPoint, etc. Word working quickly with no messages, but became unresponsive when trying to open old files Went to File-Options-Add-Ins-Go- and unchecked Bluetooth. Everything seems to be back to normal, if not better than before. Jan 15, 2014  Question: Q: Microsoft office isn't working on my Mac anymore. I have tried to open Microsoft Word on my Mac for the past week and it won't let me login. My product key is also claimed to be invalid. It is already downloaded on my computer and has been for about 3. Apr 14, 2017  Part 2 Is Good Audio Quality. Ms office has stopped working Method 1 - This stop working solution is right click on file then open with wordpad then file.

  1. Why Did Microsoft Word Stop Working On My Mac Pro
  2. Why Did Microsoft Word Stop Working On My Mac Download
  3. Why Did Microsoft Word Stop Working On My Macbook Pro

Summary

When you try to open a Word document on Mac document, Word stops opening. If you are faced with this issue and are willing to solve it, then follow the 3 solutions. If you have data loss problem after fixing the Word not opening issue, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac can do you a favor.

On this page, we have collected three practical solutions that can help fix the 'Word Not Opening' error on Mac. And if you mistakenly removed a Word file on Mac, let reliable Mac file recovery software as recommended here for help. Check out how to fix the not opening Word file to accessible again:

Workable SolutionsStep-by-step Troubleshooting
Fix 1. Repair DiskOpen Disk Utility > Select the primary hard disk on Mac and select 'First Aid' > Click 'Run'..Full steps
Fix 2. Remove Word PreferenceOpen 'Library' > Open 'Preferences' > Copy com.microsoft.Word.plist file to desktop..Full steps
Fix 3. Open and Repair WordStart Word > Click 'Open' on the File menu > Click 'Repair' on the Open button..Full steps
Fix 4. Recover Lost WordRun EaseUS Mac file recovery software > Scan mac drive > Restore lost Mac word file..Full steps

'Word 2016 on my Mac won't open. It flashes immediately by double-clicking and then closes unexpectedly. I didn't do anything or any change. How to fix it if Microsoft Word won't open at all?'

In addition to this situation, most users are also faced with these errors:

  • The application Microsoft Word quit unexpectedly
  • Microsoft Word cannot be opened because of a problem. Check with the developer to make sure Microsoft Word works with this version of Mac OS X

As Microsoft Word is widely used among people, owning some basic Word troubleshooting is recognized as an essential skill. Today you're going to learn three tricks in solving Word not opening on Mac. The given workarounds are applicable to all Word editions such as 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013 2016.

1. Run Repair Disk Permissions

Step 1: On the 'Go' menu, click 'Utilities'. Start the Disk Utility program.

Step 2: Choose the primary hard disk drive for your computer. Then, click the 'First Aid' tab.

Step 3: Click 'Run' to repair the disk volume errors and permissions. When it finishes, click 'Done'.

2. Remove Word Preferences

Step 1: Open 'Library'. Usually, click 'GO' > 'Go to the folder', then type ~/Library

Step 2: Locate a file named as 'Preferences'.

Step 3: Find a file named as com.microsoft.Word.plist. Move the file to the desktop.

Why Did Microsoft Word Stop Working On My Mac Pro

Start Word, and check whether the problem still occurs.

If the problem still occurs, exit Microsoft Word, and then restore the 'com.microsoft.word.prefs.plist' file to its original location. Then, go to Step 4.

If the problem seems to be resolved, you can move the file to the trash.

Note: If you do not locate the file, the program is using the default preferences.

Step 4: Exit all Microsoft Office for Mac programs. Then, Click the Word icon. On the left, click 'Preferences'.

Step 5: Click 'File Locations'.

Step 6: Select 'User templates'.

Step 7: Locate the file that is named Normal, and move the file to the desktop.

You can also find the file named as Normal through this way: 'Library' > 'Application Support' > 'Microsoft' > 'Office' > 'User Templates' > 'Normal'

Start Word, and check whether the problem still occurs. If the problem seems to be resolved, you can move the 'Normal' file to the trash.

3. Try to Open and Repair Word

Step 1: Start Word. On the File menu, click 'Open'.

Step 2: In the Open dialog box, select the file that you want to open. Click the down arrow on the Open button, click 'Open' > 'Repair'.

Recover Deleted and Missing Word on Mac

Do not worry if the 'Word not opening' issue causes data loss disaster, you can recover unsaved Word document on Mac from its Temporary folder and AutoRecovery save. While for a deleted Word document on Mac, the easiest way of recovery is using a third-party Mac data recovery software.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac also recovers Word document that is missing, deleted or lost due to formatting, virus infection and other misoperation, and the best part of using the software to recover Word is being able to preview the file entirety.

Step 1. Select the location where your important Word documents were lost and click Scan button.

Step 2. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will start immediately a quick scan as well as a deep scan on your selected disk volume. Meanwhile, the scanning results will be presented in the left pane.

Step 3. By Path and Type, you can quickly filter the Word files you've lost earlier. Select the target files and click Recover Now button to get them back at once.

FonePaw - Solution - Recovery - Microsoft Word Not Responding

One of the most depressing moment is when you click on the Save button to save a Word document you are working on, an error pops up and says: Microsoft Word is not responding. The error also happens when you try to open a Word document.



If you can't save or open a Word file because Microsoft Word is not responding on Windows or Mac, here are how to fix it and save the document.

Microsoft Word Not Responding When Opening or Saving a Document(Windows)

1. Repair Microsoft Word

If MS Word is not responding on your Windows 10/8/7 PC when you try to save or open a document, you can start to fix the problem by repairing the Microsoft Word application.

Access the Repair Tool

On Windows 10, right-click the Start button and click Apps and Features. Select Microsoft Word from the Apps list and select Modify.


On Windows 8, 7, click the Start button and select Control Panel. Open Programs > Uninstall a program. Right-click on Microsoft Word and select Change.

Run the Repair Tool for Microsoft Word

If your Microsoft Office is installed by click-to-run, you will see the window 'How would you like to repair your Office Programs'. click Online Repair > Repair.

If your Microsoft Office is MSI-based installed, you'll see the 'Change your installation' window, click Repair > Continue.

Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the repair. Then try to open or save the Word document and see if Word is responding now.


2. Disconnect Network Drive

If you are using a network drive to save the Word files, Microsoft Word doesn't respond if the network drive is not existing or offline. You may disconnect the network drive from your computer to fix the unresponsive Microsoft Word.

Step 1 Go to My Computer.

Step 2 Right-click on it and select Disconnect Network Drive.

Microsoft word prefs mac print box


Step 3 Click the letter of the drive that the Word files are saved to and click OK to disconnect the drive.


Now all contents on the network drive can be accessed via Windows Explorer.


3. Disable Add-ins in Microsoft Word

When your Microsoft Word is not responding, Add-ins for Word may be the culprit. Disable all the add-ins for Word.

Step 1 In Microsoft Word, click File > Word Options > Add-ins.

Step 2 Under Manage: Com-in Add, click Go to open all add-ins.

Step 3 Disable all add-ins and click OK.



4. Save Document When Microsoft Word Not Responding

If Microsoft Word is not responding and you have to close Microsoft Word without saving the Word document, you can try to recover the unsaved Word document in the following 2 ways.

Search for Word Backup Files

By default, Microsoft Word turns on 'Always create backup copy' option so that it will create a backup copy of the working Word file automatically. Here is how to access the backup copy in different versions of Word.

  • For Word 2016: Click 'File > Open > Browse'.

  • For Word 2013: 'File > Open > Computer > Browse'

  • For Word 2010: Click 'File > Open'.

  • For Word 2007: Click 'Microsoft Office Button > Open'.

Then navigate to the folder where you last saved the Word file.

Why Did Microsoft Word Stop Working On My Mac Download

In the Files of type list (All Word documents), click 'All Files'. Find and click the backup file and then open it.

If you couldn't find a backup of the unsaved Word file, use a Data Recovery to get it back.

Use FonePaw Data Recovery to Restore Lost Files

FonePaw Data Recovery can quickly and deeply scan your computer to retrieve deleted Word documents as well as images, videos, audios, and more from hard drives (including Recycle Bin) on Windows 10/8/7/XP. See how easy it is to find back lost documents:

Step 1 Launch FonePaw Data Recovery.

Step 2 Select the Document file type and hard disk drive to go into the scanning process. It will be better if you remember which drive the Word documents are saved to. If not, choose all hard disk drives.

Why Did Microsoft Word Stop Working On My Macbook Pro


Either click the number key — in this case, the 3 — or select the accented version by clicking on it directly in the accent menu to insert a character with a circumflex mark in the test you are typing. Accent menu: On a Mac, hold down a vowel while typing to create a character with the circumflex accent mark. A small accent menu pops up with different diacritical accent options, each of which has a number beneath it. For the uppercase version of the character, press the 'Shift' key before you type the letter to be accented. French accents on microsoft word mac.

Step 3Click Scan. Quick Scan will be carried out automatically.

Step 4 Check the scanned results by Type List and Path List. Just check all the Word document file found. You are always allowed to preview the files.


If you find the result unsatisfying, try Deep Scan which may take some time.


Fix Microsoft Word Not Responding on Mac

If Microsoft Word doesn't respond on Mac, you may force quit the application and fix the problem with the following methods.


1. Clear the Auto Recovery folder

Step 1 Open the Go menu and click Home.

Step 2 Go to Documents > Microsoft User Data then you will find the Office Autorecovery folder.

Step 3 Open the folder, there are the autorecovery files of Microsoft application. You can copy or move the files to somewhere else to save them. Then delete all the files in the folder.


Now launch Microsoft Word and see if it is responding now.


2. Remove Word Preferences Files

Step 1 Click Go > Go to the folder, then type ~/Library to open the Library folder.

Step 2 Open the Preferences folder and select the Word preference file, which is named as com.microsoft.Word.plist. Move the file to somewhere else like the desktop.


Now launch Microsoft Word and see if it is responding.

If the problem still exists, do the follows:

  • Restore the file named com.microsoft.Word.plist to the original folder, then exit all Microsoft Office programs.

  • Then, Click the Word icon > Preferences > Personal Settings > File Locations > User templates.

  • You will find a file named Normal. Move it to the desktop.

Now launch Microsoft Word and test the program.


3. Save Word Document on Mac

The worst case is that Word is not responding so that the document can't be saved, you can try to retrieve unsaved Word document with FonePaw Data Recovery for Mac.

FonePaw Data Recovery for Mac can scan out all the existing and deleted Word document on your Mac and save Word documents as soon as possible. Read How to Recover Unsaved Word Documents on Mac.

All the above are the ways to fix and save document files when Microsoft Word is not responding on Mac or Windows.

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (Based on 57 ratings)Thanks for your rating.
Professional Data Recovery wizard works for deleted files recovery on your Windows computer.
Hot Articles
Proven Ways to Solve Facebook Messenger Not Responding
[Fixed] WhatsApp is Not Responding on Android/iPhone
MS Office Recovery: Recover Deleted Office Files
Is There a Way to Recover Lost Word Document?
PDF Recovery: How to Recover and Repair PDF Files
Excel AutoSave Location: Where to Find and Recover Unsaved Excel Files (2016/2013/2007/2003)
PowerPoint Recovery: How to Recover Deleted or Unsaved PowerPoint (2007/2010/2013/2016)
Uninstall Office (2011/2016) for Mac Completely
How to Recover Unsaved, Lost, or Deleted Word Document on Mac 2019