Summary:
The problem MS Word not responding can either be displayed as an error while wording on Word document or the user GI freezes and doesn’t allow you to perform any functions on the application. If you are looking for ways to fix the MS Word not responding problem, the article brings you the safe and the easiest solutions to fix the MS word not responding problem and save your document.
Quick Navigation:
- Why MS Word is Not Responding?
- Methods to Fix MS Word Not Responding
- How to Repair the Word Document That Is Not Responding?
Why Does Word Keep Saying Not Responding?
There are several reasons that cause not responding problem in MS Word, the most common causes of MS Word not responding are listed below:
- Corruption or damage in the Word document can lead to not responding issue
- A damaged program file can lead to application crash and hence doesn’t respond
- An incompatible add-in can also make MS Word not to respond
- Also, problems in applications arise when they are not updated. Check and verify if you are software is up to date.
How to Fix MS Word Not Responding on Windows?
The below mentioned solutions works for all the MS Word versions including Office 365, Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2010, and Word for Mac.
Method 1: Open MS Word in Safe Mode and Disable Add-Ins
One way to fix error Microsoft Word is not responding is to use safe mode. This mode lets you open Word only with the essential files and it’ll help you troubleshoot any add-in issues with the app.
- Press and hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard and click the Word shortcut on your desktop.
- You will receive a prompt that asks if you want to open Word in safe mode.
- Click the File menu >> Select Options from the left sidebar on your screen.
- On the following screen, click the Add-ins option. Find the Manage dropdown menu on the right-hand side pane and click Go next to it.
- Uncheck all the add-ins on your screen and click OK.
- Launch Word in normal mode and check if it is responding
Method 2: Repair the Microsoft Office Suite to Fix Not Responding on MS Word
MS word not responding could be due to issues with Microsoft Office suite. You can access the utility and select the repair option to fix the issues in MS Word problem.
Use Control Panel
- Open Control Panel >> Programs
- Click the Uninstall a program option. You are not uninstalling, select Microsoft Office in the list and click Change at the top.
- Choose Quick Repair in the box on your screen and click Repair.
- If Quick Repair didn’t fix the issue, choose the Online Repair
Use Settings
- Launch the Settings app on your PC.
- Select Apps on the following screen.
- Find Microsoft Office in the list, select it, and click Modify.
- Choose the Quick Repair option to repair the Office
Method 3: Run the Office Repair tool for Microsoft Word Not Responding
Another way to fix Word not responding error in Windows is to take help from the Office repair tool. This tool can work with various Word issues like crashing and freezing etc. The steps that are involved in this process are as follows:
- Open Control Panel >> Programs option >> Programs and Features
- From the list, choose Microsoft Office >> Change
- Now choose the Repair option >> Continue
(Note: If you have a newer Microsoft Office version, make sure to choose the Online Repair or Quick Repair option and then hit on Repair)
- Now it starts to repair the application, next computer will be rebooted. Once done, allow the MS office to open and see if you still get a “Word not responding” error.
Method 4: Fix MS Word Not Responding by Fixing Incompatible Device Drivers
Device drivers that are not compatible will lead to problem in MS Word, to fix Word not responding issue follow the below steps:
- Open Device Manager and locate your printer
- Right-click on printer drivers and choose Uninstall or Update driver
- If you would want to uninstall the driver, hit on OK and restart the computer.
- If your concern is to update the driver, simply hit on Search automatically for updated driver software and follow the instruction to complete the process. Restart the computer now.
Method 5: Repair the Problem Causing Word Document
If the error appears when you open or save a specific Word file, that document might be corrupted. Use a professional Word document tool to fix it. SFWare Repair Word Document tool, which easily fixes the issues on Word document and gets back your file without any harm. Click on the download button now and fix your Word document in 3 clicks.
Steps to Repair Word Document That is Not Responding
To fix the corruption or damage in Word document, Download and install the SFWare Repair Word Document Software and launch the application. Follow the below given instruction-
Step 1: Use Browse option to select corrupted or damaged Word documents (DOC or DOCX) file that is causing not responding problem
Step 2: Next, click on the Repair button to start repairing process
Step 3: Once the repairing process completes, you can view and validate the repaired word files using Preview option
If you are satisfied with the results, provide the desired location and Save the file.
Conclusion:
Microsoft Office Word not responding is one of the most common errors encountered while using Word documents. It can be easily fixed using all the methods mentioned above.
If you were able to fix the error using the methods mentioned in the article, do share your thoughts in the comment section below.
