Why is Microsoft Word Not Responding?
Several reasons cause not responding problems 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 an application crash and hence doesn’t respond
- An incompatible add-in can also make MS Word not 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 Microsoft Word Not Responding on Windows?
The below-mentioned solutions work for all 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 the error Microsoft Word is not responding to 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 the 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 Microsoft Word not responding to errors 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 Microsoft Word Not Responding by Fixing Incompatible Device Drivers
Device drivers that are not compatible will lead to problems in MS Word, to fix Word not working 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 OK and restart the computer.
- If your concern is to update the driver, simply hit Search automatically for updated driver software and follow the instructions 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 documents 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 instructions-
1: Use the Browse option to select corrupted or damaged Word documents (DOC or DOCX) files that are causing not responding problem.
2: Next, click on the Repair button to start the repair process.
3: Once the repairing process is complete, you can view and validate the repaired Word files using the Preview option.
If you are satisfied with the results, provide the desired location and Save the file.
Conclusion:
One of the most common errors encountered while using Word documents is “Microsoft Office Word not responding.” You can easily fix it 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.
