Summary:
The error, Word experienced an error trying to open the file stops you from opening the MS Word files.f you are wondering why you are facing this error and need a way out to fix this error, you are on the right page. By the end of the article you will be able to access your important word document.
What causes the error Word experienced an error trying to open the file?
The error Word experienced an error trying to open the file is generally caused by the third-party software modifying the file during the transmission process.
You might face this error only on the files that were transferred via any email client including Outlook or created on another computer.
How do I fix Microsoft Word experienced an error trying to open the file?
You can easily fix the error by following the below method, but before proceeding with the solutions, try these initial troubleshoot steps.
Initial workarounds:
1. Make sure your Windows OS and Office package is updated and if any update is pending update it and try opening the file again.
2. Restart your system if you received this error code for the first time and try accessing the file again
3. Try opening the Word file after disabling the antivirus installed
If none of the above mentioned workarounds helped you to get rid of the error start with the below mentioned methods.
4 Methods to Fix the Issue MS Word experienced an error trying to open the file
Method 1: Unblock the File Security
Initially, unblock the security on the file when the file is transferred from an external source like email, downloaded, USB or any other internet networks. To perform that follow the below steps-
1. Right click on the file and select Properties.
2. At the General tab, click the Unblock button and click OK.
3. Try to open the file. If the problem still persists, follow the next methods below.
Method 2: Change Protected view setting
If you are facing the trouble Word experienced an error trying to open the file in multiple Word files that might be the problem related to the protected view setting. Follow the steps shown below and try fixing the error.
1. Open Word application → File menu → Options.
2. Select Trust Center on the left pane → Trust Center Settings
3. Click Protected view on the left pane.
4. Uncheck all protected view options-
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- Enable Protected View for Files originating from the Internet
- Enable Protected View for Files located in potentially unsafe locations
- Enable Protected View for Outlook attachments
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5. Click OK twice to apply changes and exit MS Word.
Try opening the file Now and verify whether the error exists or not. If the error still persists, follow the next shown method.
Method 3: Add a New Safe Location
If you fail to fix the error using the above mentioned methods, try adding a new trusted location in the Microsoft Office. When you add your entire drives as trusted, Office will not block you from opening any file or folder.
You can try this method, if you encounter this error on both the MS Word and Excel files.
Follow the steps to add a new safe location in the Office:
1. Open Microsoft Word or Excel from the Office suite.
2. Goto the File tab and Select Options.
3. Now click on Trust Center → Trust Center Settings
4. Now choose the trusted locations and click on the Add new location button located on the bottom of the screen.
5. Select the drive where you want to save all your word files and close Microsoft Word.
6. Restart your system and after rebooting,
Note: Make sure you check sub folders of the location are also trusted and Click OK to save all your changes. Try to access the files that were showing Word experienced an error trying to open the file 2010/ 2013/ 2016.
If you are unable to fix the error using any of the above mentioned methods, there might be the chances of corruption or damage in the Word file that makes the Word file unable to open. In such scenarios, all you need is a professional Word repair tool to fix the error Word experienced error while trying to open the file error.
SFWare Repair Word Document is the easy to use software that helps you fix the error Word experienced trying to open the file without damaging the content on the file. The tool repairs and recovers OLE objects, fields including hyperlinks, headers of the file from corrupt DOC files.
The tool works on all the MS word files including the latest version 2019.
How to Repair the Word attachment to fix the error Word experienced trying to open the file?
To fix the error word experienced trying to open the file, Download and install the SFWare Repair Word Document Software and launch the application. Follow the below given instruction-
Step 1: Select corrupted or damaged Word documents (DOC or DOCX) file using Browse option
Step 2: Next, click on the Repair button to start repairing process
Step 3: After the completion of repairing process, you can view and validate the repaired word files using Preview option
Step 4: If you are satisfied with the results, provide the desired location and Save the file.
With the help of the professional SFWare repair word document, you can easily fix the errors related to the Word documents. If you are facing problems related to the content and the docx cannot be opened, click on the provided link and fix the issue.
Conclusion:
The above explained are the easiest methods to fix the error Word experienced an error trying to open the file. Follow the steps as instructed and fix the error without losing any content from the document.
If you were able to resolve the error successfully, do share your thoughts in the comment section below.
