Fix Microsoft Word Not Responding On Windows

The latest versions of Microsoft Office are stable and have hardly any problems. Sometimes, Microsoft Word might not respond to your requests. No matter what you do, it will just stay stuck on the same screen.

Microsoft Word might not respond for many reasons. Perhaps there are problems with add-ins you have installed. word not responding to the Oder maybe Word freezes up because the corrupt document you are trying to open is preventing Word from opening properly? These issues can be fixed with Word on your PC in a variety of ways.

Launch Word in Safe Mode & Disable add-Ins

Use Safe Mode is a way to resolve Microsoft Word’s inability to respond. This mode allows you to open Word only with essential files. It also helps you troubleshoot add-in problems with the app.

Hold the Ctrl button on your keyboard. Next, click the shortcut to your desktop.
A prompt will appear asking if you would like to open Word in Safe Mode. To continue, click Yes.
At the top of the screen, click the File button.
From the left sidebar, select Options. It should be at bottom of the list.
Click the Add-ins button on the left sidebar.
Locate the Manage dropdown list on the right-hand side panel and click Next.
Click OK to uncheck all add-ins from your screen.
Start Word normal mode, and it will open.

Repair Corrupted Word Document

Word may have issues if it doesn’t respond to certain documents or if Word isn’t responding. This can be fixed by repairing corrupt documents and then opening them with Word.

Open on your PC. Use safe mode if the normal mode doesn’t work.
In the left sidebar, click the Open button.
To browse your computer for the problem document, select Browse from the screen below.
Navigate to the folder that contains your document, select it, and click the arrow icon next Open. Choose Open and Restore.
Word will open and repair your document for you.

Repair Microsoft Office Suite

Microsoft Office apps, including Word, can have issues. These apps are packaged with a utility that will fix them. The utility can be accessed by clicking the Repair option. This will fix any issues you have with Office apps.

Use Control Panel

You can open Control Panel from your computer.
Click on the Uninstall program button. You are not uninstalling any program.
Select Microsoft Office from the list, and then click Edit.
Select Quick Repair from the box on your screen, and then click Restore.
If Quick Repair failed to resolve the problem, you can choose the Online Repair option.

Use Options

Start the Settings application on your computer.
On the next screen, select Apps.
Select Microsoft Office from the list and then click Modify.
To repair your Office suite, choose the Quick Restore option.

Set Your Default Printer

Microsoft Word won’t respond if you have a corrupt printer on your computer. Word is tightly integrated into the printers on your computer. Any issues with these printers could cause Word not to respond.

This issue can be fixed by changing the default printer to another printer.

Open the Setting app from your computer.
On the next screen, click the Devices button.
Select Printers and scanners in the left sidebar.
Untick the Allow Windows to manage my default printer.
Click on a printer to open the list and then choose Manage.
To make your new printer the default printer of your computer, click the Set as default link.

Install Your Printer Drivers

Word may not respond if your printer drivers have become obsolete. This is because Word won’t be capable of communicating with the printer hardware properly. You can fix this by updating the printer drivers.

Cortana search allows you to search for and open device managers.
Click on your printer to be added to the list. Then, click the right-click icon and select Update Driver.
After you have downloaded the drivers, click Browse My Computer to find driver software.
If you don’t have the drivers, select Search to automatically find the latest driver software.

Disable Your Antivirus Software

Some antivirus software can cause conflicts with other apps. We recommend temporarily turning off your antivirus program to see if it resolves the Word issue on your system.

You can turn off most antivirus software by right-clicking the icons in your system tray and selecting Disable or Turn Off Protection.

Word may respond even though you have disabled your antivirus. This is because your antivirus and Word don’t work well together. It may be worth it to uninstall your antivirus program and install another one.

Uninstall the Most Recent Windows & Office Upgrades

You can try uninstalling Windows or Office updates to see if Word responds. If the problem is caused by one of these updates, this should work.

Launch the Control panel on your computer.
Click on the Uninstall program option.
Scroll to the left sidebar and select the View all installed updates option.
Click Uninstall on the update you believe is causing the problem.
To uninstall the selected update, click Yes at the prompt.

Reinstall Microsoft Office On Your Computer

If nothing else works, you can remove Microsoft Office completely and then cleanly install it. This will fix any problems with Office apps and Word.

Use Options

Open Settings from your computer.
On the next screen, select Apps
Click Microsoft Office to open it. Select the Uninstall option.
To uninstall the Office, click Uninstall.
You can download Office just like you would normally and then install it on your computer.

Uninstall Support Tool

Microsoft offers a dedicated uninstaller that will help you get rid of the Office suite on your computer.

Install the Uninstall Tool on your PC.
Click Next to select your Office version.
Click Next to checkmark the box.
When asked, reboot your computer and allow the tool to remove Office completely.

Microsoft Word has many features, but they can sometimes cause problems with the core software. How can you resolve Word’s inability to respond on your computer? Comment below to let us know your thoughts.