Microsoft word repair

Run an Online Repair of Microsoft 365 or Office, because this is the recommended repair for the exact Word startup error shown on your Windows PC.^1^

Repair Word and Office

1. Close Word and every other Office application.
2. Open the repair settings:
   • Windows 11: Right-click Start → Installed apps.
   • Windows 10: Right-click Start → Apps and Features.
3. Find Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office.
4. Select the three dots if shown, and then select Modify.
5. Choose:
   • Online Repair → Repair for a Click-to-Run installation, or
   • Repair → Continue for an MSI-based installation.
6. Complete the prompts and restart the PC if requested.
7. Open Word and confirm that it reaches a blank document without displaying the error.

Online Repair is more thorough than Quick Repair and repairs the complete Office installation, even when only Word is failing.^2^

If Word still crashes

Test Word in Office Safe Mode:

1. Press Windows key + R.
2. Enter:

winword /safe

3. Select OK.

If Word opens successfully in Safe Mode, an add-in or extension may be interfering with normal startup.^3^

To isolate it:

1. In Word, select File → Options → Add-ins.
2. At the bottom, choose an add-in type from Manage, such as COM Add-ins, and select Go.
3. Clear one add-in, select OK, close Word, and start it normally.
4. Repeat until Word opens normally; leave the problematic add-in disabled or update/remove it.

If Word cannot open in Safe Mode after Online Repair, install available Windows and Office updates and restart the PC. If it continues to fail, the next supported step is to uninstall Office completely and reinstall it from the Microsoft account associated with the license.^1^

References

1. Word is not working. - Microsoft Q&A
2. Repair an Office application | Microsoft Support
3. Open Office apps in safe mode on a Windows PC | Microsoft Support