i cannot open microsoft word or excel

ihekwereme Jonathan 0 Reputation points
2026-10-13T23:00:15.4633333+00:00

each time i try to open microsoft word or excel i keep getting a response that "we are sorry, but word has run into an error that is preventing it from working properly"

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows
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  1. AI answer

    2026-10-13T23:00:32.36+00:00

    Use this order:

    1. Start Word or Excel in Safe Mode to check whether an add-in is causing the crash.
      • Press Windows key + R.
      • Type winword /safe for Word, or excel /safe for Excel, then press Enter.
      • If the app opens in Safe Mode, go to File > Options > Add-Ins.
      • In Manage, select the add-in type and choose Go.
      • Clear one add-in at a time, select OK, then restart the app normally.
      • Older add-ins such as ABBYY FineReader and Dragon Naturally Speaking are known to cause problems.
    2. If Safe Mode does not fix it, run an Office repair.
      • In Windows 10/11: right-click Start and open Installed apps or Apps and Features.
      • Select Microsoft Office and choose Modify.
      • If available, use Online Repair. This is more thorough than Quick Repair.
      • If the installation is MSI-based, choose Repair and then Continue.
    3. Update Windows.
      • Open Settings > Windows Update.
      • Select Check for updates and install available updates.
      • If the issue continues, update device drivers, especially video card, printer, mouse, and keyboard drivers.
    4. If Word or Excel still will not open, uninstall and reinstall Office.
      • Use the Office uninstall troubleshooter, then reinstall Office.
      • Note: uninstalling Office removes the apps until reinstallation is completed.

    If the apps open only in Safe Mode, the problem is most likely an add-in. If they still fail in Safe Mode, the next best step is Online Repair.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Manoel Barros 22,495 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-13T23:39:36.8266667+00:00

    Hi!

    Do you have a Microsoft 365 subscription or a perpetual Office license?

    If steps 1, 2, and 3 from the AI ​​answer don't work, you likely need to reinstall Office. If it is a new computer, there may be multiple versions of Office installed in some cases, which could be causing the issue. In that scenario, I recommend uninstalling all of them and then installing just one.

    1. Open Windows Settings (Windows + I) > Apps > Installed Apps > Uninstall any product named Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office (Click ●●● > Uninstall).
    2. Restart your computer.
    3. Go to https://account.microsoft.com/services > Sign in with your Microsoft account > Expand Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office > Install Desktop apps... > Choose the Offline Installer instead of the other installers. Look for Offline Installer > Wait for the app to download and install.
    1. Open Word or Excel, and sign in with your Microsoft account to validate your license.

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  3. Stefan Blom 354.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-10-14T00:41:05.4966667+00:00

    Exit all Office apps and run an Online Repair. See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/lifecycle/repair-an-office-application .

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