my word isn't working. i am trying to open a document that i used word to write but it isn't opening

Try these steps in order:

1. Update Office first
   • Open any Office app if possible.
   • Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
   • If Update Now is not shown, select Enable Updates first.
2. Start Word in troubleshooting mode
   • Press Windows + R.
   • Type winword /a and press Enter.
   • This starts Word without add-ins and global templates. If Word opens this way, the problem is likely related to add-ins or template/settings loading.
3. Try Safe Mode to check add-ins
   • Press Windows + R.
   • Start Word in Safe Mode using the Office app safe-mode command.
   • If Word opens in Safe Mode but not normally, an add-in may be causing the issue.
4. Repair the document itself
   • In Word, go to File > Open > Browse.
   • Select the document.
   • Click the arrow next to Open and choose Open and Repair.
   • This can recover a file that has become corrupted.
5. If the document is locked for editing
   • Confirm nobody else has the file open.
   • Close all Word windows.
   • Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, open Task Manager, and end every Winword.exe process.
   • Browse to the folder that contains the document.
   • Delete the owner file in the same folder. Its name starts with ~$ and matches the document name.
   • Open Word again and try the document.
6. If the file still will not open, recover the text into a new document
   • Open Word > File > New > Blank Document.
   • Go to Insert > Object > Text from File.
   • Select the problem document and insert it.
   • This can recover the text while leaving behind damaged document data.
7. Update Windows
   • Select Start.
   • Type Windows Update.
   • Select Check for updates and install available updates.
8. Reinstall Office if Word still will not open
   • Use the Microsoft uninstall troubleshooter to remove Office.
   • Restart the PC when prompted.
   • Then reinstall Office.

If the file is stored on OneDrive, check whether OneDrive has a downloadable copy of the file. If OneDrive storage is full, the file may open read-only and changes cannot be saved.

• I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC
• Open a document after a file corruption error
• "The document is locked for editing by another user" error message when you try to open a document in Word
• How to troubleshoot problems that occur when you start or use Word
• Why did my file open read-only?