Word will not open on Macbook Air M5 Running Tahoe

Phil Latham 0 Reputation points
2026-10-12T20:56:15.51+00:00

I am currently running a MacBook Air M5 with the latest Tahoe OS installed. Every time I try and launch word Microsoft Error Reporting open and says "There was a problem with Microsoft Word and we apologize for the inconvenience". This is the only Office application I am having this problem with. I tried to find and remove the preferences file but it does not exist. This is very frustrating.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | MacOS
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Answer accepted by question author
EmilyS_726 30,620 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2026-10-13T00:47:45.5133333+00:00

Hello,

Since you migrated from an older Intel-based Mac, I'd like to check two things.

First, let's check whether Word is running under Rosetta.

Open Finder > Applications.

Right-click Microsoft Word and select Get Info.

If Open using Rosetta is checked, uncheck it.

Try launching Word again.

======================

If that doesn't help, let's check whether the problem is related to your migrated user profile.

Open System Settings > Users & Groups > Add User.

Create a temporary Standard user account.

Sign into that account and try opening Microsoft Word.

If Word works in the new account, that suggests something in your original user profile is causing the crash.

==============

Please let me know what happens with these two tests. There's no need to reinstall Word again at this point.

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3 additional answers

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  1. Bob Jones AKA CyberTaz MVP 438K Reputation points
    2026-10-13T01:40:40.5266667+00:00

    The MERP report indicates a Kernel Panic, not a Word failure. A key point which has been overlooked by nall other responders: The cited release of Tahoe [26.6.2] is out of date & precedes the present version of Office. Version 26.7 1 is the current release. Essentially that puts the proverbial cart before the horse.

    I suggest updating Tahoe to see whether that resolves the issue rather than grasping at straws while it's out of date. Band-aid fixes often do more harm than good.

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  2. Jeronimo Fuerte 46,760 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-12T23:08:54.5566667+00:00

    I understand how frustrating this must be. Could you please clarify a few details?

    Did Word stop working immediately after upgrading to macOS Tahoe, or has it never opened successfully on this Mac? In Finder > Applications, right-click Microsoft Word, select Get Info, and let me know which version is installed.

    Does Microsoft Error Reporting provide any additional details, such as an exception type or crash report? If so, please share those details without personal information.

    If you installed Word through the Mac App Store, open the App Store > Updates and check for an available Word update. App Store installations are updated through Apple rather than Microsoft AutoUpdate.

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  3. AI answer

    2026-10-12T20:57:14.29+00:00

    Since the preferences file was already checked and not found, the next supported path is to reset the remaining Word preference files and the Normal template, then update Word.

    1. Quit all programs.
    2. In Finder, open Go. If macOS hides the Library folder, hold Option and select Library.
    3. Open Preferences and look for:
      • com.microsoft.Word.plist
      • com.microsoft.Word.prefs.plist
    4. If com.microsoft.Word.plist is missing, continue and check for com.microsoft.Word.prefs.plist.
      • For older Word for Mac 2011 with Service Pack 2, this file may be under Application Support > Microsoft instead of Preferences > Microsoft.
    5. Drag any Word preference file found to the desktop.
    6. Start Word and test.
      • If Word opens normally, quit Word and move the corrupt file to Trash.
      • If the error still appears, restore the file and continue.

    If Word still fails:

    1. Quit all programs.
    2. Go to Library > Application Support > Microsoft > Office > User Templates.
    3. Find Normal.dotm and drag it to the desktop.
    4. Start Word and test.
    • If Word opens, quit Word and delete the old Normal.dotm.
    • If Word still fails, restore it.

    Also install the latest Office updates:

    1. Open Finder > Applications > Microsoft AutoUpdate.
    2. Select Update All, or update Word individually.
    3. Launch Word again.

    If Microsoft AutoUpdate is not visible, check /Library/Application Support/Microsoft/MAU2.0/.

    Possible causes documented for this error include corrupted Word preferences, a corrupted user profile, background programs interfering with Word, or corrupted application files.

    If the problem continues after the steps above, the supported next actions in the available guidance are:

    • Test with a new macOS user account to check whether the user profile is corrupted.
    • Reinstall Office for Mac.
    • Use Microsoft support or the Office for Mac community.

    Warning: resetting preferences removes custom Word preferences such as keyboard shortcuts and toolbar or dictionary changes.

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

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