How to fix a Word which has run into an error when opening

Run an Online Repair of Microsoft 365 or Office in Windows 11; this repairs the entire Office installation, including Word, and is the most direct fix for a startup error.

Repair Word/Office

1. Close all Office applications.
2. Right-click Start and select Installed apps.
3. Find Microsoft 365, Microsoft Office, or—if installed separately—Microsoft Word.
4. Select the three dots (…) beside it, then select Modify.
5. Choose:
   • Online Repair → Repair for a Click-to-Run installation.
   • Repair → Continue if the installer displays an MSI repair window.
6. Complete the prompts, restart the computer, and open Word again.

Online Repair is more thorough than Quick Repair. Repairing Microsoft 365 or Office affects the entire suite even if only Word is failing.^1^

If Word still does not open

Test Word in Office Safe Mode:

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

      winword /safe
   

3. Select OK.

Safe Mode starts Word without automatically loading certain add-ins, extensions, and customizations.^2^

If Word opens in Safe Mode:

1. In Word, select File → Options → Add-Ins.
2. At the bottom, set Manage to COM Add-ins, then select Go.
3. Clear one add-in checkbox and select OK.
4. Close Word and start it normally.
5. Repeat until the faulty add-in is identified. Leave it disabled, remove it, or obtain an updated version from its publisher.^3^

If Word does not open in Safe Mode and Online Repair also fails, the available information does not identify the exact cause. Record the complete error message or error code and whether other Office applications open; those details are needed to select the next appropriate repair or support path.

References

1. Windows 11
2. Open Office apps in safe mode on a Windows PC | Microsoft Support
3. I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC | Microsoft Support