error in opening micro soft word

Update Office first, then test Word in Safe Mode; if Word cannot start in Safe Mode, proceed directly to an Office Online Repair.

1. Install Office updates

If another Office application such as Excel opens:

1. Open it and select File > Account.
2. Under Product Information, select Update Options > Update Now.
3. If Update Now is missing, select Enable Updates first.
4. Let the updates finish, restart the computer, and test Word. Microsoft recommends updating Office before the remaining startup troubleshooting steps.^1^

If no Office application opens, skip to the Safe Mode test.

2. Test Word in Safe Mode

1. Press Windows key + R.
2. Enter: winword /safe
3. Press Enter. There must be a space before /safe.

If Word opens, test both a blank document and the affected file through File > Open.

If Word and the file open in Safe Mode

An add-in may be interfering with normal startup:

1. In Word, select File > Options > Add-Ins.
2. At the bottom, choose Word Add-ins from Manage, then select Go.
3. Clear one add-in, select OK, and restart Word normally.
4. Repeat until the responsible add-in is identified.
5. Repeat the process with COM Add-ins under Manage.

Older versions of ABBYY FineReader, PowerWord, and Dragon Naturally Speaking are specifically documented as possible compatibility problems with Office 2016.^1^

If Word opens but only one document fails

Try recovering its contents:

1. Select File > New > Blank Document.
2. Select Insert > Object > Text from File.
3. Select the affected document, then select Insert.

This can retrieve the document text while omitting information stored in its final paragraph mark.^2^

If Word does not open in Safe Mode

Proceed directly to Online Repair; Microsoft states that this indicates the problem is not caused by add-ins.^1^

3. Run Office Online Repair

Online Repair repairs the entire Office installation, not only Word.

Windows 11

1. Right-click Start > Installed apps.
2. Find Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office.
3. Select the three dots > Modify.
4. Select Online Repair > Repair.

Windows 10

1. Right-click Start > Apps and Features.
2. Select Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office.
3. Select Modify.
4. Select Online Repair > Repair.

Follow the prompts, restart the computer if requested, and test Word again. Online Repair is more comprehensive than Quick Repair.^3^

If the error remains

Install all available updates under Settings > Windows Update, including applicable driver updates. If Word still fails, use Microsoft’s Office uninstall troubleshooter and reinstall Office; the troubleshooter requires Windows 10 or later and must run on the affected PC.^1^

References

1. I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC | Microsoft Support
2. How to troubleshoot problems that occur when you start or use Word | Microsoft Support
3. Repair an Office application