Microsoft Word error prevents it from working properly.

Bypass the unresponsive Repair Now button and repair Microsoft 365 or Office from Windows Settings, choosing the repair option appropriate to the installation type.

Repair Office from Windows

Close Word and all other Office applications first.

Windows 11

1. Right-click Start and select Installed apps.
2. Find Microsoft 365 or your Microsoft Office product.
3. Select the three dots beside it, then Modify.

Windows 10

1. Right-click Start and select Apps and Features.
2. Select Microsoft 365 or your Microsoft Office product.
3. Select Modify.

Then use the option displayed for your installation type:

• Click-to-Run: Select Online Repair → Repair. This is more thorough than Quick Repair.
• MSI-based Office: In Change your installation, select Repair → Continue. If Online Repair is not displayed and this window appears, use this MSI repair option instead.

Follow the prompts and restart Windows afterward if requested. Repairing Word this way repairs the entire Office suite unless Word was installed as a standalone application.^1^

Before an Online Repair, ensure that the Microsoft account used for Office is accessible and that the Microsoft 365 subscription or Office license appears at https://account.microsoft.com/services/. Online Repair can reinstall Office components as part of the process.^2^

If Word still fails after repair

Test whether an add-in is preventing Word from starting:

1. Press Windows+R.
2. Enter:

      winword /safe
   

3. Select OK.
4. If Word opens, go to File → Options → Add-ins.
5. At the bottom, select COM Add-ins under Manage, then select Go.
6. Clear one add-in, select OK, close Word, and start it normally.
7. Repeat until the problematic add-in is identified. Older add-ins such as ABBYY FineReader and Dragon Naturally Speaking are known examples.^3^

If Word does not start in Safe Mode, the issue is not attributed to an add-in by this test. Microsoft’s documented next steps are to uninstall and reinstall Office and, if the problem remains, install current device drivers.^3^ Before uninstalling, confirm again that Office is associated with the accessible Microsoft account so it can be reinstalled and activated.

References

1. [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/office/lifecycle/repair-an-office-application)
2. Word not opening - Microsoft Q&A
3. I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC | Microsoft Support