Outlook and Word have stopped working

Sergio Enrique 0 Reputation points
2026-11-12T20:43:45.8166667+00:00

My Outlook and Word have stopped working altogether, yet my subscription is paid through October 2027

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows
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  1. AI answer

    2026-11-12T20:43:59.62+00:00

    Since the subscription is already paid through 2027, start with sign-out and repair steps, then troubleshoot each app separately.

    1. In Word, select the profile/name at the top right and sign out of Office.
    2. Restart the PC fully, then sign back in to Office.
    3. If Word still does not work, update Office:
      • Open an Office app if possible.
      • Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
    4. Repair Office:
      • Open Control Panel > Programs and Features.
      • Find Microsoft Office / Microsoft 365.
      • Right-click it and choose Change.
      • Try Quick Repair first. If that does not fix it, run Online Repair.

    For Outlook specifically:

    1. Start Outlook in Safe Mode to check whether an add-in is causing the crash:
      • Press Windows key + R.
      • Type Outlook /safe and select OK.
      • If Outlook opens, go to File > Options > Add-Ins > COM Add-ins > Go.
      • Clear the active add-ins, select OK, and restart Outlook normally.
      • If Outlook works, re-enable add-ins one at a time until the failing add-in is identified.
    2. If Outlook still freezes or crashes, repair Outlook data files using the Inbox Repair Tool (SCANPST.EXE) by following Repair Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost).

    For Word or other Office apps showing “stopped working”:

    1. Test Word in Safe Mode:
      • Press Windows key + R.
      • Type winword /safe and press Enter.
      • If Word opens in Safe Mode, go to File > Options > Add-Ins.
      • In Manage, choose the app add-ins or COM Add-ins, select Go, uncheck add-ins one at a time, and restart Word normally after each change.
      • Older add-ins such as ABBYY FineReader and Dragon Naturally Speaking are known to cause issues.
    2. Install the latest Windows updates as well, because incompatible device drivers can cause Office apps to stop working.

    If both apps still fail after update, repair, Safe Mode testing, and Windows updates, uninstall and reinstall Office using the Microsoft uninstall troubleshooter, then reinstall the correct Office version.

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

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  2. Kayece Jan Mae Amizola 16,875 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-12T21:18:33.8066667+00:00

    Hi,

    Microsoft is currently experiencing a widespread service outage that is affecting several of its services, including Outlook and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Since the issue is on Microsoft's side, we will need to wait for them to resolve it.

    You can check for updates through the Microsoft Service Status page, although the website may also be loading slowly due to the ongoing disruption. Alternatively, you can follow Microsoft 365 Status on X for the latest announcements.

    Unfortunately, I do not have access to internal updates or an estimated time for when the services will be fully restored.

    We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

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    2 people found this answer helpful.
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