Why MS Word application has stopped working

Parker Tilly 0 Reputation points
2026-11-13T02:31:16.6366667+00:00

Up until yesterday, the MS Word application was working fine for me. However, as of today, it has stopped working, and even the self-repair feature fails to fix it. Could you please help me resolve this issue?

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

    2026-11-13T02:31:33.5066667+00:00

    Use this order, since the built-in repair already failed:

    1. Update Office
      • Open any Office app if possible.
      • Go to File > Account.
      • Under Product Information, select Update Options > Update Now.
      • If Update Now is not shown, select Enable Updates first.
    2. Start Word in Safe Mode to check add-ins
      • Open Run.
      • Type winword /safe and press Enter.
      • If Word opens in Safe Mode, go to File > Options > Add-Ins.
      • In Manage, select the add-in type and choose Go.
      • Clear one add-in at a time, select OK, then restart Word normally.
      • Older add-ins such as ABBYY FineReader and Dragon Naturally Speaking are known to cause problems.
      • If Word does not open in Safe Mode, the issue is likely not caused by add-ins.
    3. Run an Online Repair of Office
      • In Windows 11, right-click Start and select Installed apps.
      • In Windows 10, right-click Start and select Apps and Features.
      • Select the Microsoft 365 or Office product and choose Modify.
      • Select Online Repair > Repair.
      • This is more thorough than Quick Repair.
      • Restart the PC after the repair if prompted.
    4. Install Windows updates and newer device drivers
      • Go to Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates.
      • Install available updates.
      • If the problem continues, update drivers for the video card, printer, mouse, and keyboard.
      • On laptops, also check the laptop manufacturer site for updated device-specific files.
    5. Uninstall and reinstall Office
      • If Online Repair does not fix Word, use the Office uninstall troubleshooter, restart the computer, and reinstall Office.

    If the problem is only with specific Word files, a damaged document can sometimes be opened by creating a new blank document and using Insert > Object > Text from File to insert the affected file.

    Caution: advanced Word troubleshooting can include registry changes, and incorrect registry edits can cause serious problems. Use the update, Safe Mode, repair, and reinstall steps first.

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

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  2. Michelle Nguyen 2,860 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-13T02:44:45.0666667+00:00

    Hi @Parker Tilly

    Thank you for sharing your situation.

    I'm experiencing a similar issue on my end as well. Microsoft has recently acknowledged a new incident (MO1550821) regarding connectivity issues affecting multiple Microsoft 365 services, including Exchange Online, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online, and other services.

    User's image

    If you are an admin, you can review Microsoft's service health advisory directly through the Microsoft 365 Admin center. If you're an end user without admin permissions, kindly reach out to your Microsoft 365 administrator and ask them to monitor this incident and keep you informed of any relevant updates.

    I hope the issue will be resolved soon.

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  3. Stefan Blom 357.7K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-11-13T09:16:14.31+00:00

    Microsoft online services are having problems all over the world, it seems. It applies to business / organization products as well as consumer products and services. See https://status.cloud.microsoft/ .

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