how to repair error in windows

Run an Online Repair of Microsoft 365 or Office; it is the thorough repair option for this Word startup error and repairs the entire Office installation.^1^

1. Repair Office

Close Word and all other Office applications first.

Windows 11

1. Right-click Start and select Installed apps.
2. Find Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office.
3. Select the three dots (…) beside it, then Modify.
4. If shown How would you like to repair your Microsoft 365 and Office programs?, select Online Repair → Repair.
5. Follow the prompts, restart Windows if requested, and test Word.

Windows 10

1. Right-click Start and select Apps and Features.
2. Select Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office, then choose Modify.
3. Select Online Repair → Repair.
4. Complete the prompts and test Word.

For an MSI-based Office installation, choose Repair and then Continue instead. This process repairs the complete Office suite, even though only Word is failing.^1^

2. If Word still does not open, test without add-ins

1. Press Windows + R.
2. Enter:

winword /safe

3. Press Enter.

If Word opens and its title bar shows Safe Mode, test its add-ins:

1. Go to File → Options → Add-Ins.
2. At the bottom, select an add-in category under Manage, such as COM Add-ins, and select Go.
3. Clear one add-in, select OK, and restart Word normally.
4. Repeat one add-in at a time until Word opens normally. Leave the problematic add-in disabled or install an updated version.

If Word does not start in Safe Mode, the issue is not caused by an add-in; proceed to reinstall rather than continuing to disable add-ins.^2^

3. If Online Repair fails

1. Install available Windows updates:
   • Windows 11: Start → Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates.
   • Windows 10: Start → Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update.
2. Restart the computer and test Word.
3. If the error remains, use Microsoft’s Office uninstall troubleshooter, restart Windows, and reinstall Office. The troubleshooter must run on the affected computer and requires Windows 10 or later; it currently cannot uninstall Office 2024.^2^

Avoid editing Word’s registry settings unless repair, Safe Mode testing, updates, and reinstallation all fail. Registry changes can reset Word preferences and may cause serious problems if performed incorrectly.^3^

References

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