Unable to use Work or Excel

Howard Shipman 0 Reputation points
2026-09-27T20:38:14.54+00:00

The Word and Excel icons no longer show when I attempt to copy and paste a document on my Microsoft Office Pro Plus 2016.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For business | Windows
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  1. Charles Kenyon 171.3K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-09-27T23:33:16.76+00:00

    are you unable to see icons?

    unable to copy and paste?

    A quick repair of Office should restore the icons.
    https://support.office.com/article/7821d4b6-7c1d-4205-aa0e-a6b40c5bb88b

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    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Aetherin 2,910 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-27T21:04:51.5266667+00:00

    Hi @Howard Shipman,

    To better understand the issue, could you provide a bit more detail about what you're seeing?

    • When you mention that the Word and Excel icons no longer appear, where did you previously see those icons during the copy-and-paste process? For example, were they displayed after right-clicking, in a paste options menu, or in another dialog or window?
    • Could you also describe the exact steps you're taking when the issue occurs?

    If possible, please share a screenshot of the area where the icons previously appeared. Before posting, please remove or obscure any personal or sensitive information.

    The additional details will help me better understand the scenario and determine the most appropriate next steps for troubleshooting.

    Thank you for taking the time, and I look forward to your reply.

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  3. AI answer

    2026-09-27T20:38:29.2966667+00:00

    If the Office icons are blank and Word or Excel are not behaving correctly, try these steps in order:

    1. Update Office
      • Open an 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 the app in Safe Mode to check for add-in problems
      • Press Windows key + R to open Run.
      • For Word, type winword /safe and press Enter.
      • For Excel, type excel /safe and press Enter.
      • If the app opens, the title bar should show Safe Mode.
    3. Disable add-ins if Safe Mode works
      • In the app, go to File > Options > Add-Ins.
      • In Manage, select the app add-ins or COM Add-ins, then select Go.
      • Clear one add-in, select OK, then restart the app normally.
      • Repeat one at a time until the problem is identified.
      • Older add-ins known to cause problems include ABBYY FineReader and Dragon Naturally Speaking.
    4. Repair Office
      • If disabling add-ins does not help, run an Office repair.
      • Try a Quick Repair first, then Online Repair if needed.
    5. Check Windows and device updates
      • Install the latest Windows updates.
      • Also make sure device drivers are current, especially video card, printer, mouse, and keyboard drivers.
    6. If Office icons are blank after a Microsoft Store install
      • Open Settings > Apps.
      • Select Microsoft Office Desktop Apps > Advanced options.
      • Select Fix.
      • If that does not help, repeat and select Reset instead.
      • Restart the device after each attempt.
    7. Reinstall Office if the issue continues
      • Use the Microsoft uninstall troubleshooter to remove Office completely, then reinstall it.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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