Microsoft Word issue

Haynes, Greig 0 Reputation points
2026-10-05T06:58:26.09+00:00

When I open Word, I keep getting a message that states "We're sorry, but Word has run into an error that is preventing it from working correctly. Word will need to be closed as a result.

It then asks if I want them to repair. It doesn't repair and just closes down.

Any help with this would be great.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Other
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  1. DaveM121 937K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-05T07:32:29+00:00

    1

    The 'Repair Now' button on that error popup dialog only performs a quick repair of the Office apps and that rarely resolves the problem with the Office apps, the best option is to perform a full online repair of your Office installation.

    Before performing this process, please log into your Microsoft account on this link (https://account.microsoft.com/services/) and check to ensure your Office licence or Microsoft 365 subscription is listed correctly on your account.

    Open the Settings App (gear icon on your Start Menu)

    Go to Apps - Installed Apps, then scroll down to find Microsoft Office

    Select that and choose Modify - Online Repair

    That should fix any issues with your Office Installation.

    2

    If that does not resolve the problem, the best option is to completely uninstall Office, restart (not shut down) your PC, then download and reinstall Office form your Microsoft account online (https://account.microsoft.com/services/).

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-05T06:58:43.5066667+00:00

    Try this in order:

    1. Update Office
      • Open any Office app.
      • 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
      • Press Windows + R.
      • Type winword /a and press Enter.
      • If Word opens, the issue is likely caused by add-ins or templates not loading in this mode.
    3. Run an Office repair
      • On Windows 10: right-click Start > Apps and Features.
      • On Windows 11: right-click Start > Installed apps.
      • Select the Microsoft 365 or Office product and choose Modify.
      • If available, use Online Repair. This is more thorough than Quick Repair.
      • For MSI-based installs, select Repair and then Continue.
      • Restart the computer after the repair.
    4. If Office says it is busy or still will not open
      • Wait a few minutes and try again.
      • Restart the computer and test again.
      • If the problem continues, use the Office uninstall troubleshooter to completely remove Office, then reinstall it.
      • Note: the uninstall troubleshooter cannot uninstall Office 2024, and it requires Windows 10 or later.
    5. If Word starts but a specific document causes the crash
      • In Word, go to File > Open > Browse.
      • Select the file.
      • Click the arrow next to Open and choose Open and Repair.
    6. Advanced step: reset Word settings in the registry
      • This is only for Windows and should be done carefully.
      • Back up the registry first.
      • Close all Office apps.
      • Open regedit.
      • Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Word\Options.
      • Export the key before changing it.
      • Then delete the Word options key and start Word again.
      • Risk: incorrect registry changes can cause serious problems, so this should only be done if the earlier steps do not help.

    The most effective fix in this scenario is usually Modify > Online Repair, because the repair button in the error dialog is typically only a quick repair.

    References:

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

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