screen freezes immediately after startup

On Windows, start one Office application in Safe Mode so you can read the exact warning message and determine whether the freeze comes from an account prompt or an Office startup component.

1. Open Office in Safe Mode

1. Press Windows key + R.
2. Enter the command for one affected application:
   • Word: winword /safe
   • Excel: excel /safe
   • PowerPoint: powerpnt /safe
   • Outlook: outlook /safe
3. Select OK. The title bar should show Safe Mode. You can alternatively hold Ctrl while double-clicking the application shortcut, then select Yes.^1^

2. Check the text associated with the warning icon

The yellow warning triangle indicates that Office needs attention, but the exact message determines the required action:

• Product deactivated: select Sign in and use the Microsoft account associated with the subscription.
• Couldn’t Verify Subscription: connect to the Internet and select Retry.
• Renew your subscription or Subscription expired: renew or reactivate the subscription.
• Account Notice mentioning a subscription problem: check the subscription and payment status.
• Account Notice or Update Required mentioning a pending change: a business subscription plan may have changed, requiring Office to be updated or reinstalled.
• Unlicensed Product: activation troubleshooting is required.

Microsoft documents these notices and their corresponding actions separately.[^2^](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID] "A subscription notice appears when I open a Microsoft 365 application | Microsoft Support")

If the warning dialog still freezes in Safe Mode, test the account through Office.com in a browser. If the web applications work, that narrows the issue to the local Office installation or locally cached sign-in information rather than establishing an account failure.

3. If Safe Mode works normally

An add-in or startup customization is likely involved. While still in Safe Mode:

1. Open File → Options → Add-ins.
2. At the bottom, select COM Add-ins under Manage, then select Go.
3. Clear one add-in, select OK, and restart Office normally.
4. Repeat until the application starts correctly.

If disabling one add-in fixes the freeze, leave it disabled or obtain an updated version from its publisher.^3^

4. If Safe Mode also freezes and no actionable subscription message appears

Repair the entire Office installation:

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Select Programs → Programs and Features.
3. Select Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office, then choose Change or Repair.
4. For a Click-to-Run installation, choose Online Repair → Repair. This is more comprehensive than Quick Repair.
5. Restart Windows and test Word or Excel again.

If Online Repair does not resolve it, use Microsoft’s uninstall troubleshooter and reinstall Office. The troubleshooter must run on the affected PC and requires Windows 10 or later.^4^

If this is macOS, these Safe Mode and repair instructions do not apply; provide the macOS version, Office version, and exact wording in the frozen window so the correct Mac sign-in procedure can be selected.

References

1. Open Office apps in safe mode on a Windows PC | Microsoft Support
2. [A subscription notice appears when I open a Microsoft 365 application | Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID])
3. I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC | Microsoft Support
4. "Something went wrong" error when you try to start a Microsoft 365 app