Word for Mac Version 16.113.3 opens most DOCX without issue but some DOCX generated on PC crash Word upon opening.

John Goode Jing 0 Reputation points
2026-10-05T15:20:14.9533333+00:00

DOCX files arriving as attachments or through remote drive and generated by team members using PC crash my Word as soon as they are opened. The error message is below. How do I fix this?

Microsoft Error Reporting log version: 2.0

Error Signature:

Exception: EXC_BAD_ACCESS

ExceptionEnumString: 1

Exception Code: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS (0x0000000000000000)

Date/Time: 2026-10-05 14:55:56 +0000

Application Name: Microsoft Word

Application Bundle ID: com.microsoft.Word

Application Signature: MSWD

Application Bitness: x64

Application Version: 16.113.3.26092714

Crashed Module Name: Microsoft Word

Crashed Module Version: 16.113.26092714

Crashed Module Offset: 0x00000000003463a8

Blame Module Name: Microsoft Word

Blame Module Version: 16.113.26092714

Unsymbolicated

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | MacOS

3 answers

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  1. IGYQ 22,225 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-05T17:29:21.72+00:00

    Did you see what version of Word do you have on the Windows device? Can I also get an update what happened to your test.

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  2. IGYQ 22,225 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-05T16:43:08.6433333+00:00

    Hi

    Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

    Can you check if you have a fully updated Word in Windows by opening Word → Help → Check for Updates. Also, you need to do a test so I can narrow down the issue.

    This is important because you said the files arrive as attachments or through a remote drive crashes.

    Have a team member send you one of the DOCX files, then:

    • Save it to your Mac's Desktop. (Don't open it directly from the email or remote drive)

    Start Word first.

    Choose File → Open and select the local copy.

    If the local copy still crashes Word, the remote drive isn't the cause.

    Let me know what is the result so I can assist you further.

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  3. AI answer

    2026-10-05T15:20:35.7766667+00:00

    Try these steps in this order:

    1. Update Word for Mac first
      • Open any Office app.
      • Go to Help > Check for Updates.
      • Enable automatic updates if offered, then select Update and install all available updates.
      • Test one of the crashing DOCX files again.
    2. Open the file through Word’s Open command and recover text
      • In Word, go to File > Open.
      • Select the problem document once.
      • In the Open dropdown, choose Recover Text and then select Open.
      • If prompted, select OK.
      • If the file opens, save it as Word Document (.docx).
      • Note: some formatting may change.
    3. Use OneDrive to convert the file
      • Sign in to OneDrive in a web browser.
      • Upload the DOCX file.
      • After upload, open it and wait for the conversion message.
      • Select File > Save as > Download a copy.
      • Save the downloaded file locally and test it in Word for Mac.
    4. Check for a known add-in conflict
      • If WordRake is installed, remove it or update it. A known issue caused Word for Mac to crash when creating or opening documents after a macOS upgrade.
    5. Reset Word preferences
      • Warning: this removes custom preferences such as keyboard shortcuts, toolbar changes, or dictionaries.
      • Quit all programs.
      • In Finder, open Go > Home > Library. On newer macOS versions, hold OPTION while opening Go to show Library.
      • Open Preferences and move com.microsoft.Word.plist to the desktop.
      • Open the Microsoft folder under Preferences and move com.microsoft.Word.prefs.plist to the desktop. If Service Pack 2 is installed in older Word versions, use Application Support > Microsoft instead.
      • Start Word and test.
      • If the crash stops, return the files one at a time to identify the corrupt one, then discard the bad file.
      • If the crash continues, restore both files.
      • Then go to Application Support > Microsoft > Office > User Templates and move Normal.dotm to the desktop.
      • Start Word and test again.
      • If the crash stops, discard Normal.dotm.
    6. If only certain incoming files fail
      • Save attachments to the local disk before opening them.
      • If the file came from a remote drive, copy it locally first and then open it from the local folder.
    7. If the file still crashes Word
      • Open it with an earlier version of Word if available, or use Apple TextEdit for basic formatting, then save it again.
      • If the document may be damaged, look for another copy from backup.

    The pattern described points to either a problematic document, an add-in conflict, or corrupted Word preferences/templates rather than a general DOCX compatibility issue.

    References:

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

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