How to fix Microsoft word error

Suleiman Abdullahi 0 Reputation points
2026-11-09T08:43:03.2233333+00:00

I woke up to this error that keeps popping up each time I open Microsoft word.

Screenshot 2026-11-09 114016

How do I fix this urgently please.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows
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  1. Stefan Blom 357.3K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-11-09T08:55:46.6166667+00:00

    Many users report that clicking Repair Now in the dialog box does not fix the problem.

    Instead, exit all Office apps and run an Online Repair. Before you begin, note that such a repair usually requires that you reinstall Office and therefore you should verify that you can access your account at https://account.microsoft.com/services .

    For instructions on running the repair, see the support article at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/lifecycle/repair-an-office-application .

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  2. AI answer

    2026-11-09T08:43:49.54+00:00

    Run a full Online Repair of Microsoft 365 rather than using Repair Now in the Word error dialog.

    1. Repair Microsoft 365

    Close Word and all other Office applications, then:

    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. Select Online Repair → Repair.
    5. Follow the prompts, restart Windows if requested, and open Word again.

    Windows 10

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

    Online Repair is the more thorough option; it repairs the entire Office suite even when only Word is affected. If the installation is MSI-based and Online Repair is not offered, select Repair and then Continue instead.^1^

    2. If Word still displays the error

    Test Word without automatically loading add-ins, global templates, or its normal settings:

    1. Press Windows key + R.
    2. Enter:
    winword /a
    1. Press Enter.

    This test does not permanently change Word. If Word opens successfully this way, an add-in, template, or Word setting is likely involved.^2^

    Disable add-ins individually:

    1. In Word, select File → Options → Add-ins.
    2. At the bottom, choose an add-in category under Manage, then select Go.
    3. Clear one add-in, select OK, and restart Word normally.
    4. Repeat until Word starts without the error.^3^

    3. Last fallback: reset Word’s settings

    Only consider this if Online Repair fails and Word opens with winword /a. Editing the registry incorrectly can damage Windows settings, so export the key before deleting it.

    1. Close every Office application.
    2. Search for and open Registry Editor.
    3. Go to:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Word\Data
    1. Right-click Data → Export, and save it as Wddata.reg.
    2. Right-click Data → Delete.
    3. Close Registry Editor and start Word.

    Word recreates the key with default settings; customized Word options and the recent-document list may be reset. If this does not help, close Office and double-click the exported Wddata.reg file to restore the original key.^2^

    References

    1. Repair an Office application | Microsoft Support
    2. How to troubleshoot problems that occur when you start or use Word | Microsoft Support
    3. Word is not working. - Microsoft Q&A
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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