How to fix error in Microsoft Word and Excel ?

Because the error occurs only when opening a particular document or workbook, first use Open and Repair on a copy of that file rather than repairing the entire Microsoft 365 installation.

Repair the affected file

1. In File Explorer, make a copy of the affected file so the original remains unchanged.
2. Open Excel or Word by itself—do not double-click the problem file.
3. Select File → Open → Browse.
4. Select the affected file once.
5. Select the arrow beside the Open button, then select Open and Repair. Do not open it from the Recent list, because that does not provide the required Open dialog.^1^
6. If the file opens, immediately select File → Save As and save it under a new name.

For an Excel workbook, choose:

• Repair first, to recover as much workbook data as possible.
• Extract Data if Repair fails, to recover values and formulas.^2^

If Open and Repair fails

For a Word document

Try importing its contents into a new document:

1. Open Word and select File → New → Blank document.
2. Select Insert → Object → Text from File.
3. Select the damaged document and choose Insert.

If that also fails, use File → Open, change the file type to Recover Text from Any File (.), and open the document. This recovers text but can lose formatting, graphics, fields, and drawing objects.^3^

For an Excel workbook

If the workbook is stored on a network drive, USB device, or other external location, copy it to a local folder first. Then retry Open and Repair. Microsoft recommends moving the workbook locally when a disk or network error may be involved.^2^

Test whether the problem is file-specific

Open Word or Excel normally and create a blank file, then open another existing file.

• If other files open normally: the Microsoft 365 installation and subscription are probably not the immediate issue; continue with recovery of the affected file.
• If multiple unrelated files produce the same error: test the application in Office Safe Mode.

Press Windows key + R, enter the applicable command, and select OK:

excel /safe
winword /safe

If the application works in Safe Mode, go to File → Options → Add-ins. At the bottom, select an add-in category under Manage, choose Go, and disable add-ins one at a time until the failing one is identified.[^4^](https://support.microsoft.com/office/lifecycle/i-get-a-stopped-working-error-when-i-start-office-applications-on-my-pc "I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC | Microsoft Support")

Repair Microsoft 365 only if multiple files or applications fail

If Word or Excel cannot open blank files or several unrelated files—even in Safe Mode—run an Online Repair:

1. Close all Office applications.
2. Right-click Start.
3. On Windows 11, select Installed apps. On Windows 10, select Apps and Features.
4. Find Microsoft 365 or Office.
5. Select the three dots if shown, then Modify.
6. Select Online Repair → Repair and complete the prompts.
7. Restart the computer afterward if requested.

This repairs the entire Office suite, including Word and Excel. Online Repair is more comprehensive than Quick Repair.^5^

References

1. Open a document after a file corruption error | Microsoft Support
2. Repairing a corrupted workbook
3. How to troubleshoot damaged documents in Word
4. I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC | Microsoft Support
5. [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/office/lifecycle/repair-an-office-application)