User does not have access privileges

Try these in order:

1. Save or move the affected documents into the macOS Documents folder, then open them again from Word.
   • This is a reported first step for Word for Mac access-privilege errors.
2. Test in a new macOS user account.
   • Go to System Settings > Users & Groups.
   • Create a new user, sign in to that account, open Word, and try the same files.
   • If the problem does not happen there, the issue is with the Office information in the original macOS user profile.
3. If the issue happens in the new macOS account too, uninstall and reinstall Office.
   • Reinstalling is the accepted next step when the problem persists across user accounts.
4. If a specific document still will not open, try opening it from Word by using Recover Text:
   • In Word, select File > Open.
   • Select the document once.
   • In the Open dropdown, choose Recover Text, then select Open.
   • If it opens, use File > Save As and save it as Word Document (.docx).
   • Note: some formatting might change.
5. If the file still fails, try OneDrive conversion:
   • Sign in to OneDrive in a browser.
   • Upload the file.
   • After conversion completes, select File > Save as > Download a copy.
6. If only some files are affected after reinstall, those files may be corrupted.
   • Check for another copy in backups such as Time Machine.

To reduce the chance of this recurring:

• Keep documents in the macOS Documents folder.
• If the issue is tied to one macOS profile, continue using the profile that works or rebuild the affected profile’s Office setup by reinstalling Office.
• For files that open only through recovery or conversion, resave them as fresh .docx files.

• Needing to Grant File Access to Open Word Document - Microsoft Q&A
• Word cannot open the document: user does not have access privileges (but on Macbook). - Microsoft Q&A
• macOS error when opening files with Word: user does not have access privileges - Microsoft Q&A
• Error: [Filename] uses a file type that is blocked from opening in this version | Microsoft Support
• Error: [Filename] uses a file type that is blocked from opening in this version | Microsoft Support