Mac Book Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing

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Summary

Does your Word document keep freezing and crashing all the time? If you have this kind of trouble, this article will guide you to fix the frozen Word docunment with effective solutions. Follow the solutions below and fix the frozen Microsoft Word document.

If the problem still occurs, quit Microsoft Word, and restore the file to its original location. Then, go to the next step. If the problem seems to be resolved, you can move the com.microsoft.Word.plist file to the trash. Quit all Microsoft Office for Mac programs. To access the Microsoft Word auto recovery files on Mac OS X, go to your user profile - Documents- Microsoft User Data. Excel Keeps Crashing on Mac If you’re using Excel on Mac, you might experience a situation when an app crashes or becomes unresponsive. Oct 26, 2010  Hi everyone, I switched to Mac almost 6 months ago. As for now everything worked perfectly. Lately I had to write some stuff and I downloaded the trial version of Office for Mac 2008 (sice all my working mates have PCs), just to see how it works before giving old uncle Bill € 200. But Word keeps crashing over and over and over again. Part 2: How to Fix 'Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing on Mac' 1. Check the Hard Drive Name. Clear the AutoRecovery Folder. Reset the Word Preferences. Save the Word Document to another Location. Download and Install Word Updates. Create another User Account on Mac. How to Solve the Problem 'Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing Mac' Solution 1. Reset the Word preferences and restart Mac: Mac system is very different. Create a new account: Yes, you might think it is odd. Run Repair Disk Permissions: Some users might not know. Oct 15, 2010 Hi everyone, I switched to Mac almost 6 months ago. As for now everything worked perfectly. Lately I had to write some stuff and I downloaded the trial version of Office for Mac 2008 (sice all my working mates have PCs), just to see how it works before giving old uncle Bill € 200. But Word keeps crashing over and over and over again.

Workable SolutionsStep-by-step Troubleshooting
Fix 1. Disable COM Add-insPress Windows + R keys and type: winword.exe /a and hit Enter to open MS Word without plugins..Full steps
Fix 2. Repair Office installationManually repair Office installation with programs and features or use a third-party word repair tool..Full steps
Fix 3. Repair corrupted template Close Word > go to Start > Run > Type %appdata%microsofttemplates > Enter..Full steps
Fix 4. Run Word in Safe ModePress Windows + R keys, type: word /safe, and hit Enter. Check if you can open the Word application..Full steps
Fix 5. Reinstall MS OfficeOpen Control Panel, click 'Program and Features', then select Microsoft Office. Click 'Uninstall'..Full steps

Microsoft Word Keeps Freezing, Not Responding

'I am using Windows 10 with the latest updates installed for both OS and office suite. My Microsoft 2016 works well all the time. However, when I used Word 2016, it kept freezing and crashing!

I opened my coursework in Word 2016. After 10 minutes' working, the Word file froze, saying 'not responding'. Microsoft outlook latest version mac. Is there anybody that can help me get out of this situation?'

Before you start dealing with the Word document freezing problem, you'd better learn what has lead to the freezing problem. Here are possible causes:

  • Damage to MS Office settings or installation - the main cause of Word application crash/freezing while opening DOC file in Word
  • Presence of third-party add-ins in Word program - a common cause that may results in freezing of Word on startup
  • Software conflicts in the Windows while editing any document in Word tool can affect the application and makes it unresponsive or freeze
  • Malware intrusion incorrect installation of Word program, the presence of bad sectors in the location where Word program and documents are saved, abnormal termination of Word, etc can all bring on freezing of MS Word documents

Knowing the exact causes of why the Word document keeps freezing will effectively help to find the right solution and make Word work again. Check the provided methods below to bring your Microsoft Word back to life immediately:

Part 1. Fix the Frozen Microsoft Word Document (5 Fixes)

This part includes 5 verified solutions that are able to assist you in fixing frozen Word:

Method 1. Disable COM Add-ins in Microsoft Office

Step 1. Press Windows + R keys and type: winword.exe /a and hit Enter to open MS Word without plugins.

Step 2. Click 'File' > 'Options' > 'Add-Ins'.

Step 3. Click 'Manage' and select COM Add-ins, click 'Go' to uncheck the problematic ones and click 'OK' to confirm.

After this, restart Word to check if the issue has been resolved.

Method 2. Repair Office Installation

To repair the frozen Word, you have two options to repair the Office installation: 1. Manually repair Office; 2. Use a third-party Office repair tool.

Select either option to repair your MS Office and make the Word application to work again.

Option 1. Manually Repair Office Installation with Programs and Features

Step 1. Open Control Panel, click 'Programs and Features', locate and select your Microsoft Office.

Step 2. Click 'Change' in the top menu.

Step 3. Click 'Repair' and then 'Continue' on the pop-up window.

For Newer versions of Microsoft Office users, choose 'Online Repair'or 'Quick Repair' and click 'Repair'.

Step 4. Wait for the repair process to finish and restart your computer.

After this, restart Word application to see if you can create or edit a document file.

Option 2. Use A Thrid-Party Word Repair Tool

To instead of the manual method, you can also search the Word repair or Office repair tool online.

You'll find multiple types of repairing tools available to provide Office repairing service, making Word application work again.

Method 3. Repair or Replace the Corrupted Normal.dot Global Template File

# 1. Repair Corrupted Template

Close Word -> Go to Start -> Run -> Type %appdata%microsofttemplates -> Enter -> browse for Normal.dotm file and rename it as oldNormal.dotm and reload Word.

# 2. Replace Normal.dot Global Template File

Step 1. Press Windows + X and select 'Command Prompt (Admin)'.

Sign in if the program requires administrator permission.

Step 2. Enter the command below and hit Enter:

Step 3. Wait for the command to finish and exit Command Prompt.

Method 4. Run Office Word in Safe Mode

Step 1. Press Windows + R keys, and type: word /safe. Hit Enter to launch Microsoft Office into Safe Mode.

Step 2. Check if you can open the Word application or create a new file in Word.

If yes, the problem got resolved. If not, continue with the following steps.

Step 3. Open Word, go to 'File' and select 'Options'.

Step 4. Click 'Advanced', scroll down to Show Document Content, and select 'Show picture placeholders'. Click 'OK' to save the changes.

After this, restart MS Office. Check if you can run Word and edit files again.

Method 5. Uninstall and Reinstall MS Office

Note: Make sure that your activation key can be used twice before taking the below steps. Find your serial key and save it in a text document.

Step 1. Open Control Panel, click 'Program and Features', then locate and select Microsoft Office.

Step 2. Click 'Uninstall' in the top menu.

Step 3. Re-install Microsoft Office on your PC and activate it with your serial key.

If your old key fails to activate the newly installed MS Office, please contact the Microsoft support team for help.

Part 2. Recover Lost or Saved Word Document

If your freezing Word document gets lost after you have tried the 5 solutions above, you can try data recovery software or use its AutoRecover feature in Microsoft Office to restore your lost files with simple clicks.

# 1. Restore Lost Word with File Recovery Software

Applies to: Recover disappeared or lost files (saved on local PC) due to frozen Word application or other errors.

First, Download and install reliable file recovery software, such as EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, on your PC.

Next, go through the next 3-step tutorial to bring lost Word documents back:

Step 1. Choose the Word file location.

Do you know where you lost Word files? Choose the hard disk drive or a specific folder and click the San button. If it's on a USB flash drive or SD card, take one more step to connect it to your computer.

Step 2. Scan all lost data.

The software will start immediately scanning all lost data on the selected drive, and you'll see more and more data showing up in the scan results. After the scan, use the quickest way to the wanted Word documents by choosing 'Documents' from the drop-down list in 'Filter'.

Step 3. Select Word files and recover.

You're allowed to preview a Word file if you have Microsoft Word application installed on your computer. Finally, select the desired documents and click 'Recover'.

# 2. Recover Unsaved Word File

Microsoft Office contains an AutoRecover feature which will automatically save the temporary file of an editing document to a local folder on your computer.

Only if you have enabled the Auto-Save option, you can effectively retrieve the Word file which got closed without saving:

For Windows users, refer to this link and recover unsaved Word documents.

If you use a Mac computer, please follow this link and recover lost Word documents on Mac.

Bonus Tips to Backup and Protect Word File

If you are looking for a direct solution to fix the Word freezing issue, you can stop here. You've finished all the tasks.

If you prefer a comprehensive plan to protect important and valuable Word documents, it's smart of you to follow below tips and create a full backup plan for MS Office Word:

# 1. Set Automatic Backup Plan for Saved Word and Other Files

Applies to: Back up saved Word file on your local drive.

Reliable file backup software like EaseUS Todo Backup can help you effectively back up important Word files on a local drive with ease.

By setting an automatic backup plan to an external USB or a local drive, all your saved Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, videos, emails, etc., will be fully protected.

# 2. Enable Auto-Save Feature to Protect Editing Word Documents

Applies to: Autosave the editing Word document.

Step 1. Open MS Word application and create a new file, click 'File' > 'Option'.

Step 2. Click 'Save' and check the below two boxes:

  • 'Save AutoRecover information every * munites' (set a time for autosave - every 2 or 5 minutes will be good)
  • 'Keep the last autosaved version if I close without saving'

Step 3. Click 'OK'to confirm.

Apr 01,2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions

'Why does my Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac? I have tried several attempts to resolve it, but I can't seem to fix the issue or get back my lost Word documents.'

This is a query from one of the MS Word users on Mac that we have got recently. As you know, MS Word is a part of the Office suite, which is developed by Microsoft. Apart from Windows, it is also available for Mac and provides tons of utility features. Though, there are times when Word on Mac keeps crashing and users are not able to utilize its features or even save their existing files.

Don't worry! the issue is pretty common and can easily be fixed. In this guide, we will teach you why does Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac and how to fix this problem in 8 different ways. Apart from that, we will also discuss how to recover Word document after a crashed Mac. Let's begin and start a quick MS Word troubleshooting on Mac.

Part 1: Why Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing on Mac?

Before we discuss issues to fix the Microsoft Word Mac crashing issues, it is important to note what could have caused the problem to begin with. In this way, you would be able to understand why does Word keeps crashing on Mac and can even avoid it in the future.

Microsoft word keeps crashing on my mac
  • Mostly, MS Word crashes because of a fault in the Office suite of the tool itself. Chances are that the application could not have been installed probably.
  • You might be running an old or incompatible version of Word on your Mac.
  • If you are using a pirated MS Word application, then it could have been corrupted as well.
  • Sometimes, Mac doesn't give permissions to third-party applications (like Word), making them faulty to work.
  • The source drive where MS Word has been installed could be corrupt as well.
  • The location of the MS Word application could have been moved to someplace else.
  • The application was crashed earlier or closed during processing, making it faulty or corrupt.
  • Chances are that MS Word could have been infected by a malware.

Part 2: How to Fix 'Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing on Mac'

The good news is that most of these problems can easily be resolved if we follow the right approach. Ideally, you can fix Microsoft Word keeps crashing issue with these solutions.

1. Check the Hard Drive Name

Imac Keeps Crashing

A faulty hard drive name is one of the most common issues for Word to malfunction. This is because Mac provides a more flexible way to name the hard drive while Windows has certain restrictions. If needed, you might need to change the hard drive name as well to fix this. Here's how you can check and rename hard drive on Mac to make it compatible with Word.

  1. Just click on the Apple logo on the top left corner of the desktop and open the Applications tab. Go to the Utilities section to open the Disk Utility window.
  2. Select your Mac hard drive from the left and view its name and other details on the right (under the 'Partitions' tab).
  3. Make sure that the drive has a name and it should start from a character. While it can have numbers, it should not have all numbers or any special character. Make the needed changes to rename the hard drive.

Once the hard drive has been renamed, you can restart Mac and try accessing MS Word on it again.

2. Clear the AutoRecovery Folder

As you know, Auto-save is an inbuilt feature in MS Word that automatically saves the running document in the background. It allows us to fetch our files back if they are lost or closed unexpectedly. Though, sometimes the AutoRecovery folder might cause some clash with the application itself, making it faulty. Therefore, you can consider clearing it to fix Word on Mac keeps crashing.

  1. To start with, simply launch Finder on your Mac and from its menu, click on Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Now, copy and paste the path '~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery/' on your Mac (without the quotes).
  3. As you click on 'Go', it will open the AutoRecovery folder on your Mac. From here, you can just delete the auto-saved files so that the folder would be cleared.

3. Reset the Word Preferences

Sometimes, the reason for Microsoft Word Mac crashing could be the wrong preferences on the application as well. In order to resolve this, you can reset the preferences altogether and try restarting Word.

  1. Firstly, select the Word icon on the desktop and go to the Word > Preferences option from the menu.
  2. As the Word Preferences tab would be opened, click on the 'File Locations' icon from here.
  3. This will open the File Locations feature on the screen. Click on the 'User templates' option and choose to 'Reset' it.
  4. You can also click on the 'Modify' button to view it. Here, you can see a 'Normal' file. You can cut and paste it to any other location (like your desktop) or simply move it to the Trash as well.

After resetting the Word preferences, restart the applications and check if it fixes MS Word crashing on Mac or not.

4. Save the Word Document to another Location

Apart from the MS Word application, there could be a problem with the Mac storage. as well. For instance, if the particular partition or sector on the hard drive has been corrupted, then you should try to save your documents somewhere else. This will help you avoid Word crashing on Mac or prevent the loss of your important files as well.

Related: If you get problems with Mac storage, come to know 8 ways of freeing up and managing Mac storage.
  1. Firstly, open the MS Word application on your Mac and try opening the file. If you are lucky, you would be able to open the file without the Word application crashing.
  2. Quickly, go to the File menu and click on the 'Save As' option.
  3. Now, browse to the location where you wish to save your Word document and give it the needed name.

Alternatively, you can also copy your MS Word file and just paste it to any other location as well.

5. Download and Install Word Updates

As stated previously, one of the reasons for Microsoft Word crashing on Mac could be an old version of the application. If the MS Word application has not been updated in a while, then it can encounter compatibility issues with Mac. The best way to fix MS Word crashing on Mac is by updating it. Not only will it fix the Microsoft Word Mac keeps crashing, it will also make the application more secure by installing the needed patches.

  1. Simply launch the Word application on your Mac and from its menu, go to Help > Check for Updates.
  2. From here, you can enable the automatic update option if you want to. Make the relevant selection and click on the 'Check for Updates' button again.
  3. In no time, MS Word will connect to its server and look for any recent available update. Once it will notify you the same, you can just select the update and click on the 'Install' button.
  4. Now, you can just wait for a while as Word would install the update and restarts in the end to a stable version.

6. Create another User Account on Mac

Although it might sound surprising, but there could be some issue with your user account on Mac as well. For instance, the account you are accessing might be blocked to use certain applications or there could be a clash with some commands. To avoid this problem and fix Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac, simply create another account on your system instead.

  1. To start things, go to the Apple icon from the desktop and visit System Preferences.
  2. Click on the 'Users & Groups' sections from here. Once its dedicated window will open, click on the lock icon at the bottom to make some changes in it.
  3. You need to enter your administrator password to proceed. Afterward, click on the '+' icon to add a new account.
  4. Simply enter basic details for the new account (like its type, name, and so on) and click on the 'Create User' button in the end.
  5. If you want, you can create a different password for the new account and link it with the same iCloud account as well.

In the end, you can sign-out from the present account and log-in to the new account instead. Now, try to open MS Word and see if it resolves the problem or not.

7. Boot Mac in Safe Mode

Just like Windows, you can also boot your Mac system in a safe mode as well. The safe mode is mostly used for troubleshooting and it automatically turns on various secondary processes. In this way, you can check if there is a problem with the MS Word application itself or your Mac system. Here's how you can boot your Mac in safe mode and fix Microsoft Word crashing on Mac.

  1. Simply turn on your Mac by pressing the power button. If you are already using it, then restart it instead.
  2. As soon as you would hear the startup chime (or see Apple's logo), press the Shift key on the keyword.
  3. Keep pressing it for the new few seconds as Mac would be restarted in the safe mode.
  4. You can see 'Safe Mode' written at the top right corner of the screen now. Just log-in to any account and try accessing the MS Word application on it.

8. Run Disk Utility to Repair Crashed Word

If none of the above-listed techniques would fix MS Word crashing on Mac, then you can consider repairing the entire disk. Although it would take a lot of time, it will make sure that your Mac's disk would stay secure and in a healthy condition. To repair your Mac's disk and fix Word keeps crashing on Mac, follow these quick steps:

  1. Look for the 'Disk Utility' option from the Spotlight and open it. Alternatively, from the main menu on Mac, click on Go > Utilities and launch the Disk Utility window.
  2. From the left panel, you can select the primary disk on your system. In most of the cases, it is Macintosh HD. Now, click on the 'First Aid' option from its toolbar and confirm your choice.
  3. As Mac would start repairing the disk, you can just wait for a while for the process to be completed.
  4. Once it is done, restart your Mac and check if Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac or not.

Part 3: How to Recover Crashed Word Documents on Mac?

When any application crashes on Mac, we often end up losing its data. Similarly, if MS Word has been crashed while you were working on a document, then you might end up losing it forever. To avoid such an unwanted scenario, consider using Recoverit Data Recovery for Mac. It is one of the best data recovery tools for Mac that is used by leading experts. Developed by Wondershare, it provides a fast, easy, and highly secure way to get your data back. The application has a high data recovery rate and supports all the leading Word document extensions.

  • With the help of Recoverit Data Recovery, you can get back your lost, deleted, or inaccessible Word files in a jiffy.
  • The application supports all kinds of other data types too like photos, videos, PDFs, Excel sheets, emails, compressed files, and so much more.
  • No matter what the situation is, Recoverit will help you in every possible data loss scenario like accidental deletion, corrupt storage, lost partition, etc.
  • It follows different scanning modes, letting users save their time and get the expected results as well.

Video Tutorial on Mac File Recovery

How to Recover Word Document on Mac

In order to learn how to recover Word document after a crashed Mac, the following steps can be taken.

  1. Select a target location

  2. Simply launch Recoverit Data Recovery on your Mac and select a location where you wish to perform the scan. This would be the primary Macintosh HD in this case. Though, if you want, you can perform data recovery on an external device as well.

  3. Scan for the lost files

  4. As you would mark a source location and start the process, Recoverit will carefully scan the location. You are recommended to wait for a while so that the process can be completed without any trouble.

  5. Preview and recover your Word files

  6. When the data extraction process is completed, the application will let you preview the recovered content. Now, you can simply select the Word files you want back and save them to any secure place.

    With this new version RDP 8.0, I can't find any way to simulate a right-click,other than to select 'Swap mouse buttons' under settings, and then every click is a right-click and then I'm no longer able to left-click (which is even worse). I've tried several key combinations and nothing seems to work. Microsoft remote desktop mac os right click. In order to make use of the right-click inside an open session you have three options:. Standard PC two button USB mouse. Am I missingsomething simple here with the new RDP 8.0 application, or is the right-click simulation not (yet) functional?Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks!

Part 4: Tips to prevent Word Keeps Crashing on Mac

If you don't want to suffer from an unexpected loss of data or MS Word crashing on Mac, then consider following these suggestions.

Mac Word Keeps Crashing

  • Always make sure that the MS Word application is updated on your system. You can turn on the automatic update to save your time.
  • Keep the real-time scanning of the firewall on, so that the application would be safe from any malware attack.
  • Don't turn off your Mac when MS Word is still running in the background.
  • Try not to close any MS Word document in between or in an unexpected manner.
  • Install MS Word in the primary partition on your Mac hard drive (if you have multiple partitions).
  • Don't install MS Office from an unreliable source (or a pirated version). Buy it from Microsoft's official website to avoid any software-related issue.

Word Keeps Crashing On My Mac

Now when you know how to fix Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac, you would be able to resolve this issue like a pro. Apart from listing different fixes for Word crashing on Mac, we have also provided a quick solution to perform data recovery on Mac as well. With the help of Recoverit Data Recovery, you can easily get back any lost or deleted content in no time. Go ahead and download the Mac data recovery tool on Mac or share it with others to teach them how to recover crashed Word document on Mac.

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Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing On Macbook

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