Word Keeps Crashing

Question

I removed and reinstalled MS Word, checked for errors on disk utility, still crashes every time I try to open any word document!

Error Signature:
Exception: EXC_BAD_ACCESS
ExceptionEnumString: 1
Exception Code: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS (0x0********8)
Date/Time: 2022-09-28 14:05:26 +0000
Application Name: Microsoft Word
Application Bundle ID: com.microsoft.Word
Application Signature: MSWD
Application Bitness: x64
Application Version: 16.65.0.22091101
Crashed Module Name: libobjc.A.dylib
Crashed Module Version: unknown version
Crashed Module Offset: 0x000000*******
Blame Module Name: Visual Basic for Applications
Blame Module Version: 16.65.22091101
UnsymbolicatedChecksum: 6C83*****************277B
Blame Module Offset: 0x000000******8f7
StackHash: 21cd2779dc05c893_1_main_oom
Application LCID: 1033
Extra app info: Reg=en Loc=0x0409
Build Type: Release
Crashed thread Stack Pointer: 0x_000********
Crashed thread: 0

Answer 1

Hi

Thank you for supplying the crash log. It shows you have the current channel version update16.65 of Microsoft Word properly installed. That's a good thing.

The log indicates the problem:

Blame Module Name: Visual Basic for Applications

You said this crash occurs when you try to open any Word document, but can you open Microsoft Word just bare with a new blank document by clicking the Word dock icon? My hunch is no, you can't.

My hunch is that there is some Visual Basic for Applications macro code in the template (it's called the Normal.dotm template or sometimes the Global template) Microsoft Word uses to store your personal macros. Either that, or you had an add-in of some sort installed a long time ago and it was never updated or properly removed.

Does my hunch ring a bell? Do you think we should be looking for an old add-in, or did you customize your Normal Template at some point?

Answer 2

@ Waqas

Please stop. Please. Please.

Let me go through your crazy reply. I know it's just boiler-plate because I've seen you post the same nonsense countless times. This is starting to feel like you're intentionally sabotaging Mac users. Please, if you have no idea what's wrong, a boiler-plate triage reply is just wasting everyone's time. Resist the temptation to post a cover everything under the sun sort of reply. I'll put your reply comments in quotes below and respond to each one.

As your crashed module is, "libobjc.A.dylib" and as the crash issue can be caused by different reason, I will appreciate you can try the normal troubleshooting steps 1 by 1 below and tell us the result.

Waqas, you didn't read down far enough into the log. There is a major hint there:

Blame Module Name: Visual Basic for Applications

I know from your previous comments that you do not know much about Microsoft Office extensibility. Because this involves an area for which you have weak capabilities, maybe you should have taken the hint and passed on trying to answer this question.

1.Try to reboot Mac in safe mode and determine whether background programs are causing the issue. For detailed information, please check this article.

This troubleshooting step is not necessary because the crash log tells us that the problem is with Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Somewhere there is VBA code lurking that shouldn't be. It could be from an add-in, or the user may have done some macro coding on their own. That we don't know, and perhaps the user can tell us.

Disclaimer: Microsoft provides no assurances and/or warranties, implied or otherwise, and is not responsible for the information you receive from the third-party linked sites or any support related to technology.

That sounds like legal advice. We're not lawyers here and we don't work for Microsoft. It's never a good idea to provide legal advice.

2. Have you ever installed any add-ins for Word? If so, please disable them.

We already know VBA code is involved. You're sort of on the right track here, Waqas, but perhaps the user made their own code. Generally the best advice for add-ins is to either update them (preferred) or completely remove them following the instructions of the add-in's creators. To learn whether the user made their own code and maybe forgot about it, we need to ask the user if they did that.

3.Another suggestion is to remove the Office folders from Containers folder in Library with following steps.

a: Completely quit all Office apps

b: In Finder, pressCOMMAND*+Shift+g.*

c: Enter***~/Library***and click Go

d: Go toContainersfolder, find the folder called called Microsoft Word or com.Microsoft.Word

e: Move this folder to your desktop by cut&paste .

f: Relaunch Word for Mac application and see the results.

If you can explain how following these steps could possibly fix the problem described, I'm all ears. I don't think doing this will solve anything.

6.If the problem with all Word files even new created Word document on your Mac OS, then I suspect components were corrupted somehow. You can go to the Applications folder In Finder and drag Microsoft Word.app to the trash. Then Restart your Mac Download this installer Install package and use it to reinstall Microsoft Word (the version 16.65). Then, restart your Mac and test.

est.

Sorry, but no. Reinstall is something users of Microsoft Windows often have to perform. Mac OS is not the same. At all. Mac OS does a bit-for-bit verification of every application every time it is installed or updated to make sure it is installed EXACTLY as the developer's copy is on the download server. It is nearly impossible for a Mac install to be faulty. I know you have seen a handful of times where reinstalling did fix problems, but that will never fix problems with VBA code or add-ins. I take strong exception to uninstall/reinstall except for very few specific situations where it could work to fix a problem.

Meanwhile, as a temporary work around, you could work on your documents with Word Online, login with your Microsoft Account to continuous your work.

Well, maybe What if this person actually needs the VBA code to work? What if they need all the Office desktop features to work? I guess it's a work-around that could let them edit their document, but it doesn't address what's wrong with the desktop version.

If above suggestion does not work, to narrow down your issue, please tell us more information below to let us help you:

1. Please confirm if the issue only happens in the specific Word file? Or all files.

Did you not read what DT-025 said in their question. I quote: "...every time I try to open any word document!" What is unclear about that?

2. Confirm whether other applications also get the same problem(crashes)? Such as Excel or PowerPoint and etc.

Why are you asking about other applications? I don't see anything to suggest any other applications are involved. What makes you think they might be?

3. The version of Mac OS

Find out which macOS your Mac is using

This information could be useful, although I can't think of why it's relevant to this question. What do you think the Mac OS version could have to do with this?

4.Can you recall when this behavior starts e.g., after Office update or Mac OS.

This is a very good question!

Your understanding and patience will be highly appreciated. I hope that you are keeping safe and well!

My patience and understanding with Agents and Advisors who quickly copy and paste boiler-plate replies has worn thin. I am not pleased with this sort of laziness at all. You're wasting my time and the time of Mac users. I think you guys are deliberately sabotaging the Mac forums.