All office products crash/freeze when I try to save, go onto the save tab, or onto the open tab.

Question

As the title says.

Every time I even open the save as or open tabs on file, my word will freeze for minutes. When I try to save, it freezes for ages, then just stops working entirely.

I have done quick and long repairs, restarted my pc, reinstalled office, but nothing works.

Answer 1

Hello David Quin1, welcome to the Microsoft Community. 

It seems you are facing issues with Office applications crashing, which can indeed be frustrating. To better understand your problem, I would like to gather some information:

• When did you start experiencing this issue? Is it happening frequently?
• Before this issue arose, did you perform any actions, such as updating Windows or Office versions, or installing any third-party applications?

It looks like you have already tried repairing Office and even uninstalled and reinstalled it. Based on this, here are some additional suggestions you can try:

Sometimes, add-ins can interfere with the operation of Office. Disabling them may resolve the issue. To check if the problem is caused by add-ins, you can hold down the Ctrl key while opening the Office application. You should see a prompt indicating that it is opening in Safe Mode. If the issue does not occur in Safe Mode, you can follow these steps to remove the add-ins:

1. In Word:
   • Click on File in the top left corner, then select Options.
   • Go to Add-ins, change the Manage dropdown to COM Add-ins, and click Go.
   • Uncheck all add-ins, click OK, restart Word, and check if the problem is resolved.
2. In Excel:
   • Follow the same steps as above, but after unchecking all add-ins in the COM Add-ins section, switch the Manage dropdown to Excel Add-ins, click Go, uncheck all add-ins, and restart Excel to check if the issue persists.
3. In PowerPoint:
   • Again, follow the same steps as above, unchecking all add-ins in the COM Add-ins section, then switch to PowerPoint Add-ins, click Go, uncheck all add-ins, and restart PowerPoint to see if the problem is resolved.

A clean boot can help eliminate the impact of third-party applications. Sometimes, normal system operations may be disrupted by third-party applications or services, so you might want to try this: How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support

Disclaimer: A clean boot starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs, allowing you to determine whether background programs are interfering with your games or applications and helping you identify the cause of the problem. The steps for performing a "clean boot" may seem complex at first glance, but to avoid any inconvenience, please follow the steps in order, one by one; this will help you get back on track.

Additionally, you could test the issue in a new user profile environment.

• Press Windows + S, search for cmd, and run the Command Prompt as an administrator.
• Enter and run the following two commands separately: net user User /add net localgroup administrators User /add
• Replace User with the username for the new account. You can choose any name you like, but it's recommended to use English.
• After completing this, click on the user icon in the Start menu and switch users. You may see a setup guide; complete it to enter the system.
• Test whether the issue occurs in the new user environment.

Considering that too much information might affect understanding, if you encounter any problems while executing these solutions, please let me know, and I will explain further. I also look forward to hearing about your progress with this issue! Best RegardsEliac | Microsoft Community Support Specialist