Word keeps quitting

Question

I just downloaded and installed Microsoft. I cannot open the software. Every time I try to open word it says "Word quit unexpectedly."

Answer 1

Hi Rachel B

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum and sharing your experience. I am sorry to hear you are having trouble opening Word immediately after installation.

To better understand, please provide following details:

• What version of macOS and Office are you currently running?
• Do Excel or PowerPoint open successfully, or do they crash as well?
• Did you install via the Microsoft 365 portal link or the Mac App Store?
• Please provide a screenshot of the full error message if possible.

Because this is a public forum, I suggest sending any supporting documents or screenshots of the error via Private Message to protect your personal data.

Meanwhile, please try the following steps:

First, make sure macOS and Office for Mac are fully updated.

I recommend performing a Safe Mode system cycle. Shut down your Mac completely, then turn it on while pressing and holding the Shift key until the login window appears. Log in, wait briefly, then restart your Mac normally and test Word.

Word can occasionally run under Rosetta 2 mode instead of native Apple Silicon if the app was migrated from an older device or installed using certain methods. To verify this: Open Finder > navigate to the Applications folder > right‑click Microsoft Word > select Get Info > look for the option titled Open using Rosetta. If it is checked, uncheck it, then quit and restart Word.

If the issue continues after basic troubleshooting, you can follow Microsoft’s official guidance for removing old or corrupted Office license files on macOS: How to remove Office license files on a Mac - Microsoft Support

I hope this explanation clears things up and one of these steps gets you back up and running. Please let us know how you get on, as your feedback can help others in the community facing the same problem.

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Answer 2

If Microsoft Word keeps quitting unexpectedly after installation, you can try the following steps to resolve the issue:

1. Quit all Office applications: Make sure that all Office applications are closed before proceeding.
2. Remove Office applications: Open Finder, go to Applications, and use Command + click to select all Microsoft 365 for Mac applications. Then, right-click and select "Move to Trash."
3. Delete specific folders: In Finder, click on "Go" in the menu bar, then select "Go to Folder" and enter ~/Library/Containers/. Delete the folders that start with:
   • com.microsoft.Word
   • com.microsoft.Excel
   • com.microsoft.Powerpoint
   • com.microsoft.Outlook
   • com.microsoft.OneNote
4. Check Group Containers: Go back to the Library folder and open "Group Containers". If present, move the folders UBF8T346G9.ms and UBF8T346G9.Office to Trash.
5. Reinstall Office: After completing the above steps, sign in with your Microsoft account at account.microsoft.com/services to reinstall the Office apps.

These steps should help in resolving the issue with Word quitting unexpectedly.