Word open issues

Question

Word open issues and then crash, also sometimes open and shows the open to shows in safe mode, select yes or no and doesn't open.

In the same way, if an application calls word, for the user nothing happens and, in the background, the windows to open in safe mode apparently shows up, I found that information in the event viewer.

Answer 1

Thanks for your answer. I'd like to mention the step that I already complete before reaching out you guys.

1. Sign out and close all office app down.
2. On File Explorer Click >This PC>Windows C> Users>usersname>AppData>Local>Microsoft>Office>16.0>OfficeFileCache>0>0 then delete everything.( Delete the 0 folder, the first one)
3. On File Explorer Click >This PC>Windows C> Users>usersname>AppData>Local>Microsoft>Office>16.0>Wef \ then delete everything.(empty the folder)
4. Navigate to Credential Manager>Windows credential>Remove anything related to office or Microsoft.
5. Navigate to settings>Apps>Apps&Features>Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise>Modify/change>Online Repair and click on repair.
6. Restart the pc. Then,
7. Launch word and sign-in with the users' details.

And that word from some days and then back to the same situation which is: Word doesn't launch, so you need to end word task through the task manager, then try again and work.

The other common situation is if another app calls word, nothing happens and the event viewer shows the error that word was tried to open in safe mode, but that windows never appear in anywhere. So, end word entries through task manager try again and must all the time work.

To clarify, for the last scenery mentioned sometimes word is already open or sometimes will be launch through the app which is calling it.

Answer 2

Dear @Jesus Leal, 

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.   

From what I understand, you are currently unable to launch Word even in Safe Mode, correct? 

To help me investigate further, please take a screenshot of any error messages you see when trying to open Word.  

In the meantime, please follow these steps precisely so I can narrow down the cause: 

Step 1:  

• Sometimes Word hangs because of ghost processes running in the background. 
• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. 
• Look for any instance of Microsoft Word or winword.exe. 
• Right-click them and select End Task. 

Step 2: Manually Force Safe Mode 

• Since the automatic prompt is failing, let’s try a manual command to bypass the hang: 
• Right-click the Start button and select Run. 
• In the box, type: winword /safe and click OK.  
• Please let me know the result: Are you able to enter Safe Mode using this method? 

Step 3: Reset the Global Template (Normal.dotm) 

• If the template is corrupted, Word will crash every time it starts. 
• Close all Office programs. 
• Press Windows key + R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates, and press Enter. 
• Locate the file named Normal.dotm. 
• Right-click it and rename it to Normal.old. 
• Restart Word normally. Word will generate a brand-new, healthy template. 

Step 4: Clean the Word Startup Folder 

• If the issue persists, let's clear any hidden add-ins in the startup folder: 
• Press Windows key + R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Word\Startup, and press Enter. 
• If there are any files in this folder, move them to your desktop temporarily. 
• Test Word again. 

Step 5: Online Repair & Reinstall 

• If none of the above works, please try an Online Repair following the instructions in this link: Repair an Office application - Microsoft Support. (Since I'm not sure which version of Windows you are using, please follow the guide - it’s quite straightforward, so don't worry!) 

If even after an Online Repair the issue remains, the last resort is to uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Word. 

Please help me by following these steps one-by-one and letting me know the result for each. If all of these steps fail, it indicates a deeper system-level conflict or a registry issue, and I will provide the next specialized steps based on your feedback. 

While my initial suggestions don’t solve the issue immediately, your feedback is crucial. With the additional details you provide, I’ll be able to pinpoint the exact cause and work closely with you to fix it.  

Looking forward to your response!

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Answer 3

When Microsoft Word fails to open properly and crashes, or when it prompts to open in Safe Mode, it may be due to issues related to your Office installation or the Windows environment. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can take:

1. Check Installation Type: Determine whether your Office installation is Click-to-Run or MSI-based. You can do this by opening any Office application, going to the File menu, and selecting Account or Office Account. If you see an Update Options item, it is a Click-to-Run installation.
2. Repair Office: If Word crashes or fails to start, try repairing Office through 'Programs and Features' in the Control Panel. This can resolve issues related to corrupted files.
3. Start Windows in Selective Startup: Instead of running Windows in Safe Mode, use the Selective Startup option in System Configuration. This can help avoid conflicts that may prevent Word from starting correctly. To do this:
   • Press the Windows Key + R, type msconfig, and click OK.
   • Select Selective startup and clear the Load system services and Load startup items check boxes.
   • Restart your computer.
4. Event Viewer: Since you mentioned the Event Viewer, check for any error messages related to Word that might provide additional insights into the crashes.

If the problem persists, consider checking for updates for both Windows and Office to ensure you have the latest fixes and improvements.

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References:

• Troubleshoot problems that occur when you start or use Word
• Office applications don't start when Windows is running in safe mode