Office for Mac: Color Wheel Every 15 Seconds

Question

I am a graduate student using the educational version of Office through my school. The Word app is version 16.015. I'm running a 16" Macbook with an M4 Pro chip, OS version 15.6.1 (24G90). In fact, I had to buy this new laptop because Office was no longer supported on my other laptop. So I bought this laptop purely because I need Office to work properly, but I'm still getting issues that prevent my work from getting done:

Mostly with Word (but also with PowerPoint), this happens: the app stops responding to typing/clicking, then I notice it and wait 3-5 seconds, then the colorful wheel mouse icon appears and spins for 5-10 seconds. Then I can resume work.

This happens 1) every time I click away to another window and then return to Word, 2) every time I pause typing and then resume typing, and 3) at least once a minute when I'm actively working.

I tried disabling some of the "smart" features, thinking it would decrease processing load, but it made 0 difference.

Can this be fixed?

Answer 1

You can disregard the reply from the AI bot, at least for the time being. Much of what it spews forth is Windows-centric.

The pinwheel essentially is a busy signal from the operating system.

The first step is to update your operating system. Version 15.7.3 is the current release of Sequoia.

Secondly, update Mac Office. It isn't clear which version you have [there never was a 16.015] but version 16.105.3 [or later depending on update channel] is the current build.

If you still have a problem once all is current please reply with complete descriptive details.

Answer 2

Hi Kristin Clay Houser

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum and sharing your experience.

Based on your description, the repeated beachballing when switching windows or resuming typing suggests that Word is intermittently stalling rather than crashing. Since this also affects PowerPoint on a new Apple‑silicon Mac, it’s likely related to background processing rather than a single document issue.

• To help isolate the cause, one useful first step is to open the same document in Word for the Web through your browser. If the document performs smoothly there but continues to lag in the desktop app, that helps narrow the issue to the local client or system‑level caching rather than the file itself.
• On Word for Mac, AutoSave is closely tied to background processes such as document state checks, versioning, and cloud synchronization. After making the change, please quit all Office applications completely and then restart the app to ensure the setting is fully applied. After testing, you can re‑enable this setting.
• I also recommend performing a Safe Mode cycle, which clears system caches, font caches, and temporary swap files in one step. To do this, shut down your Mac completely. Turn it back on and immediately press and hold the Shift key until the login window appears. Sign in (you may see “Safe Boot” in the menu bar), wait briefly, and then restart your Mac normally.
• Finally, test whether the behavior occurs in a brand‑new, blank document stored locally, rather than in an existing or cloud‑synced file.

Please let me know what you observe after trying these steps, as your feedback may also help others in the community who are experiencing similar behavior.

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Answer 3

The issue you are experiencing with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint on your Mac, where the applications become unresponsive and show the spinning color wheel, could be related to several factors. Here are some potential solutions to consider:

1. Update Office: Ensure that you are using the latest version of Office. Sometimes, performance issues are resolved in newer updates.
2. Disable Hardware Acceleration: Disabling hardware acceleration can help with performance issues. To do this:
   • Open any Office application.
   • Go to File > Options > Advanced.
   • Check the box for Disable hardware graphics acceleration.
   • Click OK and restart the application.
3. Check for Background Processes: Sometimes, other applications or processes running in the background can affect performance. Check your Activity Monitor for any resource-heavy applications that might be running.
4. Reset Preferences: Corrupted preferences can sometimes cause issues. You can reset your Office preferences by deleting the preference files. This can be done by navigating to ~/Library/Preferences and removing the relevant Microsoft Office preference files.
5. Reinstall Office: If the problem persists, consider uninstalling and then reinstalling Office to ensure a clean installation.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, it may be worth checking with your school's IT support for further assistance, as they may have specific configurations or solutions for the educational version of Office.

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References:

• Some Office applications are not responding