Microsoft Word on Mac stops working

Question

I am using Microsoft Word on a Mac, and I keep getting the pinwheel spinning; impossible to work for more than a few minutes at a time. Only resolves if I reboot. Please help.

Answer 1

Follow these steps in order, testing Word after each major step. This targets common causes: corrupted AutoRecovery files, preferences, and templates, and interference from other software.

1. Clear the AutoRecovery folder This removes stuck auto‑recovery files that can cause constant hangs.
2. Quit Word.
3. In Finder, on the Go menu, click Home.
4. Open Documents.
5. Open Microsoft User Data.
6. Open the Office Autorecovery folder.
7. Move the contents of this folder to the Desktop (do not delete yet).
8. Start Word and work for a while to see if the spinning pinwheel stops.

If Word is stable, the files in Office Autorecovery can be deleted later.

2. Install the latest Word/Office updates Outdated builds can cause performance and hanging issues.
3. Open Word (if possible) and on the menu, select Help > Check for Updates (or use Microsoft AutoUpdate if installed).
4. Install all available updates for Word/Office.
5. Restart the Mac and test Word again.
6. Remove Word preference files This resets Word settings that may be corrupted and causing the hangs.

A. Remove the main plist

1. Quit all Office apps.
2. In Finder, click Go > Home.
3. Open Library (if hidden, hold OPTION while clicking Go and choose Library).
4. Open Preferences.
5. Locate com.microsoft.word.plist and move it to the Desktop.
6. Start Word and test. If performance improves, leave the file off and later move it to Trash. If not, quit Word and move the file back.

B. Remove the Word preferences in the Microsoft folder

1. Quit all Office apps again.
2. Go to Home > Library > Preferences.
3. Open the Microsoft folder.
4. Locate com.microsoft.word.prefs.plist and move it to the Desktop.
5. Start Word and test. If this fixes the issue, move that file to Trash. If not, restore it.
6. Reset the Normal template A corrupted Normal template can cause hangs and crashes.
7. Quit all Office apps.
8. Go to Home > Library.
9. Open Application Support > Microsoft > Office > User Templates.
10. Locate the file named Normal (or Normal.dotm in newer versions) and move it to the Desktop.
11. Start Word and test. Word will create a fresh Normal template.
    • If Word is now stable, delete the old Normal file from the Desktop.
    • If not, you can move it back.
12. Test Word in a macOS Safe Boot (clean startup) This checks whether background apps, antivirus, or utilities are causing the spinning pinwheel.
13. Follow Apple’s steps in How to use safe mode on your Mac / Start up your Mac in safe mode to start the Mac in Safe Mode.
14. In Safe Mode, open Word and work as usual for a while.
    • If Word works normally in Safe Mode, some background program is likely interfering. Disable or uninstall recently added utilities, antivirus, or add‑ins, then restart normally and test again.
15. If the issue persists If none of the above steps help and Word still becomes unusable after a few minutes, the installation or user profile may be damaged. Next steps based on the same troubleshooting pattern are:

• Create a new macOS user account and test Word there (to rule out a corrupt user profile).
• Fully remove and reinstall Office for Mac, following the appropriate uninstall article for the version in use.

Before uninstalling, ensure the Office subscription or license is available in the Microsoft account so it can be reinstalled afterward.

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References:

• Word for Mac document stops responding when you try to open a document
• Word for Mac error: "Microsoft Word has encountered a problem and needs to close"
• How to use a "clean startup" to determine whether background programs are interfering with Office for Mac
• Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Word for Mac