Microsoft Word (365) remains extremely slow

Question

Microsoft Word (365) has become extremely slow. When I open even a newly created word document, speed is initially perfect. But then if I key in a few items, the latency starts within 1 minute. As an illustrative example, if I hit the "return key" 3 times, it takes 5 seconds for the cursor to eventually respond. Like an idiot, I thought it was my PC and paid top dollar for a new Dell w/ I7 processor, 64 gb of dram and 2 TB SSD. Even if I create a new word doc w/ nothing in it, latency starts. 3 quirky things: #1 - if only one doc is open, latency is reduced. #2 - Latency only experienced in msft word. #3 - Initially when I open a doc, responsiveness is okay. Only becomes unresponsive after about 90 seconds. Finally, I have no add-ins running. Opening in safe mode only works while i stay in safe mode. Please help

Answer 1

reposting to try & reflect as "solved" ... Thanks everyone for your responses.  I figured it out.  In >> Apps >> Installed Apps >> "Microsoft 365" >> I had about 7 versions of msft 365 installed in 7 diff languages, e.g., german, french, etc... After deleting all languages except for English, Microsoft Word speed was restored to normal.  On a sidenote, I should have figured this out.  When I would try doing a spell check in msft word, the check was always in different languages.  I could not get the search to work in English.  Thanks everyone for your help and confirming this issue resolved

Answer 2

Opening in safe mode only works while i stay in safe mode.

This does indicate a problem with the settings files, the registry or the Normal template. Startup and/or COM add-ins could also be responsible, but it seems you already ruled out that possibility. For troubleshooting, see https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-to-troubleshoot-problems-that-occur-when-you-start-or-use-word-c58cf51c-eff7-4205-89ce-1a23f8f8096e .

Answer 3

Thanks everyone for your responses.  I figured it out.  In >> Apps >> Installed Apps >> "Microsoft 365" >> I had about 7 versions of msft 365 installed in 7 diff languages, e.g., german, french, etc... After deleting all languages except for English, Microsoft Word speed was restored to normal.  On a sidenote, I should have figured this out.  When I would try doing a spell check in msft word, the check was always in different languages.  I could not get the search to work in English.  Thanks everyone for your help and confirming this issue resolved

Answer 4

1

The best first option is to perform a full repair of your Office installation.

Open the Settings App (gear icon on your Start Menu)

Go to Apps, then scroll down to find Microsoft Office

Select that and choose Modify - Online Repair

That should fix any issues with your Office Installation.

2

If that does not resolve the problem, if you are using OneDrive to sync your files online.

Create a new Word document, and save it locally on your drive in a folder that is not synced to OneDrive, and test if the problems exist with that document.

Answer 5

Based on the described behavior, focus on known Word performance causes and recommended mitigations:

1. Check for excessive tracked changes or comments Even if a document looks simple, heavy use of Track Changes or many comments can cause severe lag.

1. Close all instances of Word.
2. Start Word and open a new blank document.
3. Go to the Review tab.
4. In the Tracking group, set All Markup.
5. Select Show Markup and set Balloons to Show only comments and formatting in balloons.
6. Use File > Open to open the problematic document.
7. Accept or reject tracked changes and remove comments until performance improves.

This should be repeated for any templates or documents that are frequently used, as table-related tracked changes have the biggest impact.

2. Ensure Auto-Recover is not pointing to a network location If Auto-Recover is configured to use a network share, Word can become sluggish after autosave events.

1. In Word, go to File > Options > Save.
2. Check AutoRecover file location.
3. Set it to a local path (for example, the default %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Word).
4. Confirm that %APPDATA% (Roaming Application Data) itself points to a local folder.

3. Reduce performance overhead from add-ins and features Even if no add-ins appear active, verify and minimize optional features:

1. In Word, go to File > Options > Add-ins and ensure unneeded add-ins are disabled or removed.
2. In File > Options > Proofing, consider disabling or reducing AutoCorrect options.
3. In File > Options > General, turn off ScreenTips or reduce their use.

4. Verify local performance and environment Given the powerful hardware, focus on software and configuration:

1. Confirm documents are opened from a local drive rather than a network share or synced location when testing.
2. Ensure antivirus or other security tools are not aggressively scanning Word temp/AutoRecover locations; test by temporarily saving to a different local folder.
3. If Word performance is acceptable in Safe Mode but not normal mode, systematically re-enable features (add-ins, custom templates, third-party integrations) to identify the culprit.

5. Consider 64-bit Office and general Microsoft 365 performance guidance For large or complex documents, 64-bit Office and adequate hardware improve performance. The current device already exceeds typical recommendations (SSD, 8 GB+ RAM, multi-core CPU). Ensure the installed Office build is up to date and, if using 32-bit Office with large/complex files, consider moving to 64-bit Office if compatible with other software.

If the issue persists after these steps, test with a completely new local Windows user profile and a new blank document to isolate whether the problem is profile-specific or system-wide.

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References:

• Word slows or stops responding if there are excessive tracked changes or comments
• Performance issues with Auto-Recover location on network share
• Performance recommendations for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10
• Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Word for Windows