Microsoft Word is ubiquitous, among users whether at work, school or doing personal tasks. But the all too common “Microsoft Word not responding” error is irritating and quite disruptive. This article will outline the causes of the problem and provide steps on how the issue can be played out and resolved.
Common Causes of the Error message Microsoft Word Not Responding
Add-Ins: There are instances when Word has to battle with third party add-ins which leads to poor performance and ‘not responding’ errors.
Corrupted Files: Trying to access or open a corrupt file can lead to hanging or crashing of Word application.
Outdated Software: Using an old version of the Word application or Operating System can result to a compatibility problem.
Little Resources: In the case the memory or processor unit of the computer is low, running word may not be easy.
Interfering Applications: Applications that are running at the same time may affect the usability of Word.
Processes in the Background: Some updates or even background tasks tend to freeze your machine such that Word fails to respond.
Steps to Repair the “Microsoft Word Not Responding” Issue
1. Just be Sure that It will Work Later
There are even occasions when Word is simply busy doing something. That is, if the application is hanging for a few seconds or so, simply dealing with it could prove to be a wise idea.
2. Quitting Word Program
If you feel that there is no other way out, then you can quit the Word Application:
– Click on Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to start the Task Manager.
– Look for Microsoft Word in the apps list.
– Right-click and choose “End Task.”
3. Restart Your Computer.
There are many temporary errors that occur and a simple restart of your computer gets rid of them and optimizes the resources, too.
4. Open in Safe Mode.
When Safe Mode is used to open the Word application, add-ins and customizations will not be active:
Start Word while holding the Ctrl key.
When asked whether to run the application in safe mode, click Yes.
5. Disable Add-Ins
You may enable or disable add-ins as follows:
- Start Word, then select File, then Options, then Add-Ins.
- Choose COM Add-ins from the menu and press Go.
- Disable any add-ins you wish and restart Word.
6. Repair Office Installation
It’s also possible to repair the installation of Office to restore some files which are corrupted.
- Click on Control Panel, then on Programs, and finally on Programs and Features.
- Select Microsoft Office, right-click it and choose Change.
- Select Repair and complete the steps that follow.
7. Update Word and Windows
Check for updates for Microsoft Word and for Windows the operating system:
For Word, on the menu select File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
To check for updates for Windows, navigate to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
8. Check for Conflicting Programs
Shut down all non-vital programs operating in the background. Also, consider the coprocessor program, potentially indicating the presence of conflicting software.
9. Delete Normal.dotm
Normal.dotm is a template file and this particular file may be damaged.
Exit word
Under the path C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates
Find Normal.dotm and remove it. A new one will be generated by Word when the application opens again.
10. Reinstall Microsoft Office
If any solution above does not succeed in resolving the issue you are experiencing, then attempt to remove the current copy of Microsoft Office installed in the computer and install a new copy instead.
Conclusion,
If you need assistance, feel free to reach us on chat to discuss further regarding error messages. Finally, If you are still not able to resolve this error, we suggest you to chat with our assured experts. I am sure they will give you the best solutions to resolve this error completely. You can also visit our website for more information.
Tags: Microsoft Word Isn’t Responding, Microsoft Word Not Responding Error, word not responding, Word Not Responding Error
