Microsoft Word Won’t Open Windows 10 & Mac- [ All Fixed]

Hello and welcome to Sinzika!

The reason for this Microsoft error is that you are dealing with large files on a computer with weak specifications or that the document you are working on has problems and errors. It is not important which version of Microsoft Word you have; very often it can happen that this word processor does not open. What can you do to fix it?

Word is a very important software for everyday life. Usually, people use computers to surf the Internet, read emails, and write Word documents. But when they try to open Word it does not work. What should you do? Take your time and let’s think together about why Word doesn’t work more on your computer.

You should start by thinking about problems that might happen with any program in the Office package. That way, this guide will help if they happen to any other program.

How to fix a corrupted word file on Windows 10

This is a common problem, but don’t worry, we will try to fix it as soon as possible. Please follow the steps below:

1 Close any Word Doc you currently have open and restart your computer.

2 If your Word program still does not open, go to the Start menu and select ‘All Programs’, then find and select ‘Microsoft Office’ or whatever your version of Word is listed as, for example, Microsoft Office 2016.

3 Once you have selected the application, a list of related products should appear, such as Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel.

4 Right-click on either one (it doesn’t matter which one) and choose ‘Properties’ from the menu that appears.

5 In the Properties window, click on the ‘Compatibility’ tab.

6 In the list of checkboxes under ‘Compatibility mode’, select one or all of them depending on your operating system: Windows XP (Service Pack 2), Windows XP (Service Pack 3) and Windows XP (Service Pack 1) if you have the original version of Windows XP.

7 Click on ‘OK’ to save your changes. Try opening Word again. If this does not work, please continue with step 8, if it does work please skip to step 6.

8 Now click on the ‘Change settings for all users button.

Word is the essential software, usually used to write documents and edit them. But if it doesn’t open, why not just download a new copy? Sometimes the solution is as simple as that!

But before doing so, you may want to know how to fix corrupted word files on windows 10. If the document was saved previously in previous versions of Word, this may be even easier.

In any case, if the document is corrupted for some reason and it does not open in Word on Windows 10, you can try some different approaches to fix the problem. Here are the steps to do so:

Microsoft Word won’t open or crashes when opening a file/opens but hangs

TIP: First of all, make sure you backup the corrupt files before trying any of these methods. If it fails to open after performing all procedures correctly, try to download a new copy from the Microsoft website.

Step 1  –   Start the file recovery process for Word 2016

First thing first, you have to start the Word Recovery tool. To do so, type Word 2016 in the search box on your start menu. Then click or tap on the first option that shows up : 

Step 2  –   Recovering/Fixing Corrupt Docs

After opening the program, you should be able to see all of your corrupted files. Just hit “recover” next to the one you can’t open.

Step 3  –   Fixing the corrupted Docs with different software

If step 1 and step 2 don’t work, it may be possible for some other programs to recover your files. We recommend using Recuva (free) or Stellar Phoenix Word data recovery ($69) since they are able to recover documents more complex than Word itself.

Step 4  –   Downloading another copy of Word

If all the above steps fail, download Word 2016 from Microsoft website again. They have free trial versions of their software that can be used to open or create new files.

Word 2016 won’t open or crashes when the opening file/stays on opening document screen

It may be possible you are simply using the wrong version of Word. Make sure you download or install the latest version by going to Microsoft website.

TIP: If it is not the problem with your Microsoft Word software, make sure you check these tips to fix common PC problems.

Microsoft Word 2016 won’t open/Crashes when opening a file

If Word 2016 won’t open or crashes when you try to open a file, this is due to the security and compatibility issues in Windows XP. But if you are using windows 7 or newer operating systems, make sure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements for installing Word [link below].

Word doesn’t open, black screen appears

This is definitely a problem with your Word software. Before trying other methods, make sure to check the minimum system requirements [link below] and see if you can upgrade your computer or not.

Word 2016 won’t open/Crashes when opening a file

Microsoft Word 2016 won’t open/Crashes when opening a file

Make sure to update your software on the Microsoft website. If the problem still persists, run a virus scan or download Windows updates from the windows update website.

Word Won’t Open errors

If it doesn’t work after trying all those methods, you should try these tips as well.

Microsoft Word won’t open/Crashes when opening a file

Step 1  – Open the program you are having problems with. If it still doesn’t work, go to step 2.

Step 2  – Type “filename*.*” without the quotation marks in the search bar (or address bar in Internet Explorer). If you can find the file in the list, click it and try to open it.

Step 3  – If it opens in a different program (wordpad for example) or if you don’t see your file in the list, copy or move it somewhere else.

Step 4  – Search again for the file. If it appears in the list, right click it and “open with”. Then choose Microsoft Word (or other program if it doesn’t work).

Step 5  – Try to open your document again.

Word Won’t Open errors – FixCannot open file errors

You may be trying to open a file that is not supported by your version of Word (or other program). Check if you have the latest version of your software. If it doesn’t work, you should try to open a different file from the same type or download a new copy of Word (or program) from the Microsoft website.

Word Won’t Open errors – FixCannot start this program errors

You have probably downloaded a file that your program doesn’t support. Try to open a different file and see if it works. If not, try searching the web for how to open files containing macros in Word (or other program).

Word Won’t Open errors – FixCannot find source files errors

It may be possible that you are trying to open a file that was deleted or moved. This can be due to a mistake in the file name, your file may have been renamed by someone else or it may no longer be in that location. You should search for that file on your computer or through internet search. If you cannot find it, try downloading a new copy from Microsoft website .

Word document won’t open – FixFile could not be accessed errors

You may simply have too many files in the same location. Try renaming your Word document and try opening it again (make sure to use a different name than the deleted file). You should also search for any temporary files or internet cache related to that file and delete them, making sure you have the latest version of Microsoft Word or other applications before you do so.

Word won’t open – FixFile already in use errors

It may be possible that another program is using the file and preventing your program from opening it. In this case, try closing all programs that are running and then trying to open your document again.

Incorrect function Word 2016 error

You may have used the incorrect file type. For example, you can open .odt files in Word but not .docx files. To fix this go to Microsoft website and download a new copy of Microsoft Office or use another program on your computer instead (LibreOffice is free).

Recover deleted and lost Word on Mac

Don’t worry if the error causes data loss; you can recover the unsaved Word document on Mac from its temporary folder and save AutoRecovery. For a deleted Word document, use Mac data recovery software for the easiest way to get it back.

• You can use the Scan button to find Word documents that were lost.

• The program immediately starts a scan of the selected volume. In the meantime, the scan results will be presented in the left panel.

You may also filter the files by location or file type to narrow down your search. Select the files and press the Recover button to recover them.

Conclusion:

If you’re having trouble opening a file in Microsoft Word, it’s possible that your computer doesn’t meet the software requirements. You can find system specifications for different versions of Microsoft Office on this page.

If all else fails and you’re still unable to open files with Microsoft word, there are other free programs like LibreOffice which may work better for you (https://libreoffice.org).

Don’t hesitate to get in touch if these tips don’t resolve your issue or if you need help choosing an alternative solution!