15 Fixes For Microsoft Office Won't Open [Word, Powerpoint, Excel] (2023)

Among competitors, office apps are the most popular. Google or Apple goods are now being used as an alternative. If you’ve had issues with Office in the past, you may have switched products independently. Even if this is true for some, most people continue to support Office despite its flaws.

Contents show

Solutions To Fix “Microsoft Office Won’t Open” Error Message

Open Files from Microsoft App
Check Task Manager
Make Sure Microsoft Office Key Is Activated
Keep Microsoft Office Up-to-date
Disable Microsoft Office Add-ins
Stop “ClickToRunSvc” Service
Repair Or Reinstall Microsoft Office App
Go to Source Of Microsoft Office App
Uninstall Older Versions Of Microsoft Office
Remove Old Printer Drivers
Update Printer Driver
Manually Associate Office Files
Open Microsoft Word in Safe Mode
Update Windows Operating System
Scan Virus on Windows Computer

1. Open Files from Microsoft App

It might be possible that you are unable to open a Microsoft Office file by double-clicking on it. You can try opening the relevant Microsoft Office programs. Then the target word file from the app.

Open the appropriate Microsoft Office application, such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
Select the “File” option and then the “Open” option from the top menu.
Locate and choose your desired file.
You may be able to open the target file successfully. If you are incapable of doing so, simply move on to the next option.

2. Check Task Manager

You attempted to open Microsoft Office Word on your Windows 10 operating system. If it doesn’t work, try launching the Task Manager.

Right-click the Taskbar and hit Task Manager, or press shortcut “Ctrl + Shift + Esc.”
Look through the opened apps or under the Details tab, where it will be identified as WINWORD.EXE.

If the process is visible there, that suggests Windows 10 believes the program is open. It is powerless to intervene. In this situation, try creating a new document and editing it with the right-click menu.

3. Make Sure Microsoft Office Key Is Activated

The Microsoft Office Suite you’re using isn’t genuine. You won’t be capable of using any of the Office programs. You can open any software correctly, but you won’t be able to do anything with it.

You are unable to create new documents or edit existing ones. It’s nothing more than a shell. So, double-check that your Office is fully functional before attempting to log in.

Simply launch any office program.
To get started, go to File, then Account.

Details can be found under Product Information.

4. Keep Microsoft Office Up-to-date

Office programs can sometimes fail to function because they are out-of-date. Windows 10 won’t let you open a word document. Try installing the latest updates for your Office.

You can locate the most recent updates in the Control Panel. You may get service packs for Office and other programs from the Office Download Center.

Simply installing the most recent Microsoft Office update will resolve the issue.
Simply pick Update Now from the Update Options menu on the right side of the screen.

5. Disable Microsoft Office Add-ins

A user may choose to install add-ins for apps on purpose. Unwanted software is installed by accident or as a result of an infection. These other bits of software accompany it.

The Add-ins submenu can be accessed in any app. Microsoft add-ins are often safe. However, third-party add-ins may cause problems. Suppose you come across goods that aren’t listed above. Google them to discover if they’re known to cause problems.

Open the Microsoft Word application.
Go to File, then Options, then finally Add-ins.

Select COM Add-ins from the menu at the bottom of the Add-ins tab and click Go.

To exist, uncheck all add-ins in the COM Add-ins dialogue and click OK.

6. Stop “ClickToRunSvc” Service

When a computer comes up from sleep or hibernation, this usually happens. The ClickToRunSvc service is most likely to blame if a Microsoft Office app takes too much time to respond. To address the problem, turn it off.

Open Task Manager by right-clicking on the Taskbar.
Toggle over to the Services tab.
Locate ClickToRunSvc and right-click it. Then choose Stop.
After that, you can open any Office file to see if the problem has been resolved.

7. Repair Or Reinstall Microsoft Office Apps

Numerous corruptions cause problems with operation, and the best solution is to repair the suite via the Control Panel.

Open the control panel immediately as possible. To launch a run dialogue in any version of Windows, press CTRL + r and write appwiz.cpl.

Right-click Office and choose Change from the drop-down menu.
You’ll be given the option of doing a “Quick Repair” or an “Online Repair.”

Select the “Quick Repair” option and wait a few minutes to check if the problem is fixed.
You have the option of selecting “Online Repair.” It takes the same amount of time.
This procedure is less effective than reinstalling the app by selecting Uninstall first.

Repair Or Reinstall Microsoft Office Apps

You’ll have to enter your product key again, which may be found in the box. It’s also possible to see it in a software distribution center or your Microsoft account.
If you reinstall at work or in a school network, ensure this information is on hand.

8. Go To Source Of Microsoft Office App

You won’t be able to open any Microsoft Office products using their shortcuts. You must open the actual executable files directly. Look for the executive files in the Office. It varies depending on the Microsoft Office version. You can locate them in one of the two places listed below.

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16

To open them, double-click on them. Re-creating the shortcuts will now resolve the issue. Simply right-click the executable file and choose to Create Shortcut from the context menu.

9. Uninstall Older Versions Of Microsoft Office

Suppose you have multiple versions of Microsoft Office on your machine. The ones you don’t use should be uninstalled. Having various versions of Office on your PC can cause issues such as files opening with the incorrect version of Office.

In the Control Panel, move to the Uninstall Programs section.
Uninstall or alter an application from the list of apps in the Programs and Features window. Locate the obsolete Microsoft Office version, right-click it, and choose Uninstall.
Then follow the on-screen regulations to perform the uninstallation.

10. Remove Old Printer Drivers Installed

The next step is to double-check your default printer. The application does not start if Microsoft Word cannot access this printer.

Hold [Windows] + [I] keys and access the Windows settings. Go to the “Devices” section and pick “Printers and scanners.”
Remove the check box from the option “Allows Windows to manage my default printer.”

Allows Windows to manage my default printer

Choose the printer you’d want to use as your new default. To access the printer settings, click the “Manage” button. To utilize your new printer, select “as default.”

11. Update Printer Driver

Using the search field on your taskbar, open the “Device Manager.” The Device Manager will now appear on the screen.
You can expand by clicking on the “Print queues” option. Then open the context menu by right-clicking on your default printer and selecting “Update Driver.”

A new window will open now. Select the option to “Check for updated driver software automatically.” Now sit still and wait for the process to finish.

Check for updated driver software automatically

Finally, make sure Word can run after the driver has been updated.

12. Manually Associate Files In Office

Install the program, or make an association in the default programs control panel. Then, you may manually set the correct office program under Windows Settings. To do so, follow the steps below.

In Windows 10 operating system, pick Settings from the Start menu in the bottom left corner.
Select the Apps option in the Windows Settings window.
Select the Default apps tab in the left menu on the Apps & Features screen.
Scroll down and select “Set defaults by app” from the drop menu.
Locate the faulty Microsoft Office software on the next screen, click it, and select Manage.
Then, please find the file extension you couldn’t open and make Office the default software. Simply select the target Microsoft Office app by clicking on the current matched app.

13. Open Microsoft Word In Safe Mode

Check if different programs are not conflicting with Microsoft Word. To prevent this, you can try to open MS word documents in safe mode. For example, the following steps will open a Microsoft Word file in safe mode.

By hitting “Windows + R,” you can access the Windows Run box.
Enter “winword /safe” at the command prompt.
After that, Microsoft Word will open in safe mode.

Similarly, commands for opening additional Office apps in Safe Mode via the Run box are as follows.

Excel: excel /safe
Outlook: outlook /safe
PowerPoint: powerpnt /safe
Publisher: mspub /safe
OneNote: onenote /safe

14. Update Windows Operating System

Microsoft delivers Office updates through Windows Update regularly. Your Windows isn’t up to date. You may be capable of solving your issue by updating your Windows operating system.

Some system programs from the past are incompatible with your office apps. They make it impossible for you to access your office files. As a result, updating those system apps through Windows Update will be beneficial.

From the bottom-left corner, select the Start (Windows) button.
Go to the settings menu (gear icon).
Select the Update & Security icon from the menu.
In the left sidebar, select the Windows Update tab.
Check for updates by clicking the Check for updates button. If an update is ready, it will begin downloading automatically.

15. Scan Virus On Windows Computer

Click Update & Security in the Settings window, then the Windows Defender option on the left side.
Click Open Windows Defender Security Center in the Windows Defender dialogue box.
On the left, click the Virus and Threat Protection button.
Select Quick Scan from the menu. Windows Defender scans your PC.
In the Windows Defender Security Center, select Advanced Scan. A full scan, a bespoke scan, or an offline scan are all options.

Conclusion

Microsoft Office is the most popular for a variety of reasons. The most prominent of which is that it is the most familiar. The suite isn’t without flaws, with apps occasionally exhibiting inconsistent behavior. I assume that one of the options listed above will resolve your Microsoft Office will not open issue.