Word document not opening

Hi @Joel Campbel,

Thanks for staying connected with this case.

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Hi @Joel Campbel,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Based on the symptoms you've described, it appears the file may be corrupted. Given its size and importance, I recommend attempting to open it using Microsoft Word on a desktop computer. Mobile applications, which is including those on iPad, iPhone, and Chromebook is often struggle with corrupted or partially synced files, whereas the desktop version of Word tends to be more robust in handling such issues.

Additionally, the fact that the file doesn’t appear in your iCloud may suggest it was never properly synced to your cloud storage (iCloud or OneDrive), which could have contributed to the corruption.

If possible, please try transferring the file to a desktop environment and attempt to open or recover it there. Alternatively, if you're comfortable sharing the file, feel free to send it to me via private message. I’d be happy to take a closer look and see if I can assist with recovery.

Alternatively, you may want to check the OneDrive Recycle Bin. If the file was accidentally deleted or overwritten, it might still be recoverable from there. You can access it by logging into OneDrive online and navigating to the Recycle Bin section.

Please let me know how you'd like to proceed, and I’ll do my best to support you.

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I still can’t access it and I have tried everything you said …even on iCloud site it’s still unreadable

Hi @Joel Campbel,

Welcome to Q&A Forum.
Thanks for sharing the issue. 

You're trying to access a Word file that now shows as only 5 bytes in size on OneDrive and won’t open on your iPad Pro, iPhone, or Chromebook. This typically indicates file corruption or data loss, especially if the file was previously large.
If you have a local save on Chrome Book, I'd suggest you use Open and Repair feature to recover it.

Navigate to File > Open > Browse:

Look for the corrupted file and click on it, then click the arrow next to the Open button.

Choose Open and Repair:

In most cases, this method successfully recovers and open the file for you. To prevent future corruption, I recommend saving your document both locally and to the cloud after successfully open it.
You can read more about file corruption error via this document: Error message when you try to open an Office document

If you only have the file saved online and no local backup, please check your OneDrive Version History to see if an earlier version can be restored.

• Go to https://onedrive.live.com/ from a desktop browser.
• Locate the file.
• Right-click → Version history.
• Restore a previous version if available.
• If possible, use a Windows PC or Mac with Word desktop app.
• Sometimes mobile apps fail to open corrupted or partially synced files.
• If the file was accidentally overwritten or replaced, check OneDrive’s Recycle Bin for older versions.

Should the issue persist, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.

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