Word Not Opening

Start Word in Safe Mode to test whether an add-in is causing the repair-or-close prompt, and run a full Online Repair if Word still will not open.

1. Start Word in Safe Mode

1. Press Windows key + R.
2. Enter:

      winword /safe
   

3. Select OK. There must be a space before /safe.
4. Confirm that Microsoft Word (Safe Mode) appears in the title bar. Safe Mode starts Word without automatically loading add-ins and other customizations.^1^

If Word opens in Safe Mode

Test the document. If it opens successfully, disable add-ins one at a time:

1. In Word, select File → Options → Add-Ins.
2. At the bottom, select COM Add-ins beside Manage, then select Go.
3. Clear one add-in and select OK.
4. Close Word and open it normally.
5. Repeat until Word starts normally. Leave the problematic add-in disabled, remove it, or obtain an updated version.^2^

2. If Safe Mode fails, run Online Repair

Online Repair repairs the entire Office installation, even if only Word is affected.^3^

Windows 11

1. Right-click Start → Installed apps.
2. Find Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office.
3. Select the three dots → Modify.
4. Select Online Repair → Repair.
5. Complete the prompts, restart the PC if requested, and test Word again.

Windows 10

1. Right-click Start → Apps and Features.
2. Select Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office → Modify.
3. Select Online Repair → Repair.
4. Complete the prompts and test Word again.

If your installation shows Change your installation instead, select Repair → Continue. Online Repair can require an Internet connection and may require you to sign back into Office afterward.

If Online Repair also fails, the next supported path is to uninstall and reinstall Office. Before doing that, ensure the Microsoft account used to purchase or activate Office is available, because it may be needed to reinstall and activate the product.

References

1. Open Office apps in safe mode on a Windows PC | Microsoft Support
2. I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC | Microsoft Support
3. Repair an Office application | Microsoft Support