• Microsoft Office Word Not Responding Mac Os
• Microsoft Word Not Responding Save
• Word Not Responding On Mac
• Microsoft Office Products Not Responding

Jun 27,2019 • Filed to: Mac Recovery • Proven solutions

Question: Q: Microsoft Office Not Responding Since I've upgrade to OS X El Captain, Powerpoint, Excel, and Word are not responding and refuse to open. Also, it's telling me in a pop up window that I'm running out of memory on the laptop when I still have a lot of memory. Aug 27, 2015  Don't you hate it when Office isn't responding and causing you all kinds of issues. Learn 2 simple fixes for solving the microsoft office not responding issue. Feb 02, 2009  With a 100GB HD, you should have enough free space. After you have done a permissions repair, you may try to do an office database maintenance. To do this, quit all office programs. Open your applications folder, then open MS Office 2008. Open the 'Office' folder and go to 'Microsoft Database Utility'. Double click on it.

“Can someone please tell me how to force quit Word on Mac? MS Word is not responding on my Mac and I can’t seem to fix it anyhow!”

This is a recent query posted by a Mac user who is finding it hard to work with MS Word on macOS. Since MS Office is a third-party application for Mac, a lot of people also suffer from a similar issue. While it might seem complicated at first, you can easily fix the Microsoft Word not responding Mac issue by following the right approach. In this extensive guide, we will teach you how to force quit Word on Mac and fix the Word not responding on Mac problem like a pro.

If you perform one of the following procedures in one of the Microsoft Office programs that are listed at the end of this article, the program may stop responding (hang) for a long time: You click the Save in list in the Save As dialog box. You click the Look in list in the Open dialog box. Feb 25, 2020  Summary. When Microsoft Office Word suddenly stops working or fails to open a document on Windows 10/8/7, don't worry. You can follow fixes on this page to resolve Microsoft Word has stopped working issue and use EaseUS file recovery software to. May 22, 2019 Fix Microsoft Word Not Responding on Mac. If Microsoft Word doesn't respond on Mac, you may force quit the application and fix the problem with the following methods. Clear the Auto Recovery folder. Step 1 Open the Go menu and click Home. Step 2 Go to Documents Microsoft User Data then you will find the Office Autorecovery folder. Jan 22, 2017 Microsoft office stopped working on my mac. I can't open excel, powerpoint, or word. Technician's Assistant: How much experience do you have with this particular machine? I have a mac book air - I've had a mac of some sort for 20 years.

Part 1: Reasons Why Microsoft Word Not Responding on Mac?

From a faulty MS Word application to a corrupt macOS firmware, there could be plenty of reasons for why this Microsoft tool is not responding on Mac. Here are some of these common issues that you should know.

• There could be a clash between MS word and macOS settings, causing the issue.


• It can also happen if you are running an outdated version of macOS or MS Word.


• The issue arises when we use a pirated and unreliable Word application on Mac.


• MS Word might malfunction on Mac due to faulty third-party fonts or plugins.


• The location where MS Office has been installed could be corrupt.


• Your system’s firmware or settings might be blocking a Word feature.


• The application can get corrupt and needs to be reinstalled or deleted.

Part 2: What to Do When Word Not Responding on Mac?

If the Microsoft Word application is not responding on Mac, then don’t worry – you can easily quit it and start again. Just like Windows, Mac also allows us to forcefully close an application from running in the background. This is the best solution to fix any application that has been stuck or frozen on Mac.

Step 1 Simply go to the Finder menu and click on the Apple logo > Force Quit option.

Step 2 You can also access the feature by pressing the keyboard shortcut keys – Option + Command + Escape at the same time.

Step 3 As the Force Quit Application tab will open, you can see all the applications running in the background.

Step 4 Select MS word from this list and click on the “Force Quit” button to close it. Once it is done, wait for a while, and launch MS Word again.

Part 3: How to Fix the Problem 'Word Not Responding on Mac” Frequently

While you can learn how to quit Word on Mac by following the above-listed solution, you need to take extra measures to get a permanent fix. If Word keeps crashing or doesn’t respond on Mac quite frequently, then you should consider these solutions.

Fix 1. Remove Adds-Ins

You might already know that there are tons of third-party add-ins available for Mac. Though, some of these add-ins can end up corrupting the application or make it malfunction. The easiest way to fix this is by removing all the faulty add-ins from the application. Just launch MS Word on Mac and go to its Insert tab. Click on the Add-ins option to view all the installed extensions. From here, you can delete any unreliable add-in from Word.

Fix 2. Open Word in Safe Mode

If you want to access MS Word on Mac, but it keeps crashing in the background, then consider opening it in the Safe Mode. Unlike Windows, you can’t launch a dedicated application on Safe Mode. Instead, you need to boot the entire system on safe mode. To do this, restart your Mac or turn it on. As Mac would start, press and hold the Shift key to boot it in Safe Mode. Log-in to your user account and try launching MS Word on it again.

Fix 3. Check Invalid Characters in File Name

A faulty name of the MS Word file can also make it corrupt as well. Since the rules for naming files on Windows and Mac are slightly different, a lot of people get confused. While the file can have an alphanumeric name, it should not start from a number or a special character. Also, make sure that there are no invalid special characters (like colon or semicolon) in the name. You can just select the file you wish to change, right-click, and rename it. Mac also allows us to rename multiple files in one go as well.

Fix 4. Check Third-Party Fonts

Mac also provides a seamless solution to install interesting fonts from third-party sources. Though, just like third-party add-ins, fonts can also make Word not responding on Mac. Most of the fonts that are installed on Mac are located in Applications > Font Book. You can go to the same location via Finder and look for any faulty third-party font. Right-click and choose to remove the font family from your Mac. Once it is done, restart Mac and launch MS Word on it again.

Fix 5. Clear Out the Auto Recovery Folder

The Auto Recovery folder on Mac automatically saves the Word file we are working on, letting us restore it afterward. Sometimes, the existing data in the Auto Recovery folder can clash with the functioning of MS Word. The problem usually happens when we force close Word on Mac and can’t access it later due to the Auto Recovery folder clash.

To fix the Word program not responding on Mac, click on Finder > Go > Go to Folder and enter the following address: “~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery/”

Use onenote for mac without microsoft account. Note: The in the code above is for the English version 'en-us'.

This will launch the Auto Recovery folder on your Mac. You can simply delete the existing files in it and try launching MS Word to resolve the issue.

Fix 6: Reset the Word Preferences

To make things easier for its users, MS Word saves certain preferences and settings on Mac. If even after following the above-listed fixes, you are not able to resolve Word not responding on Mac, then consider this approach. Just launch MS Word and go to Finder > Word > Preferences.

As the Word Preferences window will open, go to the “File Locations” option and select the “User Templates” feature. From here, you can choose to “Reset” the template for MS Word. If you want, you can click on the “Modify” button, access the template (Normal.dotm file), and delete it from Mac.

Fix 7. Repair Disk Permissions

A lot of people don’t realize, but sometimes, the problem could be with your Mac and not the Word application. For instance, if the disk where MS Word is installed is corrupt, then you can use its native feature – Disk Utility. Just go to Finder > Applications > Utility and launch the Disk Utility component. Select the drive where MS Word is installed on the left panel and click on the “First Aid” option on the toolbar. Confirm your choice and run the disk repairing operations to fix Mac’s storage.

Fix 8: Download and install the Latest Updates for Word macOS 10.14

If you are running an old or outdated version of MS Word on your Mac, then it can also cause unwanted compatibility issues. The good thing is that the issue can easily be fixed by updating your application to the latest version. Simply launch the MS Word application and go to Help > Check for Updates. This will launch a dedicated Microsoft AutoUpdate window. From here, you can check for the latest updates or enable the automatic update feature as well.

Part 4: How to Recover Unsaved and Lost Word Documents on Mac

Sometimes, while forcefully closing the application, users end up losing their important documents. While you can’t avoid this situation altogether, you can take the needed steps to get your lost data back. To do this, you can take the assistance of Recoverit (IS) for Mac. It can recover all kinds of lost, deleted, or corrupt Word document from your Mac. Apart from Mac, you can use it to recover data from several other sources a well.

Recoverit (IS) for Mac

A Life Saver to Solve Your Data Loss Problems!

• The application is extremely easy to use with an intuitive interface, letting us perform data recovery as per our convenience.
• It will let you preview the recovered Word documents, so that you can select the files you wish to save.
• It features a highly sophisticated data recovery algorithm that can yield positive results in all scenarios like accidental deletion, corrupt storage, formatted disk, and so on.
• You can recover Word files from Mac’s internal disk or an external device like SD card, USB drive, hard disk, and more.
• It supports all kinds of documents, Word files, PDFs, photos, videos, compressed files, and 1000+ different file extensions.

You can download a free version of the software from its official website to further give it a try on your own. Once it is done, follow these steps to recover Word documents from Mac.

Step 1 Install and launch

Firstly, launch the Recoverit (IS) application on your Mac.

Microsoft Office Word Not Responding Mac Os

Step 2 Mark a source location

Furthermore, you can select a source location on your Mac from where you have lost the Word document. It can be any partition on Mac or an external device.

Step 3 Restore your Word files

As the application would try to extract the lost or inaccessible content, you can just wait for a while for the process to complete. In the end, the application will let you preview the retrieved documents on its own interface. Select the files you wish to get back and save them to a trusted location.

Now when you know how to force quit Word on Mac or fix the Word not responding on Mac issue, you can easily fulfill your needs. The guide has listed several solutions that can help you fix issues like Microsoft Word not responding on Mac without any hassle. In case if you have lost your Word documents, then take the assistance of Recoverit (IS) instead. A highly secure and trusted application, it is known for its professional data recovery results, making it a must-have tool for every Mac.

I am using Microsoft Remote Desktop app to connect to a Windows machine from my mac. When I start the app it goes in full screen (I don't see any of the Mac controls). I was used to switching back from the app to the Mac desktop by using CMD-Tab but for some reason this stopped working. When I press CMD-Tab I'm getting a task bar of the Mac applications that are running but when I try press on an icon nothing happens - I am still stuck with the Microsoft Remote Desktop app. How can I get back to from that app to the Mac controls? At a loss.

Feb 11,2020 • Filed to: Recover & Repair Files • Proven solutions

Hello user! We can understand how frustrating this problem could be. When Microsoft Word does not respond in Windows 10, the reasons could be aplenty. Many times, these are unknown. However, we are here to talk about the solutions for the problem. Also, the issue may seem bigger when your work isn’t saved and the system shows the problem in between. Well! You don’t need to fret anymore as we are going to tell you what should be done when Word is not responding in Windows 10. Here are the potential solutions.

Part 1: Causes of Microsoft Word Not Responding Messages

Before jumping to the conclusion, it is always a sane idea to get a detailed view about the problem. And therefore, we feel that you should be well aware of the facts that trigger Word not responding issue. This way you could fix the problem accordingly. Here are some of the reasons that may cause such error.

• First of all, it is to always remember that the problems in applications or software arise when they are not up-to-date. And hence, one reason why Word is not responding could be it is outdated.
• Secondly and probably the office edition that you are employing is not supported by the recent operating system on your computer. These compatibility issues may give issues like “Word not responding” error.
• Along with the software, when the system’s driver is not updated, the issue is likely to occur. Hence, you need to check on it.
• Apart from these, word file issues or word add-in issues may also act as culprits when you face Microsoft Word not responding error.

Part 2: How Do You Fix A Word File Which Is Not Responding?

Now that you have understood what can be the possible reasons for the problem, we can help you providing the methods that will work when your Microsoft Word fails to work. Check out the following solutions.

1. Start Word application in Safe Mode

Safe Mode can be a great way to get rid of situations like this. By using the Safe Mode for Microsoft Word, you will be able to troubleshoot such issue. Basically, this helps in disabling all the third-party services as well as applications. When the other stuff is disabled, you can simply launch Word in Safe Mode to take a proper check on it if it works or not. Here are the needed steps to be followed when Word does not respond.

Step 1: Press the Start key on your keyboard and look for Microsoft Word. Alternatively, you can press “Windows + S” key combination and type in “Microsoft Word” to point the program.

Step 2: After this, simply press the “Ctrl” key and hit on the Office Word program simultaneously. The Word will now be open in the Safe Mode.

Step 3: You can now check if the Microsoft Word is properly responding or not. If the problem still persists, you can move to the next solution.

Alternative Steps:

To run the Microsoft Office in Safe Mode, you can also make use of Command Prompt. For this,

Step 1: Press the key combination of “Windows + R” and key in “cmd”. This will open the Command Prompt.

Step 2: Now when the command prompt windows appears, you need to simply enter the path where the Word is installed. When you type it, type “winword.exe/safe” just after the path. This way you will be able to open the Word program in safe mode.

2. Run the Office Repair tool for Microsoft Word

Another way to fix Word not responding error in Windows 10 is to take help from Office repair tool. This tool can work with various Word issues like crashing and freezing etc. The steps that are involved in this process are as follows:

Step 1: Using the Start key or Windows key, type Control Panel to open it. When opened, click on “Programs” option followed by “Programs and Features”.

Step 2: Now, from the list, choose “Microsoft Office”.

Step 3: Next, select your Microsoft Office and hit on “Change” given in the top menu.

Step 4: The window that now comes will show you some options. Simply choose the “Repair” option and click “Continue”.

Note: If you have newer Microsoft Office version, make sure to choose “Online Repair” or “Quick Repair” option and then hit on “Repair”.

Step 5: The repair will now begin and your computer will be rebooted. Once done, allow the MS office to open and see if you still get “Word not responding” error.

3. Incompatible device drivers

As we mentioned in the beginning, the device drivers that are not compatible can later become problematic unless you update them. And therefore, in this solution, we will learn to update them to fix Word not responding issue. The steps are:

Step 1: To begin, launch Device Manager and locate your printer.

Step 2: Simply right click on printer drivers and choose “Uninstall” or “Update driver”.

Step 3: If you wish to uninstall the driver, hit on “OK” followed by restarting the computer. If your concern is to update driver, simply hit on “Search automatically for updated driver software” and go along with the prompts to complete the process. Restart the computer now.

4. Disconnect Network Drive

Another solution to be followed when Microsoft Word is not responding is to disconnect the network drive. To do this, you need to follow the steps given below.

Step 1: Click on “This PC” twice to open. On the window that comes, go to the “Map Network Drive” drop down under the “Computer” tab. Choose “Disconnect Network Drive” now.

Step 2: After this, opt for the network drive that you wish to disconnect followed by clicking the “OK” button.

Step 3: A dialog box will appear where you need to confirm your actions. Hit on “Yes” button. You are done now.

5. Disable Add-ins in Microsoft Word

The last method that could resolve your issue of Microsoft Word not responding is to remove or disable any of the add-ins in the Microsoft Word. Following are the steps for the same.

Step 1: In order to begin, press the “Windows” key along with the “R” key. It will open the run box where you need to type “winword.exe/a”. Press Enter and MS word will open sans any plugins.

Step 2: Hit on “File” now and then go to “Options”. Choose “Add-ins” from the left panel now.

Step 3: Hit on “Manage” and from the drop down menu, select “COM Add-ins”. Hit on “Go” right after that. Deselect the options that are raising the problem and hit on “OK” to confirm. Restart Microsoft word in the end.

Part 3: How to Repair Corrupt Word File Caused By Not Responding Error

In case you have lost an important word file after the “Word not Responding” error or that Word file is corrupted, fear not. We have a solution for that as well. Introducing Stellar Word Repair tool by Recoverit that helps repairing any of the corrupted MS word document without harming any of the format or original text! It comes with three repair options and works perfectly. Promising 100% satisfaction, this tool is what you need when you have to repair corrupt Word File. Let us know the steps on how this tool works when “Word not Responding” error affects your Word file.

Microsoft Word Not Responding Save

Step by Step Guide to repair corrupt Word file with Stellar Word Repair

Step 1: To start with, all you need is to visit the official website of the tool and download it from there. Once it gets downloaded, proceed with the installation and click the necessary options. Launch the tool now.

Step 2: You will notice an “Add File” option in the “File” ribbon. Hit on it to choose the Word file that is corrupted and needs to be repaired.

Step 3: Now, select the file or folder from the respective buttons and hit on “Scan” option.

Step 4: The selected file will begin to scan. On finding, click on the “Save” option in the “File” ribbon and the file will begin to repair.

Note: You can choose “Advance Repair” given again in the “File” ribbon if your MS word file is extremely corrupted.

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