What to Do When Microsoft Word Files Won't Open

James Marshall is a pro journalist who covers technology and computer troubleshooting. He is also skilled with Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and other word processors.

Updated on July 11, 2024 Reviewed by

Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries.

When a document won't open in Word, you might get an error message, a different app might launch, or the program will freeze or not open at all. Several things can cause problems with Word documents, and we've got all the solutions.

Instructions in this article apply to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010, and Word 2007.

Why Word Is Not Opening Documents

It's unusual for Microsoft Word to have trouble opening files, but it does happen. In addition to file corruption, the most likely reason a document doesn't open in Word is that your computer is set up to launch a different program when you open the file. It's also possible that the program needs to be repaired or reinstalled.

How to Fix It When a Word Document Won't Open

There are a few solutions depending on the problem.

  1. Change the file association settings to make your documents open in Microsoft Word. Follow these directions if a different program (not MS Word) opens when you double-click a DOCX, DOC, or other document.

Open and Repair command in Word

Use the Open and Repair option. If the document won't open because it's damaged, select the arrow next to the Open button and choose Open and Repair.

Files can become corrupted when a computer crashes or loses power, or when a USB device is disconnected while a document stored on it is open.

Another way to shut down Word without restarting the PC is via Task Manager. If you're comfortable using that tool, find WINWORD.EXE in there and kill the task.

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