MS Word won't start. Word Online isn't working or responding. Microsoft word is not working
Word, despite many analogues, including free ones, is still the undisputed leader among text editors. This program contains many useful tools and functions for creating and editing documents, but, unfortunately, it does not always work stably, especially if it is used in Windows environment 10. In our article today we will tell you how to eliminate possible mistakes and failures that disrupt the performance of one of Microsoft's main products.
Method 1: License check
It's no secret that applications from the Microsoft Office package are paid and distributed by subscription. But, knowing this, many users continue to use pirated versions of the program, the degree of stability of which directly depends on the direct hands of the author of the distribution. We won't consider possible reasons why the hacked Word does not work, but if you, as a bona fide license holder, encounter problems using applications from the paid package, the first thing you should do is check their activation.
Note: Microsoft provides free using Office within a month, and if this period has expired, office programs won't work.
The Office license may be distributed in in different forms, but you can check its status via "Command line". For this:
- Run "Command line" on behalf of the administrator. This can be done by calling the additional actions menu (keys "WIN+X") and selecting the appropriate item. Other possible options are described in the article provided at the link above.
- Enter the command indicating the installation path Microsoft Office on system disk, or rather, the transition along it.
For applications from the Office 365 and 2016 package in 64-bit versions, this address looks like this:
cd “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16”
Path to the 32-bit package folder:cd “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16”
Note: For Office 2010, the final folder will be named "Office14", and for 2012 – "Office15".
- Press the key "ENTER" to confirm your entry, and then enter the command below:
cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus
A license check will begin, which will take just a few seconds. After the results are displayed, pay attention to the line "LICENSE STATUS"- if it is indicated opposite it "LICENSED", this means that the license is active and the problem is not with it, therefore, you can proceed to the next method.
If you have problems re-obtaining a license, you can always contact Microsoft Office Product Support, the link to which is provided below. 
Method 2: Run as administrator
It is also possible that Word refuses to work, or rather start, for a simpler and more banal reason - you do not have administrator rights. Yes, this is not a mandatory requirement for using a text editor, but in Windows 10 it can often help resolve similar problems with other programs. Here's what you need to do to run the program with administrative privileges:
- Find the Word shortcut in the menu "Start", click on it right click mouse (RMB), select "Additionally", and then - "Run as administrator".
- If the program starts, it means that the problem was precisely the limitation of your rights in the system. But, since you probably don’t want to open Word this way every time, you need to change the properties of its shortcut so that it always launches with administrative rights.
- To do this, again find the program shortcut in "Start", right-click on it, then "Additionally", but this time select in context menu paragraph "Go to file location".
- Once in the folder with program shortcuts from the start menu, find Word in the list and right-click on it again. In the context menu, select "Properties".
- Click on the address indicated in the field "An object", go to the end of it, and add the following value there:
/r
Click the buttons at the bottom of the dialog box "Apply" And "OK".
From now on, Word will always be launched with administrator rights, which means you will no longer encounter problems with its operation.
Quite often users contact me with this problem - it doesn’t open Word document on the computer. There are several reasons for this. As experience tells me, the most common of them is the simple lack of a text editor - a program that can work with such documents. Accordingly, the operating system does not know what to do with such files and sends the user to the forest. In this case, all Word documents do not open, and not just one in particular. The solution seems simple - install the program. But not everything is as easy as it seems at first glance!
How to open a Word file without Microsoft Office
Just install it like that Word application or you won’t be able to do Excel separately - you need to install the Microsoft Office office suite. If it is licensed, then it is expensive, very expensive. If it’s unlicensed, then firstly it’s illegal, and secondly you have to find it without catching the virus. There are simpler and more convenient options.
1.WinWord
Since early versions in the operating room Windows system There is a built-in document editor - WinWord. If Windows itself does not open the document through WinWord, this can be done by right-clicking on the file and selecting the “Open with” menu item. 
Of course, it is simple and suitable for the most simple actions, but when you need to quickly open a Word document and edit it, it’s quite suitable.
2. Google Docs
In cases where WinWord’s capabilities are not enough, you can use the excellent online Google tool Docs.
This is an entire office complex that allows you to work with Word documents, Excel tables And PowerPoint presentations without installing editors. Everything is done online - the main thing is to have access to the Internet. At the same time, there is one cool feature - shared access to a file for many users at once from any corner of the world where there is access to the World Wide Web.
3. LibreOffice
But in cases where you will constantly open Word documents on your computer, it is better to install an office suite. If it is not possible to install Microsoft Office, you can always install free LibreOffice.
You can download it for free from the official website. This office suite works quickly and is in no way inferior in capabilities to its famous competitor.
Word file is corrupted
This is the second most popular reason why a Word document won't open. At the same time, any other documents open without problems. If you downloaded it from the Internet, try downloading it again. If the document was sent by mail, ask the sender to resend it. If you can't open Word file on a flash drive or other removable media - try copying it to your computer and opening it directly from it.
If none of the proposed methods worked, then you most likely will not be able to open a damaged Word file. If it is very important, then you should try using file recovery programs like Recovery Toolbox for Word. Alternatively, you can use special online services. One of the most popular is Online File Repair Service. It can work with *.doc, *.docx, *.dot, *.dotx or *.rtf files and will be able to provide the text that can still be recovered.
Word Online is a program that allows you to edit and format a document online. It is similar to desktop Word, but there are functions that work differently everywhere.
Among the differences are several editing functions.
If Word Online is not working or responding, try some of the options below, they may solve your problem.
Word Online not working/not responding
General troubleshooting
- First see if you can access it from another browser. For example, open the settings Internet Explorer, click “security”, select InPrivate viewing (CTRL + SHIFT + P).
- Check to see if you are using the program on another device. Restart your device, then restart Word Online.
- Sometimes the problem affects only a small part of the users, in a short period of time Microsoft solves the problem. Then you need to write to support to be sure that they are aware of the problem.
Upload the document and edit it in Word.
Use the Word desktop application or WordPad, a feature built into Windows.
Refresh your browser cache
Do it:
- Open the search bar in Start.
- Enter inetcpl.cpl.
- Press "Enter" or "OK".
- Select Advanced under Internet Properties.
- Click Restore advanced settings.
- Repeat until a new invitation opens.
- Select the Remove personal settings checkbox.
- Click Reset and click OK.
Reset browser settings
If you see a pop-up that says, “Sorry, we're having a problem,” reset your browser and then try logging in again.
Sometimes applications or extensions change your settings without your knowledge, so let's try resetting them in Chrome. Saved bookmarks and passwords will be intact. Here's what to do:
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click “Settings”.
- Scroll down and select "Advanced".
- Go to the "Reset" field.
- Click "Reset" and confirm by clicking "Reset" again.
Resetting Chrome returns all features back to the default option.
Install a browser pop-up blocker
Sometimes this problem occurs due to a pop-up blocker. You can get around it by allowing the pop-up blocker for Word online.
However, this works for new files.
Launch your browser in safe mode
Problems in WO happen with compatibility and add-ons. To eliminate them, run Internet Explorer - Safe Mode to disable add-ons and extensions. Do it:
- Open command line(via search).
- Type C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe -extoff.
- Click enter.
- Go to the website you access from Word Online and check if the problem goes away.
Problems starting an Office 2013 application
Similar problems may be caused by using earlier versions of add-ins. Additionally, you may receive this error message when you try to launch one of the Office 2013 applications: Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, or Visio.
- Microsoft Excel has stopped working.
- Microsoft Word has stopped working.
- Microsoft Outlook has stopped working.
- Microsoft PowerPoint has stopped working.
- Microsoft Publisher has stopped working.
- Microsoft Visio has stopped working.
To determine if the problem is caused by one of the add-ins, run the application in safe mode. Go to home screen in Windows 8 or click Start and select a team Execute in Windows 7, and then enter one of the following commands:
- excel /safe and press Enter to launch Excel 2013;
- outlook /safe and press Enter to launch Outlook 2013;
- winword/safe and press Enter to launch Word 2013;
- powerpnt/safe and press Enter to launch PowerPoint 2013;
- mspub/safe and press Enter to launch Publisher 2013;
- visio/safe and press Enter to launch Visio 2013.
If an Office application doesn't start in safe mode, then the problem is not with the add-ons. Go to section More details to view other reasons why your Office application might not work.
If the Office application starts, disable the add-ons one by one.
- While the Office application is running in safe mode, click File > Options > Add-ons.
- Near the list Control click Go.
- OK.
If the Office application starts, then the problem is with an add-in that you disabled. We recommend visiting the official website of the add-on and checking for updates. If more new version no or you do not use this add-in, you may not check the corresponding box again or remove it from your computer.
If the Office application doesn't start, repeat the steps above and uncheck the other add-ins one by one. If all add-ins are disabled and the Office application still won't start, follow the steps in Troubleshooting COM add-ins.
Troubleshooting COM add-ins
COM add-ins may also cause startup problems. If the Office application is running in safe mode, do the following:
- Press successively File> Options > Add-ons.
- On the list Control click COM add-ins, and then - Go.
- Uncheck the box next to one of the add-ins in the list and click the button OK.
- Restart the application (not in safe mode this time).
If the Office application starts, then the problem is with a COM add-in that you disabled. We recommend visiting the official website of the add-on and checking for updates. If a newer version is not available or you are not using this COM add-in, you may not check the box again.
If an Office application won't start, the problem is not related to add-ins. Go to section More details to view other causes of problems.
Add-ins that may cause problems with Office 2013
More early versions The following add-ons usually cause problems with Office applications 2013:
- ABBYY FineReader. Visit the ABBYY FineReader web page
- Broadcom Send-to-Bluetooth. Visit the Broadcom Bluetooth web page to install the latest version.
- Intel Send for Bluetooth. Visit the Intel webpage to install the latest version.
- KingSoft's PowerWord. Visit the KingSoft PowerWord webpage to install the latest version.
additional information
You can also start Windows in Safe Mode to see if another program is causing the problem. Learn more about troubleshooting in Safe Mode Windows operation read the following articles.
The article will tell you how to solve the problem if the Word document does not open.
Navigation
Editor users " Word"They ask a lot of questions related to its work, including people wondering why it doesn't work" Word» on the computer in different cases?
Open the Word file
Yes, such a problem does not happen very rarely, so in our review we will discuss why “ Word"and how to resolve this error.
Why “Word” does not work on the computer: reasons and their solutions?
So that we can decide this problem, we will need to find out the reasons why it may occur. Let's look at this question.
It is known that the document Word» does not open due to the following:
- The file is damaged
- For one reason or another (described below), the file is read using third-party software.
- The system does not recognize the file
Now let's see what can be done in each of the described cases.
Word document won't open due to file corruption
You will see this error immediately when you try to open a document. An error notification window will open and you will be prompted to restore the file. You will need to agree to the restoration, but keep in mind that the file may be partially or incorrectly restored.
The Word document does not open because the file is linked to another program
If for some reason the file extension is specified incorrectly or it is linked to another program, then it can be opened in the corresponding program. For example, files ". txt" open in the utility " Notebook", and if the document " Word" has a similar extension instead of ". doc", or if it is programmed to open in " Notepad", then it will open only in it.
By the way, if the document " Word" will open in " Notepad", then all the information contained in it will be displayed incorrectly, and you will see the following picture:
Open the Word file
Another important circumstance should also be noted. If the file extension is specified incorrectly, for example, “.ljljlfjfljf”, then the system will not be able to open it at all, since such an extension does not exist (or has not yet been invented), and it is not associated with any program.
So, the above problems are solved as follows:
- Select a file that has an extension other than " Word"(you must be initially sure that this file really belongs to the program " Word»).
Open the Word file
- After selecting the file, click on it with the mouse again, after which you will be able to change the file extension (as well as its name), delete the incorrect extension after the dot.
Open the Word file
- If you initially do not see any file extension other than its name, then your system is programmed accordingly. In this case, go to any folder and then go to “ Service—Folders settings—View", scroll down the list presented, uncheck the box next to the item " Hide extensions..." and click on " OK».
Open the Word file
- So, after we have removed the incorrect extension at the end of the file name, we need to set the necessary characters after the dot: “ docx».
Open the Word file
- Now you can open the file " Word»
Open the Word file
- In addition, you can open the file " Word"through the text editor itself - run it.
Open the Word file
- Then, through the window that opens, find the file you want to open
Open the Word file
- Open this file
Open the Word file
Word document won't open because the system doesn't recognize it
This problem usually happens on older versions. operating system. You will need to go to " My computer—Service—File type" and associate files ". doc" With text editor « Word».
Video: Word won't launch