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Microsoft Office Freezing or Does Not Open

Paul L.
Updated

Microsoft Office apps (like Word, Excel, or Outlook) may sometimes freeze, crash, or refuse to open. This guide will walk you through the most effective steps to fix these issues on Windows 10 or 11.

 

Step 1: Restart Your Computer

Before anything else, restart your PC to clear temporary glitches or stuck processes. Then try opening the Office app again.

Step 2: Start the App in Safe Mode

Safe Mode disables add-ins that may be causing the problem.

To launch Office apps in Safe Mode:

  1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.

  2. Type one of the following and press Enter:

    • winword /safe → for Microsoft Word

    • excel /safe → for Microsoft Excel

    • outlook /safe → for Microsoft Outlook

If the app opens in Safe Mode, the issue is likely caused by an add-in or extension.

Step 3: Disable Problematic Add-ins

  1. Open the Office app in Safe Mode.

  2. Go to File > Options > Add-ins.

  3. At the bottom, next to Manage, select COM Add-ins > click Go.

  4. Uncheck all add-ins and click OK.

  5. Restart the app normally.

Enable add-ins one by one to find the one causing issues.

Step 4: Repair Microsoft Office

Quick Repair:

  1. Go to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.

  2. Find and select Microsoft Office, then click Change.

  3. Select Quick Repair, then click Repair.

Online Repair (More thorough):

  • If Quick Repair doesn't work, repeat the steps and choose Online Repair instead.

Online Repair may take longer and requires an internet connection.

Step 5: Install Updates

Outdated Office or Windows versions can cause stability issues.

Update Microsoft Office:

  1. Open any Office app (if it opens).

  2. Go to File > Account.

  3. Click Update Options > Update Now.

Update Windows:

  1. Go to Settings > Windows Update.

  2. Click Check for updates and install any available.

Step 6: Clear Office Credentials (Optional)

Corrupted login credentials can block Office apps.

  1. Open Control Panel > User Accounts > Credential Manager.

  2. Under Windows Credentials, remove any entries related to Office or Microsoft365.

  3. Restart your PC and re-sign into Office when prompted.

Step 7: Delete Office Cache (Optional)

  1. Press Windows + R, type:

    shell
    %localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\16.0

    (change 16.0 to 15.0 or 14.0 if using older Office versions)

  2. Delete the folder named OfficeFileCache if present.

  3. Restart your PC.

Still Not Working?

  • Try opening another Office app to see if the issue is app-specific.

  • Create a new user profile and test there.

  • If none of the above work, uninstall and reinstall Office from the official Microsoft account page:
    https://account.microsoft.com/services

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