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

• Microsoft Word Not Responding Mac Mojave
• Word Not Responding Windows 10

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. Feb 23, 2020 You can disable the Add-ins to avoid Word not responding problem. Then, use the Microsoft Word Recovery feature to recover the unsaved Word document on Windows 10/8/7. Fix 1: Disable the Add-ins. One of the main factors that might be responsible for Word not responding issue is usually due to an incompatibility with the third party Add-ins. Apr 16, 2018  Word for Mac document stops responding when you try to open a document. When you try to open a Microsoft Word for Mac document, Word for Mac stops responding. Additionally, you may have to use the Force Quit command to exit the program. 295062 Third-party installed font does not appear in the font list in Word for Mac. Feb 23, 2020  You can disable the Add-ins to avoid Word not responding problem. Then, use the Microsoft Word Recovery feature to recover the unsaved Word document on Windows 10/8/7. Fix 1: Disable the Add-ins. One of the main factors that might be responsible for Word not responding issue is usually due to an incompatibility with the third party Add-ins. Microsoft Word not responding on Mac I'm running the Mac version of Word and I keep getting the not responding message. It will bring up my document but no respond to changes or allow it to be saved.

Jul 18, 2012 Microsoft Word for Mac will not respond when opening, it just sits with a preview screen on 'what is new in Word for Mac' and does not respond with the color wheel present. Powerpoint and Excel work just fine but Word will not open. 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.

“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.

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/”

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.

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.

Summary :

If you meet the Microsoft Word not responding issue on Windows 10 or Mac when typing, saving, closing, printing, and don’t how to fix it, check the 10 ways in this post to fix Word not responding error and use the best free data recovery software – MiniTool Power Data Recovery – to try to recover lost or mistakenly deleted Word document files.

Microsoft Word Not Responding

Common questions of “Word not responding” issue:

• How can I save a Word document that is not responding?
• How do you unfreeze a Word document?
• What do I do when Microsoft Word is not responding when I didn’t save?
• What to do if Word is not responding on Mac?
• How do you unfreeze Microsoft Word on a Mac?

Many of you may have ever encountered the “Word not responding” error when using Microsoft Word.

Normally for those who have a habit to constantly save the word file when typing, they may force to close the Word software and then open it again to choose a most recent version to save to recover the word file. But for others who don’t do this or forget to save the word document, it would be a disaster and the word doc file may be lost or can’t be opened again.

Therefore, how to fix Word not responding error and recover the unsaved Word document file?

This post provides 10 ways to help you fix Word not responding Windows 10/Mac, Microsoft Word has stopped working, Word crashes or keeps freezing issues, and provides a professional Word file recovery software for Windows 10/8/7 and Mac to enable you to recover lost or unsaved document file.

Let’s find out what might cause Word not responding issue and how to fix it.

#1. Disable Third-party Plug-ins (Add-ons)

Third-party plug-ins or add-ons are often considered as the biggest troublemakers that cause Microsoft Word not responding or freezes issue.

You can disable or remove the plug-ins from Microsoft Word one by one, restart the computer and open Microsoft Word again to see if it can fix this issue. Check how to disable plug-ins in Microsoft Word below.

Step 1. Open Microsoft Word and click File button in the toolbar, then click Options in the left panel.

Step 2. Next you can click Add-ins in the left panel, and all the plug-ins in Word will be listed in the right panel.

Step 3. Then you can disable all third-party add-ons from your Microsoft Office Word. You can click Go button next to the COM Add-ins box, and tick any add-ins in the list and click OK to disable them.

After that, you can restart your computer and open Microsoft Word again to see if the Word not responding issue is fixed. If not, continue to check other ways below to fix it.

#2. Start Microsoft Word in Safe Mode to Fix Word Not Responding

Microsoft Word Safe Mode is specially designed to troubleshoot word issues. If you start Word in Safe Mode, all third-party services and applications will be automatically disabled. You can open Microsoft in Safe Mode to see if it can work normally. You can check how to launch Word in Safe Mode below.

Step 1. You can click Start in your Windows 10 computer and find the Microsoft Word application. You can also press Windows + S key on the keyboard, and type Microsoft Word to locate and point to Microsoft Word program.

Step 2. Now you can press Ctrl key and click the Office Word program at the same time, and it will launch Microsoft Word in Safe Mode.

Step 3. Then you can use the Word program to see if it can work well, and if the Word not responding issue is still existed.

You can also run Microsoft Word in Safe Mode by using Command Prompt.

You can press Windows + R keys on the keyboard, type cmd to open Command Prompt.

Then you can enter the path where the Office Word program is installed in the command prompt window, and type winword.exe /safe after the path. Thus you can run Word in safe mode.

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#3. Fix Word Not Responding with MS Office Application Recovery Tool

Microsoft own offers an MS Office Application Recovery feature. You may try this feature to see if it can help fix Microsoft Word not responding, has stopped working issue, and recover the unsaved word document files. Check the step-by-step guide below.

Step 1. You can click Start -> All Programs -> Microsoft Office Tools -> MS Office Application Recovery, to open Microsoft Office recovery tool.

Step 2. Next you can select the Word file that is not responding, and click Recovery Application option to recover the unsaved or lost word file.

#4. Use Free Data Recovery Software to Recover Deleted/Lost Word Files

MiniTool Power Data Recovery is the best professional data recovery software for Windows 10/8/7/. It enables you to easily recover lost or mistakenly deleted Word document files.

This top data recovery tool helps you recover files, folders, photos, music, videos, or any kinds of data from computer hard drive, external hard drive, SSD, USB drive, SD card and more.

This best free file undelete software for Windows 10/8/7 is 100% clean and safe. You can use it to recover deleted/lost data and files from different data loss situations, incl. OS crash, virus attack, malware infection, hard drive errors, etc. If the word file is lost due to the Word not responding error, you can also use this tool to recover the lost word file.

Free download MiniTool Power Data Recovery in Windows 10/8/7 PC, and follow the 3 simple steps below to recover deleted or lost word files.

Step 1 – Open the word file recovery software

Launch MiniTool Power Data Recovery to enter its main UI. Click This PC in the left column.

Step 2 – Scan deleted, lost word files

Select the partition or drive in which contains your lost word files, and click Scan button.

Microsoft Word Not Responding Mac Mojave

If you don’t know the exact partition where your word files are lost, then you can scan the partitions on your Windows 10 PC one by one until you find the lost word files.

Step 3 – Find and recover the word files

When the scan process is completed, you can find the lost or deleted word doc files from the scan result window, and click Save button to store the recovered word files to a new path.

You can also click Find, Filter, Show Lost Files buttons to quickly find the lost or deleted word files. Find function lets you search the word file by name, while Filter feature allows you to find the files by file extension, file size, file creation date, etc.

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#5. Fix Word Not Responding Windows 10 with Office Repair Tool

You can also try to fix Word not responding, Word keeps freezing or Word crashes issue by using Office embedded repair tool.

Step 1. You can click Start, type control panel, choose the top result Control Panel to open it.

Step 2. Next you can click Programs -> Uninstall a program.

Step 3. Then you can right-click Microsoft Office Suite, and click Change. In the pop-up window, you can click Repair and Continue.

Step 4. In the pop-up window, you will see a message “How would you like to repair your Office Programs”. It offers two repair modes: Online Repair, Quick Repair. You can select one preferred repair mode to let it repair the Office programs.

After the Word repair finishes, you can restart the computer and check if the Word file can normally respond now.

#6. Temporarily Disable Anti-virus Software

If you have installed third-party antivirus software in your computer, you can temporarily disable the antivirus software to see if the Word not responding or crashing/freezing issue can be fixed.

After you disable the antivirus software, you can restart your computer and open Word again to see if it can normally work, if not, then you can turn on the antivirus software again since it protects your computer from threats.

#7. Update Device Drivers, Graphics Card

Outdated device drivers, graphics card version may also cause malfunction of Office Word program. You may try to update device drivers, and update graphics card to see if it can fix Word not responding Windows 10 error.

You can easily update device drivers in Windows 10 with Device Manager.

Step 1. You can click Start and type Device Manager, choose the top best-match result to open Windows 10 Device Manager.

Step 2. Choose the device category and right-click the target device and select Update Driver.

If you want to update graphics card driver, you can click Display adaptors, and right-click the graphics driver to choose Update Driver.

Step 3. Then you can select Search automatically for updated driver software to update the driver of the device.

#8. Temporarily Disable Hardware Acceleration

Microsoft Word not responding error may be also caused by hardware acceleration error in the Windows 10 OS. You can try to disable hardware graphics acceleration to see if the Word program can normally work.

Word Not Responding Windows 10

Step 1. You can right-click the desktop and choose Personalize option. Then select Display and choose Change display settings.

Step 2. You can click Advanced settings to open Graphics Properties window, and tap Troubleshoot option.

Step 3. If the current display driver allows you to change the settings, you can click Change settings button to open Display Adapter Troubleshooter.

Step 4. Then you can drag the pointer to move it to the left to totally disable hardware acceleration or reduce the hardware acceleration, and click OK.

#9. Fix Word Not Responding When Printing by Changing Default Printer

If the Microsoft Word is not responding when printing in Windows 10, you can change the default printer to have a try.

Step 1. You can press Windows + R on the keyboard, type control panel and hit Enter to open Windows Control Panel.

Step 2. Next you can select View device and printers under Hardware and Sound. And right-click another printer and select Set as default printer.

Then you can restart your Windows 10 computer to see if the Word not responding issue has been solved.

#10. Start Windows 10 in Safe Mode to Check Computer System Errors

If the Microsoft Word not responding error constantly occurs in your Windows 10 computer, you can also start Windows 10 in Safe Mode to check computer system errors, file system corruptions, hard disk errors, etc.

How to Fix Word Not Responding Mac

Normally you can try these three methods to fix Word not responding on Mac.

#1. Open and Repair Word

Open Word and click Open on the File menu -> Choose the Word DOCX file -> Click the down arrow on the Open button, click Open and Repair.

#2. Repair Disk Errors and Permissions

Click Utilities on the Go menu -> Click Disk Utility to open this program -> Choose the hard drive and click First Aid tab -> Click Run to repair disk errors and permissions -> Click Done after it finishes.

#3. Launch Word in Safe Mode

• You can restart your Mac computer, press and hold the Shift key on the keyboard at the same time.
• When the Mac computer is turned on, you can release the Shift key, and you can see the Safe Boot on Mac startup screen.
• Then you can run Word for Mac in Safe Mode to see if Wording not responding/opening on Mac is fixed.

Useful Tip

To avoid the possible data loss due to Word not responding error, it’s suggested that you always back up important word files with professional and free backup software.

Bottom Line

It’s recommended that you save the word file time to time when you are using it. If the word file is not responding, crashes or freezes when using, saving or printing, you can try these 10 ways in this post to restore the unsaved word files, as well as recover lost or mistakenly deleted word files with MiniTool Power Data Recovery.

If you still have issues about how to recover lost or deleted word files, please contact [email protected].