Fix: Microsoft Word Won’t Open on Windows 10

Can’t figure out why Microsoft Word won’t open on Windows 10?

MS Word and Windows 10 are software developed by Microsoft. Since both software came from the same company, we’d expect that they should work together seamlessly as with other Microsoft Office applications. 

Unfortunately, this is not the case for some Windows 10 users who encounter problems running Microsoft Word. 

If you are reading this, we can assume that Microsoft Word won’t open on your Windows 10 computer. 

Depending on the situation, this problem could be due to several reasons. 

First, the current version of Windows you are running might not be compatible with the version of Microsoft Word installed on your computer. On the other hand, it can also be due to incorrect user configurations, third-party applications, or corrupted data. 

To help you out, we’ve decided to make a guide for fixing Microsoft Word if it won’t open on your Windows 10 computer. 

Let’s dive right in!

1. Restart Your Computer. 

Before tweaking your configurations, we suggest restarting your computer first if Microsoft Word won’t open. This should reload your system resources and eliminate temporary bugs and errors on your computer. 

See the steps below to restart your PC: 

1. First, press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start Menu. 
2. After that, access the Power Options tab. 
3. Lastly, choose Restart and wait for your system to reboot. 

Try launching Microsoft Word to check if the problem is solved. 

2. Run Microsoft Word As Admin. 

One of the quickest ways to fix applications that refuse to run is to open them as an administrator. This should give the software full access to your system and bypass any restrictions. 

Here’s how you can run Microsoft Word as an admin: 

1. On your desktop, locate Microsoft Word and right-click on it. 
2. Next, choose the Properties option. 
3. After that, go to the Compatibility tab and enable the ‘Run this Program as an Administrator’ option. 
4. Lastly, click OK to save the changes. 

Once done, launch Microsoft Word again to check if it will open. 

3. Run Word in Safe Mode. 

If running the app as an administrator did not work, you can try running Word in safe mode. This should run Microsoft Word in its base form without add-ins or extensions. If the issue started to occur after using add-ins, this solution might work. 

See the guide below to run Word in safe mode: 

1. On your keyboard, hit the Windows + R keys to open Run Command. 
2. Now, type ‘word /safe’ in the dialog box. 
3. Finally, hit the Enter key to run the command. 

Wait and see if Microsoft Word would run on your computer. If you manage to open the app, disable or remove any add-ins you’ve installed and restart it. 

4. Install Windows Updates. 

As we’ve mentioned earlier, the version of Windows you are using might not be compatible with Microsoft Word, explaining why the software won’t run. To solve this issue, simply update your operating system to the latest version. 

Follow the guide below to update Windows: 

1. Access Windows Settings by pressing the Windows + I keys on your keyboard. 
2. Next, go to Update & Security. 
3. Finally, click on Windows Update and choose the Check for Updates option. 

Restart your computer afterward to apply the changes. Try launching Microsoft Word to check if the problem is solved. 

5. Uninstall Old Printer Drivers. 

Corrupted or faulty printer drivers could also cause Microsoft Word not to run on your computer. Since Word is one of the primary apps that uses your printer, it might not work properly if you have old drivers lying around. 

See the steps below to remove old printer drivers: 

1. First, press the Windows + X keys on your keyboard to open the Quick Menu. 
2. After that, click on Device Manager to launch it. 
3. Now, expand the Printers tab and locate the drivers you’re no longer using. 
4. Lastly, right-click on them and choose Uninstall Device. 

Restart your computer to apply the changes and check if the problem is solved. 

6. Reinstall Microsoft Word. 

If none of the solutions above worked, the last thing you can do is reinstall Microsoft Word. This should ensure that the app is installed correctly on your computer and there are no missing resources on your storage. 

Check out the guide below to delete Microsoft Word: 

1. Access the Control Panel on your computer. 
2. Next, click on Uninstall a Program. 
3. Locate MS Word and right-click on it. 
4. Choose Uninstall and follow the prompts to remove the software. 

Reinstall Microsoft Word and check if you can now run it without issues. 

That sums up our guide on how to fix Microsoft Word if it won’t open on your Windows 10 computer. If you have questions or other concerns, please drop a comment below, and we’ll be here to help. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂