How to Fix Blank Document on Microsoft Word

Seeing a blank document when accessing files on Microsoft Word?

Over the years, Microsoft Word has cemented its place as the best word processing tool. Despite the competition with Google Docs and others, MS Word remains to be the go-to software by individuals and businesses. 

Although Microsoft Word is the leading word processing software, this doesn’t keep it safe from issues and errors. 

One of the most common issues users encounter with Microsoft Word is blank documents. When this occurs, users won’t be able to view the contents of a document and will be welcomed by a blank page. 

This has caused panic among many users, thinking that their hours of work have gone missing in a glimpse. 

If you are experiencing this problem on Microsoft Word, you’ve come to the right place. 

Today, we will show you how you can address blank documents when accessing files on Microsoft Word. 

Let’s get started!

1. Restart Your Computer. 

Whenever you encounter issues with Microsoft Word or any software, the first thing you should do is restart your computer. This should reload your resources and eliminate temporary problems. 

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.

Go back to your document afterward to check if the problem is solved. 

2. Run Microsoft Word As Admin. 

Running Microsoft Word as an administrator can also help address various issues within the software. This gives the software full access to your system, which might be needed to open your document. 

Here’s how you can run Microsoft Word as 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. 

Try accessing your document to check if you can now see its content. 

3. Repair Your Document. 

The document you are trying to access might be corrupted, explaining why its content is not loading correctly. To fix this, use the built-in repair tool in MS Word to repair your corrupted documents. 

Follow the guide below to repair your document: 

1. First, launch Microsoft Word on your computer. 
2. After that, click on File > Open > Browse. 
3. Select the file you want to open and click the drop-down arrow next to the Open button. 
4. Lastly, click on Open and Repair. 

Go back to Microsoft Word afterward and try accessing your file. 

4. Turn Off Add-Ins. 

Microsoft Word add-ins are great tools that provide extra functionality to your documents. However, they are also known to cause issues with your software, especially if you use multiple add-ins. 

To avoid problems, disable your add-ins before accessing your documents. See the steps below to guide you through the process: 

1. On MS Word, go to the File tab and click on Options. 
2. Now, access the Add-Ins tab. 
3. Finally, turn off all your add-ins or the ones you are not using. 

Try opening your document again to check if the problem is solved. 

5. Update Microsoft Word. 

The version of Microsoft Word you are using might have an underlying issue that causes the blank document problem. To rule this out, we recommend updating your software to the latest version possible. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. First, go to File > Accounts. 
2. After that, click on Update Options. 
3. Lastly, choose Update Now and follow the prompts. 

Restart your system to apply the changes and check if you can now access your file. 

6. Update Your System. 

If none of the solutions above worked, we suggest updating your system to the latest version to patch possible issues. This way, you can ensure that your computer is compatible with the version of MS Word you are running. 

Check out 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 to save the changes and see if Microsoft Word is now working correctly. 

That brings us to the end of our guide on how to fix blank documents when accessing files on Microsoft Word. If you have other concerns, please drop a comment below, and we’ll do our best to help. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂