How to Fix Word Count Not Working on Microsoft Word

Wondering why the word count is not working or showing on Microsoft Word?

Microsoft Word is a powerful word processing tool with tons of features. It is the go-to app for most people, and it works with all major operating systems. It has been around for years and is part of the Microsoft Office Suite. 

Despite being the industry standard, this doesn’t mean that Microsoft Word is flawless. Like any software, you can encounter issues with Word from time to time. 

If you are using Microsoft Word for freelancing or writing work, knowing the word count of your document is crucial. With the word count indicator, you’ll know if you’ve reached the requirement for your project and easily determine the pricing for each work. 

Unfortunately, the word count indicator is not working all the time on Microsoft Word. 

Depending on the situation, the word count indicator might show a wrong number, or it might not work at all. 

Luckily, you have come to the right place. 

In this guide, we’ll show you the most effective ways for fixing the word count indicator if it’s not working on Microsoft Word. 

Let’s get right into it!

1. Restart Your Computer. 

While this might appear to be very simple, restarting your system does a lot of things. For one, it allows your computer to reload resources and eliminate temporary errors. This also flushes your system cache, giving your OS a fresh start. 

If you encounter issues with MS Word or any app, try restarting your system first. Here’s what you need to do: 

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 Microsoft Word and check if the word count indicator works. 

2. Run Microsoft Word As Admin. 

One of the quickest ways to address this issue with Microsoft Word is to run the software as an administrator. This should bypass any restrictions and give MS Word full access to your operating system and its resources. 

See the guide below to run Word as an administrator: 

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

Relaunch Microsoft Word and see if the word count indicator works. 

3. Update Microsoft Word. 

The version of Microsoft Word you are using might have an issue that is related to the word count indicator. To rule this out, update your software to the latest version to patch bugs and glitches. 

Follow the steps below to update Microsoft Word: 

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

Go back to your document and check if the word count indicator is working correctly. 

4. Disable Add-Ins. 

Disabling add-ins on Microsoft Word might also fix the issue with the word count indicator. Some of your third-party add-ins might be interfering with the built-in word counter function of MS Word. 

Here’s how you can turn off add-ins: 

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. 

Restart Microsoft Word and check if the problem is solved. 

5. Reinstall Microsoft Word. 

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

Check out the steps below to delete MS Word: 

1. Launch the Control Panel on your computer. 
2. Next, click on Uninstall a Program and locate Microsoft Word. 
3. Finally, right-click on the app and choose Uninstall. Follow the prompts to remove the app from your system. 

Reinstall Microsoft Word and check if the word count indicator works. 

That brings us to the end of our guide for fixing the word count indicator if it’s not working on Microsoft Word. If you have other concerns, voice them out in the comment section, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂