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Fix: Microsoft Office Cannot Open [Word, Excel, PowerPoint]
Our solutions work for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Office 365
5 min. read
Updated onOctober 16, 2024
updated onOctober 16, 2024
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Fix Windows 10 OS errors with Fortect:
Microsoft Office cannot open? You’re not alone. Windows 10 users have reported an issue regarding Microsoft Office versions 2010 and 2013, where products like Word, Excel, orPowerPoint will not openand return no error or prompt.
Here’s how to fix it:
How do I fix Microsoft Office not opening?
1. Use Task Manager
In some cases, this method has proven useful and might help you in a tight spot.
2. Go to the source
If your Microsoft Office shortcuts don’t do anything when you try to launch them, then there might be an issue of communication between the shortcut itself and the actual executable it should open.
Depending on what Office version you’ve installed, you should find them in one of these locations:
Try launching the tool you need from here, if it works, then your shortcut was to blame.Create a new shortcutfor the Office components you use and replace the faulty ones.
3. Use Safe Mode
Starting an Office product in Safe Mode is pretty simple, as it was in previous Windows versions.
Just open theRunutility (Windows key + R) and type in the name of the product you want to follow by/safe.
For example, if you wish to open Microsoft Excel in Safe Mode, type inexcel /safe.
4. Use a Microsoft Office alternative
In case you need to sidestep this Office issue, it might be useful for you to consider another document management suite.
WPS Office Suite is a legitimate alternative to Microsoft Office due to the effective management of documents across multiple devices. You can thus edit and manage your files on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, or iOS.
There are enough Office apps on the market capable of providing extra value. Hence, this alternative provides Writer, Spreadsheet, or Presentation document tools.
Plus, it supports 47 file formats and it’s available in many languages out there.
⇒Get WPS Office
5. Repair or Reinstall
- Press theWindowskey andtypeappsin the search box,then click theApps & featuresresult.
2.Here, typeofficeinside the search bar, then click theMicrosoft Officeresult.
3.Click onAdvanced options.
4.Scroll down, then click theRepairbutton. By using this option, your app’s data won’t be deleted, but the app’s files will be checked for any damage or corruption.
5.Alternatively, you can use theResetbutton in case repairing the app didn’t work. In this case, your app data will be lost as well.
The built-in Reset option for Microsoft Office will uninstall and reinstall the application, thus fixing the Microsoft Office not opening issue.
You can choose to fully reset the app or merely repair it, thus preserving your app data for later use. Choose the appropriate option according to your needs.
6. Install Windows updates
Microsoft regularly releases updates for Microsoft Office (and other in-house features and programs) through Windows Update.
So, if your current version of Office is disrupted in some way, there’s a chance a new update will fix it. And it doesn’t necessarily need to be an Office update.
Maybe some other features installed on your computer are interfering with Office, preventing you from accessing it. In both cases, installing fresh updates can resolve the problem.
To install the latest updates on your computer, simply go toSettings > Update & Security, and check for updates.
If you’re having issues opening the Setting app,take a look at this articleto solve the issue.
7. Uninstall Windows updates
Now, let’s do the total opposite of the previous solution. If the problem started to manifest after you’ve updated your Office suite, then you can easily uninstall the latest updates and see if this fixes your problem.
8. Disable Add-Ins
Sometimes, damaged add-ins may block your Word/Excel/PowerPoint from opening any document.
Since you can’t know for sure which add-in causes the problem, we recommend uninstalling all of them and then installing them one by one again.
That way, you’ll be able to find out which one causes problems. The task is time-consuming, but you don’t have too many choices.
9. Make sure Office is activated
If your copy of Microsoft Office Suite is not genuine, you won’t be able to open any Office app. Technically, you’ll be able to open any program normally, but you can’t do anything with it.
You can’t create new documents, or open and edit existing documents. It’s just an empty shell. So, make sure your Office is properly activated, and try to run in once again.
10. Remove Word Registry Keys
If you specifically have problems with opening Word, we’ll try to delete some registry keys. Hopefully, the program will work after that.
11. Remove old printer drivers
And finally, some users have also reported that having old printer drivers installed on your Windows 10 PC prevents Microsoft Office from working.
Alternatively, you can usededicated uninstaller softwareto automatically remove old printer drivers from your PC.
After you finish removing your old drivers, check to see if the problem persists.
Wrapping up
That’s about it. We certainly hope at least one of these solutions helped you resolve the problem with Microsoft Office.
Keep in mind that this problem mainly occurs with Microsoft Word. However, we’ve detailed solutions that apply to all Office programs, nevertheless:
If you want to try the new Office 2024, you candownload the preview version of the software; read this guide to learn the detailed steps.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, just let us know in the comments down below.
More about the topics:Excel,Microsoft Office,Microsoft Word issues,Powerpoint guides,windows 10 fix
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
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Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
