3/31/2014 How to troubleshoot problems that occur when you start or use Word

How to troubleshoot problems that occur when

you start or use Word
Support for Office 2003 ends April 8, 2014
Microsoft will end support for Office 2003 on April 8, 2014. This change will affect your software updates and security
options.
Learn what this means for you and how to stay protected.

Article ID: 921541 - View products that this article applies to.

If you are a Small Business customer, find additional troubleshooting and learning resources at the Support for Small Business (http://smallbusiness.support.microsoft.com)
site.

This article is a consolidation of the following previously available articles: 820919, 821713, 822908, 821715, 821716, 822127, 319299, 319153, 319154, 319155, 319156,
and 319157

Summary

This article describes how to troubleshoot problems that may occur when you start or use Microsoft Word 2013, Microsoft Word 2010, Microsoft Office
Word 2007, or Microsoft Office Word 2003. The methods that are described can help you determine the cause of a problem with Word when you can't
identify the problem by using another method.

Before you try these steps, visit the following Microsoft Word Product Solution Center website to see whether there is specific information about your
problem:

Support for Microsoft Word 2010 and 2007

Note To find articles about specific problems, search the Microsoft Knowledge Base at: Microsoft Support Home

More information

Updating Windows

It's a good idea to make sure your computer has the latest updates installed for Windows. Updates often fix problems that occur with software. Before using the
repair steps below, try installing updates, restarting your computer , and then launching Word. You can use the Using Windows Update
(http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/hsc_update_overview.mspx?mfr=true) article for more information about manual updates
and automatic updates.

If you continue to experience a problem or receive a "stopped working" error, move to the next sections to troubleshoot and repair Word.

Fix it for me

On Windows 8, Windows 8.1 or Windows 7

If you are using Office Word 2007 or later on Windows 7 or Windows 8,Windows 8.1, you can use the following Troubleshooter to fix the problem. To fix this
problem automatically, click the Run now button. In the File Download dialog box, click Run and then follow the steps in the troubleshooter.

The Microsoft Word troubleshooter may automatically fix the problem

described in this article. Run now

This troubleshooter fixes many problems that can prevent Word from
starting. Run now

On Windows Vista or Windows XP

If you are using Office Word 2007, or a later version, and Windows Vista or earlier, you can use the following Fix it to fix the problem.
To fix this problem automatically, click the Fix it button or link. In the File Download dialog box, click Run and then follow the steps in the Fix it Wizard.
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To fix this problem automatically, click the Fix it button or link. In the File Download dialog box, click Run and then follow the steps in the Fix it Wizard.

Fix this problem

Microsoft Fix it 30017

Notes

This wizard may be in English only, but the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows.
If you are not on the computer that has the problem, save the Fix it solution to a flash drive or a CD, and then run it on the computer that has the problem.

Manual steps to troubleshoot problems that occur when you start Word
Important Follow the steps in this section carefully. Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Before you modify it, back up the registry
for restoration (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/ ) in case problems occur.

Delete the Word Data registry subkey

Most of the frequently used options in Word are stored in the Word Data registry subkey. A common troubleshooting step is to delete the Word Data
registry subkey. When you restart Word, it rebuilds the Word Data registry key by using the default settings.

To view these options in Word 2003, click Options on the Tools menu.

To view these options in Word 2007 or Word 2010, click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Word Options.

To view these options in Word 2013, click the File tab, and then click Options.

Note When you delete the Word Data registry subkey, Word resets several options to their default settings. For example, Word resets the "most
recently used file" list on the File menu. Also, Word resets many settings that you customize in the Options dialog box.

To delete the Word Data registry subkey, follow these steps:

1. Exit all Office programs.

2. In Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. (If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right
corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search.) Type regedit in the search box, tap or click Apps, and then tap or click
Run.
Or, in Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. Locate the following registry subkey, as appropriate for the version of Word that you are running:
Word 2013
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Word\Data

Word 2010
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Word\Data

Word 2007
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Data

Word 2003
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Data
4. Click Data, and then click Export on the File menu.
5. Name the file Wddata.reg, and then save the file to the desktop.
6. On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click Yes.
7. Exit Registry Editor.
8. Start Word.

If Word starts and works correctly, you have resolved the problem. The problem was a damaged Word Data registry key. Now, you may have to change
several settings to restore your favorite options in Word.

If the problem is not resolved, restore the original Word Data registry key. Then, see the "Delete the Word Options registry key" section in this article.

Restore the original Word Data registry key

To restore the original Word Data registry key, follow these steps:

1. Exit all Office programs.

2. Double-click the Wddata.reg icon on the desktop.
3. Click Yes, and then click OK.

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Delete the Word Options registry key

The Word Options registry key stores those options that you can set in Word by changing menu options. The settings are divided into default settings and
optional settings. Default settings are created during Setup. You can change the default settings by changing options in Word. Optional settings are not
created during Setup.

To delete the Word Options registry key, follow these steps:

1. Exit all Office programs.

2. In Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. (If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right
corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search.) Type regedit in the search box, tap or click Apps, and then tap or click
Run.
Or, in Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. Locate the following registry subkey, as appropriate for the version of Word that you are running:
Word 2013
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Word\Options

Word 2010
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Word\Options

Word 2007
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Options

Word 2003
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Options
4. Click Options, and then on the File menu, click Export.
5. Name the file Wdoptn.reg, and then save the file to the desktop.
6. On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click Yes.
7. Exit Registry Editor.
8. Start Word.

If Word starts and works correctly, you have resolved the problem. The problem was a damaged Word Options registry key. Now, you may have to change
several settings to restore your favorite options in Word.

If the problem is not resolved, restore the original Word Options registry key. Then, see the "Rename the Normal.dot or Normal.dotm global template file"
topic.
Restore the original Word Options registry key

Rename the Normal.dot or Normal.dotm global template file

You can prevent formatting, AutoText, and macros that are stored in the global template file from affecting the behavior of Word and of documents that you
open. To do this, rename the global template file. When you restart Word, Word will create a new global template file.

Important When you rename the global template file, several options are reset to their default settings. The options that are reset include custom
styles, custom toolbars, macros, and AutoText entries. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not delete the global template file.

Additional note Certain kinds of situations can create more than one global template file. For examples, multiple versions of Word are running on
the same computer, or several workstation installations exist on the same computer. In these situations, make sure that you rename the correct copy of the
global template file.

To rename the global template file, follow these steps:

1. Exit all Office programs.

2. In Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. (If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right
corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search.) Type Command Prompt in the search box, tap or click Apps, and then tap
or click Run.
Or, in Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
3. Type the following command, as appropriate for the version of Word that you are running, and then press Enter:

Word 2013, Word 2010 and Word 2007

Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, Windows 7 or Windows Vista:
ren %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Normal.dotm OldNormal.dotm

Windows XP:
ren %userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates\Normal.dotm OldNormal.dotm

Word 2003
Windows 7 or Windows Vista:
ren %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Normal.dot OldNormal.dot

Windows XP:
ren %userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates\Normal.dot OldNormal.dot

4. Type exit, and then press Enter.

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4. Type exit, and then press Enter.
5. Start Word.

If Word starts correctly, you have resolved the problem. In this case, the problem is a damaged global template file. Now, you may have to change several
settings to restore your favorite options.

Note The global template file that you renamed may contain customizations that can't be easily recreated. These customizations may include styles, macros,
or AutoText entries. In this case, you may be able to copy the customizations from the old global template file to the new global template file by using the
Organizer. For more information about how to use the Organizer to rename macros, press F1 in Word to open Microsoft Word Help, type rename macros
in the Search for box, and then click Search to view the topic.

If the problem is not resolved, restore the original global template file, and then see the "Disable the Startup folder add-ins" section in this article.
Restore the original global template file

Disable the Startup folder add-ins

When you start Word, Word automatically loads templates and add-ins that are located in the Startup folders. Conflicts or problems that affect an add-in can
cause problems in Word. To determine whether an item in a Startup folder is causing the problem, temporarily disable the registry setting that points to
these add-ins.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Exit all Office programs.

2. In Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. (If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right
corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search.) Type Run in the search box, tap or click Apps, and then tap or click Run.
Or, in Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP, click Start, and then click Run.
3. Type the following command, as appropriate for the version of Word that you are running, and then press Enter:
Word 2013
%programfiles%\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15\Startup\

Word 2010
%programfiles%\Microsoft\Office\Office14\Startup\

Word 2007
%programfiles%\Microsoft Office\Office12\Startup\

Word 2003
%programfiles%\Microsoft\Office\Office11\Startup\

4. Right-click one of the files that is contained in the folder, and then click Rename.
5. After the file name, type .old, and then press Enter.
Important Note the original name of the file. Later, you may have to rename the file by using its original name.
6. Start Word.
7. If you can no longer reproduce the problem, you have found the specific add-in that causes the problem. If you must have the features that the add-in
provides, contact the vendor of the add-in for an update.

If the problem is not resolved, rename the add-in by using its original name, and then repeat steps 3 through 5 for each file in the Startup folder.
8. If you can still reproduce the problem, in the Run box, type %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\Startup (under Windows 8,
Windows 8.1, Windows 7 or Windows Vista) or type %userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\Startup (under Windows XP), and then click
OK.
9. Repeat steps 3 through 5 for each file in this Startup folder.

If the problem is not resolved after you disable the Startup folder add-ins, see the "Delete the COM add-ins registry key" topic.

Delete the COM add-ins registry keys

You may install COM add-ins in any location. Programs that interact with Word install COM add-ins. To determine whether a COM add-in is causing the
problem, temporarily disable the COM add-ins by deleting the registry keys for the COM add-ins.

To delete the COM add-ins registry keys, follow these steps:

1. Exit all Office programs.

2. In Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. (If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right
corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search.) Type regedit in the search box, tap or click Apps, and then tap or click
Run.
Or, in Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. Locate the following registry subkey:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Word\Addins

4. Click Addins, and then click Export on the File menu.

5. Name the file WdaddinHKCU.reg, and then save the file to the desktop.
6. n the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click Yes.
7. Locate the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office\Word\Addins

8. Click Addins, and then on the File menu, click Export.

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8. Click Addins, and then on the File menu, click Export.
9. Name the file WdaddinHKLM.reg, and then save the file to the desktop.
10. On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click Yes.
11. Exit Registry Editor.
12. Start Word.

If the problem is resolved, you have determined that a COM add-in program is causing the problem. Next, you must determine which COM add-in program
is causing the problem.

Determine which COM add-in program is causing the problem

Microsoft Support options

If you can't resolve this issue, you can use Microsoft Support to search the Microsoft Knowledge Base and other technical resources for answers. You can also
customize the site to control your search. To start your search, go to the Microsoft Support (http://www.microsoft.com/support/) website.

Additional Resources
Additionally, if you experience some specific issues when you use Word, you may visit the following Microsoft Word Product Solution Center websites to see
whether there is specific information about your problem:
Support for Microsoft Word 2013 (https://support.microsoft.com/find-solutions/office/office-2013)

Support for Microsoft Word 2010 and 2007 (https://support.microsoft.com/find-solutions/office/word)

Support for Microsoft Office Word 2003 (http://support.microsoft.com/ph/2530/en-us)

Note To find articles about specific problems, search the problems in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://search.microsoft.com/en-us/SupportResults.aspx?q=kb) .

Properties

Article ID: 921541 - Last Review: January 27, 2014 - Revision: 21.0
Applies to
Microsoft Office Word 2003
Microsoft Office Word 2007
Microsoft Word 2010
Microsoft Word 2013
Windows 8.1

Keywords: kbexpertisebeginner kbregistry kbaddin kbhowtomaster kbfixme kbmsifixme KB921541

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