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How To Troubleshoot Problems That Occur When You Start or Use Word
How To Troubleshoot Problems That Occur When You Start or Use Word
This article describes how to troubleshoot problems that may occur when you start or use
Microsoft Word. Use the following methods in the order in which they are presented. If you try
one of these methods and it does not help, go to the next method.
Resolution
The final paragraph mark in a Word document contains information about the document. If the
document is damaged, you may be able to retrieve the text of the document if you can omit this
final paragraph mark.
To access a document but leave its final paragraph mark behind, follow these steps:
1. On the File menu, click New and then click Blank Document.
2. On the Insert tab, click Object in the Text group, and then click Text from File.
3. Select the file that you want to open and insert, and then click Insert.
Method 2: Start Word by using the /a switch
The /a switch is a troubleshooting tool that is used to determine where a problem may exist in
Word. The /a switch prevents add-ins and global templates from being loaded automatically.
The /a switch also locks the settings files to prevent it from being read or modified. To start Word
by using the /a switch, follow these steps:
1. Type Run in the Search box (in Windows 10, Windows 8.1, or Windows 8) or in the
Start Search box on the Start menu (in earlier versions of Windows), and then press
Enter.
2. In the Run dialog box, type winword /a, and then press Enter.
For more information about the /a switch, go to the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge
Base:
826857 Description of the "/a" startup switch in Word
If the problem does not occur when you start Word by using the /a switch, try the next method to
determine the source of the problem.
Method 3: 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,
the program rebuilds the Word Data registry key by using the default settings.
NoteWhen 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.
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 in case
problems occur.
To restore the original Word Data registry subkey, 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.
If restoring the Word Data registry subkey doesnt work, go to the next procedure.
2. Type cmd in the Search box (in Windows 10, Windows 8.1, or Windows 8) or in the
Start Search box on the Start menu (in earlier versions of Windows), and then press
Enter.
3. At the command prompt, type the following command, as appropriate for the version of
Word that you are running, and then press Enter:
Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010, or Word 2007
ren %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Normal.dotm
OldNormal.dotm
Word 2003
ren %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Normal.dot
OldNormal.dot
Word 2003
ren %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\OldNormal.dot
Normal.dot
Word 2013
64-bit C2R installation:
%programfiles%\Microsoft Office\root\office15\Startup\
32-bit C2R installation:
%programfiles% (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\office15\Startup\
64-bit MSI installation:
%programfiles%\Microsoft Office\office15\Startup\
32-bit MSI installation:
%programfiles% (x86)\Microsoft Office\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.
ImportantMake a note of the original file name so that you can restore the file, if it is
necessary.
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 6 for each file in the Startup folder.
8. If you can still reproduce the problem, type the following path in the address bar of
Windows Explorer, and then click OK.
Word 2007
6. Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Word options.
7. Click Add-ins.
8. In the Manage list, click COM Add-ins, and then click Go.
If an add-in is listed in the COM Add-Ins dialog box, click to clear the add-in
check box. If more than one add-in is listed, click to clear only one add-in check
box at a time. This procedure helps determine which add-in is causing the
problem.
9. Click OK to close the COM Add-Ins dialog box.
10. Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Exit Word.
11. On the File menu, click Exit.
5. Start Word.
If the problem is resolved when you start Word, you have determined which COM add-in is
causing the problem. If you must have the features that the add-in provides, you must determine
which add-in includes those features so that you can contact the vendor for an update.
If the problem is not resolved when you start Word, repeat steps 4 and 5 for each COM add-in
that's listed until you determine which add-in is causing the problem.
To restore the COM add-ins, repeat step 4, but select the check box for each COM add-in that
you want to restore.