What to do When Microsoft Word Document is Not Opening?

Every Word file can be easily opened and accessed by simply double-clicking on the file; or by using right-click and choosing the Open option. But on some occasions, the Word document might not open properly with this simple method. However, if MS word has experienced an error while opening the file there are other workarounds that help fix this issue. Continue reading the article to know more about the causes and their solutions

Why isn't my MS Word file not opening?

Your Word file is not opening because a default program is not assigned or the file could be corrupted. However, by assigning a default program or repairing the corrupt Word document, you can open and access the files without any trouble.

Open Doc/Docx Files with Microsoft Word

You can set MS Word as the default app and open the doc file. Here is how you can do it

• Right-click on the doc/docx file and choose Open with
• Next, expand More app and choose Word
• Finally, check the Always use this app to open .docx file option and click OK

If you were unable to open the file, you should try opening the file in protected mode. Read the next section to know more.

Open MS Word Document in Protected View

The Protected View option will fix any technical issues and allow you to open and access the information on the word document.

• Launch the MS Word on your computer and create a blank document.
• Next, click on the File tab and select Open from the left column
• Click on Browse and locate the doc file to be opened
• Close the Word document and expand the dropdown next to the Open button

• Now, select Open in Protected View
• This time you will be able to open the document
• In case you need to write information into the document, click on Enable Editing.

If this doesn’t help you fix the document, repairing the word document is your only option

Open and Repair the Word File

Microsoft Word does give you the option to repair the corrupted docx file and access the documents. By repairing the file, any logical errors or corruption will be resolved. Here are the detailed steps to Repair a Word document that refuses to open.

• Launch the MS Word on your computer and create a blank document.
• Next, click on the File tab and select Open from the left column
• Click on Browse and locate the doc file to be opened
• Close the Word document and expand the dropdown next to the open button

• Select the Open and Repair option from the dropdown
• This will allow you to access the Word file and its information

The Repair and Open feature have certain limitations. It can only fix minor logical errors and corruption. If the word file is corrupted due to physical damage to the hard drive or any other major reasons, this method is not reliable. It can also damage the file even more and cause more corruption.

However, by using a dedicated Word repair tool you can fix the Word file safely without any trouble.

One of the safest and easiest way to repair corrupt word file is by using a Remo Word File Repair Software. This tool helps you repair the Word document regardless of the extent of corruption. Tool repairs documents that are created on all the versions of MS Word including the latest 2019. Download the tool and follow the instructions given below to repair the Word document that cannot be opened.

Repair MS Word File That Fails to Open

Download and install the Remo Repair Word on your computer.

• Launch the software and click on Browse to select your corrupt .doc or .docx file
• Next, hit the Repair button to repair the corrupted word file
• After repairing the corrupted Word file, choose the Preview option to view the repaired file
• Finally, click on Save and browse for a location to save the repaired file.

Conclusion

Sometimes you might also have difficulty opening the Word file if the MS office has issues. In such cases, you might have to repair or reinstall the application. However, if the issue is limited to the Word document, the Remo Word File Repair tool is an effective tool to repair the corrupted files. If you have any questions related to the above solution, kindly let us know in the comment section below.