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Apr 30, 2021 · Try updating your mouse and keyboard drivers: > Search for Device Manager on your Windows search bar and open it. > On the window that pops up, expand Keyboards. > Locate your keyboard in the list, right-click it and then select Update driver. > Proceed with the update following the instructions on the screen.
- Update Microsoft Office
- Repair Office from the Control Panel on Windows
- Use the /a Switch on Windows
- Reset User Options and Registry Settings in Word on Windows
- Restore Word to Factory Settings on Mac
- Replace the Normal.dot Global Template File on Windows
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It’s always a good idea to keep your software up to date as companies constantly issue fixes for bugs and vulnerabilities that hinder the performance of the application.
Since Office 2013, Microsoft issues any updates to its Office applications automatically unless you told it to do otherwise. If that’s the case, and you’re experiencing startup issues with Word, you might want to update it to the latest version and see if that fixes the problem.
The good news is you can do this from any of your Office apps. So, if Word won’t start, you can update through Excel, PowerPoint, or any other Office programs you happen to have.
To update, open your Office app, click the "File" tab, and then click "Account" at the bottom of the left panel.
Under the "Product Information" section, click “Update Options" next to "Office Updates." In the drop-down menu, select "Update Now."
Office checks for and applies any updates. After the update completes, you see a success message.
Before you delete registry keys or the global template file, see if the Windows Repair tool will do the trick.
Right-click the Windows icon in the taskbar, and then select "Apps and Features" from the menu that appears.
The "Settings" window pops up. Scroll through the list and select your Office app, and then click "Modify."
The next message you see differs depending on which version of Office you have. In the click-to-run version (like Office 365), select "Online Repair," and then "Repair." If you run an MSI-based copy (you used installer software to install it on your computer) of Office, select "Repair," and then "Continue."
When you use theswitch to start Word, it launches it in its original state. So, it prevents add-ins and global templates, like Normal.dot, from loading automatically.
If you successfully launch Word with this method, it gives you a great starting point to troubleshoot because it's likely an add-in or template is causing the problem.
You can also launch Word in Safe Mode if you typeinstead ofin the step below. This also launches Word without add-ins, templates, and other customizations.
Related: How (and Why) to Start Microsoft Word from the Command Prompt
To try this method, press the Windows key, type "Run," and then press "Enter." The "Run" dialog appears. Here, type, and then click "OK."
If Word successfully launches, the issue is in the Office startup folder or the registry data key.
Abnormal behavior is often caused by formatting, options, and/or custom settings in Word. If you use Registry Editor to modify the registry, you can reset these.
Standard Warning: Registry Editor is a powerful tool; if you misuse it, it can render your system unstable or inoperable. This is a pretty simple tutorial, though, and you shouldn’t have any problems if you follow the instructions.
However, if you’ve never worked with Registry Editor before, you might want to read about it before you get started. Additionally, consider backing up the Registry (and your computer) before you make any changes.
First, close all Office applications. Next, press Windows+R to open the "Run" window. Here, typeand click "OK."
The Registry Editor opens. Navigate to the location of the key you want to delete; it appears in the following file path:
Note that "16.0" in the file path is probably different, depending on which version of Office you have. If you use Office 2013, look for "15.0." Microsoft provides a comprehensive list of key locations if you need further help.
You can also perform a factory reset for Word on a Mac. To do so, close all Office applications, and then open "Finder." Press Shift+Command+G to open the "Go to the Folder" search box.
Type the following:
Click "Go." Here, you’ll see the Normal.dotm file; move it to your desktop.
Next, open the "Go to the Folder" search box again (Shift+Command+G). This time, go to the following file path:
Click "Go." Find the com.microsoft.Word.plist and com.microsoft.Office.plist files and move them to your desktop. Restart Word.
Office automatically rebuilds these files, so don’t worry.
Your global template file contains macros, AutoText entries, and formatting settings, which often prevent Word from starting properly. If you replace this file, it will remove any issues you might be encountering due to damage to the previous file. This comes with a caveat, though: you’ll have to go back through and reconfigure all your custom settings.
To replace the Normal.dot (or Normal.dotm global template file), hit the Windows key. Type "cmd" in the Windows search box, and then press "Enter" to open the Command Prompt.
In Command Prompt, type the following command:
Press "Enter." Once finished, you can safely exit the Command Prompt.
When you launch Word, you’ll be prompted to go through the setup process.
These are just a few ways to diagnose and fix Word startup issues. However, there could be other causes that aren’t covered here.
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Jun 6, 2024 · Start Word. Disable the Startup folder add-ins. Exit all Office programs. Start Windows Explorer. To do this, type windows ex 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.
Click Options, and then click File > Export. Name the file "Wddata.reg", and then save the file to the desktop. Click Edit > Delete, then click Yes. Exit the Registry Editor and start Word. If Word starts and works correctly, you have resolved the problem (a damaged Word Options registry key).
The solution I found was to open up the Office365 app in Windows and then launch Word. From there you can launch new documents or old ones. Make sure to use task manager to end Word before launching the app. This seemed to fix it. Word opens normally now on Windows without using the app. If you try to open it again, it will open word but you ...
Aug 1, 2021 · As you'll see, the FN key combined with arrow keys, at least on my laptop, act as Home, Page up, Page down and End. F11 and F12 control brightness. Try using the arrow keys with FN held down, and see if their behaviour changes. If so, you may have a Function Lock key, which, on my example, would be FN + Esc (The little padlock with FN in the ...
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Sep 3, 2017 · Choose Start » Run, type winword /a, and press Enter. Using the /a switch starts Word without loading any add-ins and without loading Normal.dot. If Word hangs again, use the Task Manager to close it. Then choose Start » Control Panel » Add or Remove Programs, click the Microsoft Office item, click the Change button, and follow the procedure ...
