Oct 10,2020 • Filed to: Mac Recovery • Proven solutions
Word 2016 for Mac won't open after latest update. Did the latest update - MacBook Pro - Yosemite 10.10.5. Word won't open from the menu - but can open new document from a previously saved one. Word won't be in the Dock, go to Applications to open. Does Word open the file in Guest? If you are on an older version of Word, you need the free XML File Converter from the Microsoft website.
'How to open Word on Mac? I have some important Word documents saved on my Mac, but every time I try to open them, the application crashes!'
This is a recent query posted on a forum by a concerned user about MS Word on Mac. Since MS Office is a third-party application on Mac, a lot of users struggle with it. For instance, some people say that Microsoft Word won t open on Mac, even after numerous efforts. Chances are that there could be a problem with the software itself or your Mac as well.
The good news is that you can learn how to open Word on Mac and fix this issue by following some simple steps. In this guide, we will help you resolve the Word won't open on Mac query like a pro.
Part 1: How to Open Microsoft Word on Mac?
There are times when users are not able to understand how to open Microsoft Word on Mac. Needless to say, before you proceed, make sure that MS Word is already installed on your Mac and is running smoothly. You can just look for the Word application on your Mac and launch it without any trouble. Here's how to open Word on Mac seamlessly.
Step 1 The easiest way to open Word on Mac is by using the Spotlight search. Simply click on the search icon on the top-right corner of the screen.
Step 2 You can either look for the MS Word application or type the name of the document that you wish to open. Click on the searched results to launch it.
Step 3 Subsequently, you can also view the installed Applications by visiting Mac's System Preferences. Also, you can just press Command + Shift + A to open the Applications tab.
Step 4 Scroll down to view all the MS Office applications installed on your Mac. Look for MS Word and double-click it to launch the application.
Part 2: Why Microsoft Word Won't Open on Mac?
Before we learn ways to fix Word won't open on Mac, it is important to know what could have caused the issue in the first place. Here are some of the common reasons why Word won't open on Mac:
- There might be some issue with MS Word or the Office application.
- The installer could have been corrupt, leading to a malfunction application installation.
- If you are running an outdated version of MS Word on a new macOS, then you can encounter this issue.
- The storage unit where MS Word was installed could have been corrupt as well.
- A system setting could be blocking the Word application in the background.
- The MS Word document that you are trying to open could have been corrupt.
- A change in Word Preferences or app settings can also lead to the malfunction of the utility tool.
Part 3: What to Do When Word Files Won't Open on Mac?
As you can see, there could be different reasons for Word files not opening on Mac. Thankfully, you can easily fix this issue by following some thoughtful troubleshooting tips. Here's how you can also resolve the Microsoft Word not opening on Mac problem.
Solution 1: Run 'Disk Utility' to Repair
Disk Utility is the native feature of macOS that can help us repair a disk (system storage or external devices). You can access it via Mac's Applications or by booting your system in the recovery mode. Therefore, if your Mac is functioning seamlessly, then you can take the assistance of Disk Utility in no time. This will scan your Mac's storage and make sure that it won't lead to any MS Word issue.
Step 1 Firstly, go to Mac's Finder and visit Applications > Utilities. From the list of the available Utility tools, tap 'Disk Utility'.
Step 2 This will launch the Disk Utility application on Mac. On the left panel, you can see the available drives and partitions. Simply select the drive where MS Word is installed.
Word Won T Open On Mac
Step 3 You will get its details on the right and numerous other options. From its toolbar, click on the 'First Aid' button.
Step 4 A pop-up window will ask you to confirm your choice. Click 'Run' and wait for a while as Mac would repair its storage.
Solution 2: Remove Word Preferences
Chances are that there could be a problem with the MS Word application installed on your Mac as well. For instance, the default template or Word preferences could clash with its functioning. In this case, you can just remove the Word Preferences and try to fix the Word won't open on Mac issue instantly.
Step 1 First, select the Word icon on the desktop or open the application. Go to the Finder menu and click on Word > Preferences.
Step 2 This will launch the Word Preferences window on the screen. Click on the 'File Locations' option to continue.
Step 3 Mac usb iso creator. Now, you can see different file types with their location. Click on the 'User Templates' option and choose to reset it.
Step 4 If you want to delete it entirely, then click on the 'Modify' button instead. Look for the 'Normal' file, cut it, and paste it somewhere else (or just delete it from the location).
Solution 3: Try 'Open and Repair'
The above-listed solutions would work if there is an issue with Mac's storage or the Word application itself. Though, the reason why won't Word open on Mac could be something else as well. For instance, the Word document that you are trying to open could have been corrupt. To repair a corrupted Word document, you can take the assistance of the application's native feature. Here's how to open Word on Mac and repair a faulty document.
Step 1 If the MS Word application is already not opened, then do the same by clicking on its icon. https://bestufil236.weebly.com/outline-3-21-3.html.
Step 2 After the application is launched, go to its main menu and click on File > Open to proceed.
Step 3 As a browser window will launch, simply go to the location where the faulty Word document is stored and select it.
Step 4 Usb drive for macbook air. Instead of clicking on the 'Open' button, click on the dropdown icon and choose to 'Open and Repair' the file.
Wait for a while as Word will try to automatically repair the document and would extract its saved content.
Part 4: How to Recover Lost Word Documents on Mac?
By following the discussed solutions, you would be able to fix issues like Word won't open on Mac. Though, if you have lost some of your documents or have deleted them accidentally, then consider using Recoverit (IS) for Mac. It is a dedicated data recovery tool that can get back all kinds of lost or deleted documents on your Mac. This includes all sorts of Word, Excel, PDF, PowerPoint, and numerous other file types.
Recoverit (IS) for Mac
A Life Saver to Solve Your Data Loss Problems!
- Extremely easy to use and features one of the highest data recovery rates in the market.
- It can recover data lost under different scenarios like accidentally deleted documents, corrupt Word files, lost partition, corrupt storage, etc.
- You can recover data from an external source like SD card, USB drive, hard drive, and more.
- The application can perform different kinds of scans on any source – quick or deep. You can perform the needed scan as per your requirements.
- Apart from Word documents, it can also recover your photos, videos, audios, compressed files, and all kinds of data.
Even with no prior technical knowledge, you can take the assistance of Recoverit (IS) and get back your lost files on your Mac. To do it, follow these basic steps:
Step 1Download and install
Download and install the Recoverit (IS) program on your Mac computer.
Step 2Pick a location to scan
In order to proceed, you can just choose a location to scan for lost Word documents. It can be the internal Mac storage or any other external device.
Step 3Restore your data
This will make the application look for any lost or deleted Word file on the selected location. You can just wait for a while for the process to be completed.
In the end, users can just preview the recovered data on the application and select the Word documents to save. Click on the 'Recover' button and save them to any location of your choice.
Bonus Tips: How to Avoid Word File Corruption on Mac
A lot of times, a Word file becomes inaccessible or corrupt on Mac as well. If you don't want to go through unwanted issues like Word won't open on Mac, then consider following these preventive measures:
- Always keep a backup of your important Word files so that you won't lose them unexpectedly.
- Keep the Word application updated to make sure it won't suffer from any compatibility issue.
- Avoid changing the extension of the documents forcefully.
- Don't open Word documents with other third-party tools that can corrupt them.
- Keep the Mac storage clean and not cluttered to ensure its safety.
- Only use an authentic copy of MS Word from its official website. If you are using a pirated version, then it might corrupt your documents.
- Don't close your Mac unexpectedly when the Word document is still being processed in the background.
Conclusion
There you go! After reading this guide, you would be able to fix issues like Microsoft Word won't open on Mac for sure. We have come up with three working solutions on Word won't open on Mac problems and have provided a stepwise solution on how to open Word on Mac.
Apart from that, you can take the assistance of Recoverit (IS) to get back lost Word documents in no time. It is a highly secure and reliable application that can help you in more ways than you can imagine. Give it a try and never lose your important Word documents on Mac again.
'I have been using Word 2016 on my MacBook Air for over a year with no problems. Now, it won't launch at all. Postbox 5 0 17 – powerful and flexible email client. When I click the icon to open Word in the toolbar, it bounces to show it is opening as usual, but then just stops and nothing happens…'
This is the typical symptom of Word not opening on Mac. There are different reasons to cause this problem like MacBook Pro shuts down randomly. The Word icon flashes after double-clicking as usual. However, Microsoft Word quits unexpectedly on Mac without a sign. If you cannot open Word 2003/2007/2010/2013/2016 on Mac, you can try workable solutions below.
- Guide List
1. Fix Word Not Opening on Mac with Disk Utility First Aid
Open Finder. Choose Utilities from the Go drop-down menu on the top right corner of the screen.
Select Disk Utility in the Utilities Aiseesoft dvd ripper lite 6 5 13 download free. folder.
Choose the primary hard disk that your Mac computer runs.
Click First Aid on the top toolbar.
Click Run to confirm and repair disk volume errors.
Choose Done after fixing Word not opening on Mac. Python launcher mac.
2. Repair Word Not Opening on Mac by Removing Word Preferences
Open Library
Run Finder. Click Go on the top. Select Go to folder from its list. Type and enter ~/Library in the Go to Folder window. Then click Go to move on.
Run Preferences
Find and open the Preferences folder. Search and find a file named com.microsoft.word.prefs.plist. Move this file to the desktop. Reopen Microsoft Word and check if it can work normally. If the Microsoft Word not opening on Mac problem is solved, you can move the file to Trash directly.
Use the normal file to repair Word
If not, exit Microsoft Word. Put com.microsoft.word.prefs.plist back to the Preferences window. Then turn off all Microsoft Office programs on Mac. Click the Word icon. Choose Preferences from its list.
Select File Locations under Personal Settings in the Word Preferences window. Choose User templates. Click Modify… near the bottom of the window. Move the file named Normal to the desktop.
Later, start Word and check Mac won't open Word documents issues. Do not forget to move Normal file to Trash after solving the problem.
3. Troubleshoot Word Not Opening on Mac with Word Repair Function
Double click Microsoft Word's icon to start Word.
Choose Open in the left panel of the File menu.
Microsoft Word Won't Open Pc
Select the document you want to open with the popping-up window.
Select Repair next to the Open option on the lower right corner. The default choice is Original. Thus, you need to replace Original with Repair.
Wait for a while to fix Microsoft Word not opening on Mac.
4. Recommend: Best Way to Recover Deleted, Lost and Unsaved Word Documents on Mac
Some people report data loss issues after Microsoft Word not opening on Mac. In some cases, you can recover unsaved Word documents on Mac with the Temporary folder and auto-recovery save feature.
But if you want to get back the disappeared Word documents, using Mac data recovery software is the easiest solution.
FoneLab Data Retriever can help you recover Microsoft Word documents of most popular formats including DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX, PDF, CWK, etc. The Quick Scan and Deep Scan modes can show you all deleted and existing Word documents in a short time.
Furthermore, you can recover Word files from deletion, formatted partition, RAW hard drive and many other crashed problems, as well as Microsoft Word not opening on Mac. Mac tools ohio.
- Recover deleted or lost Word documents on Mac in original quality.
- Scan both deleted and existing Microsoft Word files via Quick Scan or Deep Scan mode.
- Wide support of recoverable data types and drives.
- Work for Mac won't open Word documents and many other different situations.
- Fully compatible with Mac 10.7 and above (macOS Mojave included).
FoneLab Data Retriever
FoneLab Data Retriever - recover the lost/deleted data from computer, hard drive, flash drive, memory card, digital camera and more.
- Recover photos, videos, contacts, WhatsApp, and more data with ease.
- Preview data before recovery.
- Recover data from device, iCloud and iTunes.
With above solutions, you can get rid of Microsoft Word not opening on Mac easily and safely. Even though you cannot find a certain Word document, you can still get the satisfying answer via FoneLab Data Retriever.
If you still have problems with fixing Microsoft Word not opening issues, you can leave messages below.