Got an Important assignment to submit but MS word just doesn’t want to cooperate with you? Did it crash again taking all your hard work with it? Any piece of software can and will crash at the worst possible time (Or so we feel) and sometimes we just need to fix them immediately.
If you are facing the microsoft word not responding issue on your Mac and want to learn how to fix microsoft word not responding on mac error then in this guide we will teach you how you can quickly fix the microsoft word not responding on mac error as well as answer your question, why is Microsoft word not responding on mac? And, how to fix microsoft word not responding on mac? So, without further ado, let’s jump right in.
Why is Microsoft Word Not Responding on Mac? [Reasons]
There are multiple reasons that can break compatibility of an app or program on Mac OS. some of these reasons are –
- Third party addon or plugin which you may have installed recently
- Corruption of preferences in MS word
- Unexpected and unwanted power fluctuations
- Virus or Malware infestation
- Faulty hardware or Low physical capacity for things like Memory
Now that we know some reasons which could cause the microsoft word not responding on mac error let us try and fix that and help you get that essay in before the deadline.
How to Fix Microsoft Word Not Responding on Mac
There are multiple ways in which we can fix the microsoft word not responding error on Mac. Some of the best ones are:
Method 1: Disable the Add-ins
If your Word isn’t very responsive or constantly crashes then the first step to try and fix it would be to disable add-ins. To disable Add-ins on MS Word –
- Open Word and look for Preferences. Once found click on it and then open Developer options from the ribbon.
- Here, you will find an option called Add-ins or Complements click on it
- Under My Add-ins, you will find the installed add-ins. Disable them all and see if your problem is solved and if MS word is working properly.
- If it starts working fine, enable add-ins one by one to find out the culprit.
If the microsoft word not responding on mac error still persists then move to the next method.
Method 2: Remove the Auto Recovery Folder
MS Word has features that allow us to recover some of our lost work thanks to the auto recovery feature. This feature can cause issues and the data can get corrupted over time which can lead to the Word not responding error on Mac. to delete this database of auto recovery –
- On the Go menu, click on Home.
- Click on the documents folder and open the Microsoft User Data folder
- Look for the Office Autorecovery folder and delete it.
- Alternatively, from the go menu, use this command to navigate to the folder directly:
~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences
- Look for the auto recovery folder and trash it.
This should fix the microsoft word not responding on mac error. If it doesn’t then don’t be disheartened since we have multiple other methods too.
Method 3: Download and Install the Latest MS Word Update
Outdated software sometimes clashes with the latest operating systems on your device so it is better to keep your software up to date. To update MS Word –
- Open Word on your Mac and from the top menu click on help
- In the dropdown, you will see an option called check for updates.
- Click on it and let it update.
Once the update is complete, your problem should be resolved. If it still doesn’t then move to the next method.
Method 4: Check the Word Document Name Properly
If you used a special character like the percentage symbol (%) while naming your file then that may cause issues on MS Word on Mac. Make sure that the name of the file does not contain any special characters and then try opening the file.
If the issue is resolved then it was the fault of the name you gave, if not try the next method.
Method 5: Remove the Word Preferences
To reset the preferences and reset MS word to default –
- Exit word and right click on the Finder
- Click on Go to Folder and paste this command ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates
- A folder will open where you have to look for Normal.dotm. Once found move it to the desktop or delete it
- Go back to the previous folder and look for a folder called preferences. Once found, open it.
- Look for com.microsoft.Word.plist and com.microsoft.Office.plist. Once both the files are found, move them to the desktop.
Now check if microsoft word not responding on mac error is foxed. In most cases, this fix works. if, unfortunately, this doesn’t work on your system. Move to the last method on your list.
Method 6: Open Microsoft Word in Safe Mode
If nothing else on this list has worked for you then your only option is to try and open MS word in safe mode. To start Safe mode –
- Restart your mac and make sure you press and hold Shift when the system starts booting.
- Once the system starts, you will see a Safe Boot screen on your Mac
- Once you are booted into safe mode, try opening MS Word
- If Word seems to work just fine here then I suspect there is a third party hindrance on your system which is the bane of your issues.
These are some ways in which you can fix microsoft word not responding on mac error. If you wish to learn how to force quit the app then read on and learn in the next section.
How to Force Quit Word on Mac When It is Not Responding
You can use one of the three methods to force quit word when you get microsoft word not responding error on Mac. These methods are:
Force Quit Word on Mac using Apple Menu
Before you force quit an app on Mac, wait for a minute or two. If you see the mouse cursor becomes a rainbow ball then that means that the app is still processing your previous request. If nothing happens even after waiting a few minutes then it is time to force quit. To do so using the apple menu –
- When in the app, click on the Apple icon on the top left
- When the menu opens, click on Force Quit “App Name” where App name will be the app that’s stuck. So, in our case Word.
- A menu will open, select the app you wish to force quit and click on the force quit button.
Force Quit Word on Mac using the Keyboard Shortcut
You can use a keyboard shortcut to force quit MS Word. To do so –
- Press and hold Command + Option + Escape Key together until the Window opens
- Select the app you wish to force close
- Click on Force Quit once you select the app
This will help you force quit word on Mac.
Force Quit Word on Mac using Dock Panel
One of the easiest methods to force quit word on Mac. to force quit using the dock –
- Hold the Options key (Alt) and right click on the app that’s not responding and you wish to force quit
- When the contextual menu appears, click on Force Quit
- MS word will now be forced closed.
These are the three easiest methods to force quit an app on mac. You can use them if the app just doesn’t want to cooperate with you.
Microsoft Word Not Responding Mac – Conclusion
We hope our guide here taught you how to fix microsoft word not responding on mac and how to force quit microsoft word on mac. If you have any more questions for us or if your electronic device is misbehaving and you need help with putting them in line then feel free to drop us a message or a request in the comments below. We will gladly help you out. See you next time.