Word may be a Microsoft app, but it’s also available for Apple products, like Macs and MacBooks. However, just like the Windows versions, Mac versions of Word can encounter random issues, crashes, and bugs, and sometimes, Microsoft Word won’t open on Mac at all.
This guide shows you several ways to fix this issue.
Fix 1. Forceful Reboot
If Word refuses to open, it may be that it hasn’t properly closed down from the last time you used it. A forceful reboot of the app may fix the issue. There are a couple of ways to do this. The first method is:
Step 1. Right-click the Word icon.
Step 2. Select “Quit.” Then, re-launch Word.
An alternate method is:
Step 1. Press “cmd,” “option,” and “esc” keys together.
Step 2. Find Microsoft Word in the list and select it, then click “Force Quit.”
One of the possible reasons why won’t Word open on Mac is that your device is already running many other applications and is low on memory (RAM). Stopping some apps should free up the memory you need.
Step 1. Go to “Applications,” then “Utilities,” and open the “Activity Monitor.”
Step 2. Click the “Memory” tab to see how much memory you’re using and which apps are using the most.
Step 3. Close down the apps you don’t need. Select the app and then press the “Stop” icon (x) in the Activity Monitor to do this.
Fix 3. Try the Disk Utility
There may be some corrupted files that are causing problems when you try to open Word. The Disk Utility can find and fix those sorts of issues.
Step 1. Click “Go” and then “Utility.”
Step 2. Select and start the “Disk Utility” tool.
Step 3. Make sure your Mac’s main hard drive is selected, then click on “First Aid.”
Step 4. Press “Run” and wait while the utility runs. It may fix the issues you were having, so try starting Word after it has finished.
Fix 4. Clear Your Device’s Cache
There can sometimes be issues where a Mac’s cache gets too clogged up or has some corrupted data in it that then causes issues with apps, including MS Word. Here’s how to clear the cache:
Step 1. In the Finder, click on “Go” and then “Go to folder.”
Step 2. Enter this command “~/Library/Caches/” and click “Go.”
Step 3. You will be taken to the system cache files and can delete the files by dragging them to the Trash.
Fix 5. Reinstall Word
The last resort fix is to do a full reinstallation of Word. This may resolve any issue you have with corrupt Word files or other underlying issues that are keeping the app from opening as it should.
Step 1. Open the Finder and select “Applications.”
Step 2. Find Microsoft Word in the list and drag its icon to the Trash.
Step 3. Open the Mac App Store, search for Microsoft Word, then reinstall it.
As an avid gamer, I’ve run into my fair share of error codes and weird faults that have forced me to find fixes to problems I never anticipated. That gave me a passion for sharing those fixes with others so we can all game without feeling like our hardware is rebelling against us.
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