Wondershare Repairit
File Repair

Perfectly repair corrupt Word files in simple steps.

  • Fix all Word file issues like blank Word document, Word file not opening, unreadable Word, etc.
  • Provide an easy fix option for text, images, font, hyperlinks, header, footer, etc.
  • Repair corrupted files with a very high success rate in 3 simple steps.
  • Support Office 365, MS Word 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, and earlier versions.
file repair

How to Fix Microsoft Word Freezes or Crashes on Mac?

Microsoft Word is a part of the Office suite and is available on Windows and Mac. It comes with many utility features that make it a useful app. However, sometimes, Microsoft Word freezes or crashes on Mac, and people find it hard to use its features or save their existing files. If this is an issue for you, you're in luck.

This article explores how to fix Microsoft Office Freezes or Crashes on Max. We'll explore how you can repair damaged files caused by Microsoft Office freezes or crashes; let's take a look.

microsoft error reporting on mac

Everyone knows Microsoft Word as a text editing software. It is the most famous tool used by students, teachers, writers, and anyone who needs to deal with text files regularly. Microsoft Word is compatible with many operating systems and is a part of modern industrial progress today.

Like several other programs that we use, Microsoft word sometimes freezes and stops working for unknown reasons. Victims of these crashes or freeze can lose hours of hard work in just a few seconds, even with auto-save available.

Even when the loss of data is not a problem for many people, the constant lag caused by Microsoft Office freezes or crashes can become a source of annoyance. Knowing what causes the issue and how you can fix Microsoft Office freezes or crashes on Mac is essential and is covered in this article. Keep reading to discover how.

Part 1: 6 Proven Solutions to Fix the Word Problem

Luckily for you, there are several solutions you can explore to fix the Word problem on your Mac. Below are some of the leading effective solutions to help you fix Microsoft Word freezes or crashes; let's dive in.

Solution 1: Boot Mac in Safe Mode

Like Windows OS, Mac also has a safe mode you can use when you need to fix Microsoft Office freezes or crashes on Mac. When you switch to safe mode, it allows the Mac OS to bypass some background applications. This way, it lessens the load on the OS. Sometimes, switching to safe mode can help you fix Microsoft Word freezes and crashes on Mac. It will help you determine what the issue is to eliminate it. Below are the steps you should follow to fix MS Word crashes or freezes on Mac.

  • First, you will need to restart your Mac.

restart your mac
  • Press the shift key immediately you hear the startup sound or see the Apple logo.

press shift to activate safe mode
  • Hold this key for a moment, and this will cause Mac to restart in safe mode.

safe mode on mac
  • At the top right corner of the Mac screen, you will see the 'safe mode' sign when your Mac PC boots.

safe mode icon on mac on startup
  • Sign in to any account you want and launch the Microsoft Word application.

This should effectively fix the issue and stop Microsoft Word from crashing and freezing while you work. If it fixes the problem, then the background applications were the issue. If it doesn't fix the issue, you can try any other solutions below.

Solution 2: Clear the Auto-Recovery Folder

We are all well aware of the auto-save feature on MS Word that helps you save your documents automatically in case Microsoft Word crashes. Once you open the file after it crashes, the auto-save feature allows you to resume your work where you left off without losing any data. There are times when the auto-recovery folder causes some conflict with the Microsoft Word application.

The reason is that the auto-recovery folder stores all files, including the corrupt ones. If this is the cause of the crash, then clearing it is the best way to fix Microsoft Word freezes or crashes on Mac. Follow the steps below to clear the auto-recovery folder.

  • Launch Finder on your Mac and then navigate to Go > Go to Folder.

  • On your Mac, paste the address below into the search bar at the right corner of the window:

"~/Library/Containers/com.Microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery/"

select auto-recover folder
  • Once you click on 'Go,' the auto-recovery folder on your Mac will pop up.

clear auto-saved files

From this point, you can start deleting the auto-saved files. Once you clear the folder out, try relaunching MS Word to see if this fixes the issue. 

Solution 3: Reset Word Preferences

The next effective step you need to take if you want to fix Microsoft Word freezes or crashes on Mac is to reset the Word preference. The steps below will assist users in achieving this.

  • Firstly, select the Word symbol at the top of the page.

  • Next, go to 'word options' and choose preferences from the menu.

select preferences from the options
  • Afterward, click on 'file locations' under preferences.

  • This action will open the file location on the screen. Click 'user layouts' and select 'reset' from the options.

format word preferences
  • You can now reorder it to a different area or move it to the trash.

This should fix the issue of MS Word crashing and freezing on Mac if Word preferences were the issue. 

Solution 4: Wondershare Repairit

It's annoying when MS Word freezes or crashes on Mac. Most times, it can cause damage to your file or cause it to become corrupt. In such cases, your best method to tackle the issue is using Wondershare Repairit. This tool is effective and user-friendly when repairing corrupt and damaged files on your Mac. The steps to using Wondershare Repairit for repairing corrupt MS Word files is simple and outlined below:

Firstly, you have to launch Wondershare Reparit on Mac. You can do this by visiting the Repairit website. Alternatively, you can download it by visiting Finder > Applications > 

  • Wondershare Repairit and then click the software. 

  • Next, visit the file repair section on the screen's sidebar. Once you click on it, the 'add' button will appear in the middle of the screen.

add corrupt file on wondershare repairit

Tap on it and navigate to the file location on your Mac and select it. Luckily, Wondershare Repairit allows you to repair multiple files at once.

  • After the files load on Repairit, click on the 'repair' button at the end of the page.

start the repair process

The repair software will start scanning the documents and begin the repair process. When the process is complete, the interface will notify you.

  • Preview one of the files to ensure that your file is back to its original state. If the file is repaired, click the 'save' and choose your preferred location to save your files.

save repaired files

If Microsoft Word is crashing or Freezing due to a corrupt or damaged file, this should fix the issue. 

Solution 5: Save the Document to Another Location

If the storage drive of your Mac is corrupt and you try saving a word document on it, it could cause Microsoft Word to freeze or crash. Therefore, to fix Microsoft Word freezes or crashes on Mac, you should save the document to a different location. If this part of the hard drive is corrupt, saving the document to a different location should fix the issue.

  • On the Microsoft Word page, click the file icon at the top of the page.

  • Select 'save as' to continue from the menu that pops up.

save file to a new location
  • Next, navigate to the location you want to save your word document and provide your document with the name you prefer.

  • Press save, and it will save your file to the new location.

Alternatively, you can duplicate the file to a new location and open it afterward. It should fix the problem for you.

Solution 6: Install Word Updates

Sometimes, Microsoft Word crashes or freezes on Mac because it is an outdated version. In such cases, the best approach to fix Microsoft Word freezes or crashes on Mac is by installing the new updates. Doing this is quite simple; follow the steps below.

  • First, launch the Word application on Mac, and from the menu, click 'help.'

  • Click 'check for updates' on the next Word window to proceed.

  • Next, the user must confirm your choice by clicking the 'check for updates' button a second time.

check for word updates
  • Now Microsoft Word will connect with the server and inform you of new updates. Choose the update you want and then select 'update.'

choose the update you want
  • Once the update is installed, relaunch Microsoft Word to see if this fixes the issue.

Part 2: Why Microsoft Word Freezes or Crashes on Mac?

There are many reasons why Word freezes or crashes on Mac. To fix Microsoft Word freezes or crashes on Mac, it is vital to know the common reasons so that you can avoid them. Below are some of the causes you should look out for; let's take a look.

1. Improper Installation

One of the reasons Microsoft Word crashes or freezes on Mac is improper installation. MS Word will crash if you don't download the app from the right source. It is also possible when there's incomplete authorization to Microsoft Word to use the different Mac OS functions. These features can cause Microsoft Word to crash.

2. Corrupt Files

A virus attack is a common reason why files crash on Mac OS. Sometimes, a virus attack on your PC could be affecting the apps and causing them to crash or freeze, including Microsoft Word. In addition, When you try to launch a corrupt file on Mac, it could lead to the MS Word app crashing or freezing on your Mac. External issues like system error could also lead to the software crashing. In such cases, using repair tools like Wondershare Repairit would help you fix the problem. 

3. Hard Drive Issue

Two hard drive issues can cause Microsoft Word to freeze or crash on Mac. If there's a defective hard drive name, it could cause Word to malfunction. Mac OS provides a more flexible way to name your hard drive, unlike Windows, with more restrictions. Sometimes, you have to change the hard drive name to fix the issue with your Microsoft word.

If the hard drive name is not compatible with Word, it could result in crashes. Another way the hard drive can cause Microsoft Word freezes or crashes on Mac is if it is corrupt. If your hard drive is corrupt, it could cause Microsoft Word to crash when you try to open a file on the drive. 

Part 3: Checklist for A Good Document Habit 

To create good documents, there are some habits you can implement. There are different productivity tricks on Word, and some of them help you ensure your documents are safe at all times. They could also prevent Microsoft Word freezes or crashes on Mac.

Always Create an Automated Backup Copy: Creating an automatic backup copy is a great way to ensure that you never lose your file. It is also a good document habit. 

create automatic backup copy

Use 'Save All' to Close All Your Open Documents: Microsoft has a trick available for multi-taskers. You can open and work on several documents, but Microsoft Word can freeze or crash when it comes to closing them. However, save all and close all are commands that can speed up the process for you. 

activate save all command

Choose the Appropriate File Name: Ensure your file name doesn't contain any form of symbol not supported by Microsoft Word. This is an important habit to prevent errors when opening your word documents. 

Use Tab Selectors to Align Text: An important routine for most people is setting tab stops and setting indents. You can set a single tab press on the paragraph alignment dialog to easily align your words next time you press the button.

align text with tab selector

Conclusion

Microsoft Word freezes or crashes on Mac are pretty common, and there have been many complaints on this issue. This post explains why such problems occur and the best solutions. Now that you know how to fix Microsoft Word freezes or crashes on Mac, you can efficiently resolve this issue. We have also provided the best way to fix corrupt files using Wondershare Repairit. It is a one-stop answer for most of the issues connected to Microsoft Word freezes or crashes on Mac.