Microsoft Word for Mac 2020 full offline installer setup for Mac. Microsoft Word for Mac is the world’s most popular and widely used text editing application. Since its appearance in 1983, this app developed into comprehensive editing suite that provides a spectacular level of support for users of all levels. I chose Microsoft Word for Mac when I switched to a MacBook Pro some years ago. As a writer, I have a very large number of Word files, but with Microsoft moving to an annual subscription model.
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Oct 10,2020 • Filed to: Mac Recovery • Proven solutions
'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.
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 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.
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 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.
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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.
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Note
Office 365 ProPlus is being renamed to Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. For more information about this change, read this blog post.
Summary
This article describes how to identify a damaged document in Word 2007 and later versions. Additionally, this article includes steps that explain how to recover the text and data that is contained in a document after you have identified the document as damaged.
This article is intended for a beginning to intermediate computer user.You may find it easier to follow the steps if you print this article first.
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Many software issues can be resolved by updating the Microsoft Office and Windows programs.
A damaged document or a software issue?
A Word document can become corrupted for several reasons that will prevent you from opening it. This behavior may be related to damage to the document or to the template on which the document is based. This behavior might include the following:
![Microsoft Word Problems On Mac Microsoft Word Problems On Mac](https://bestastrologerinindia1.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/25.jpg?w=192&h=300)
- Repeatedly renumbers the existing pages in the document
- Repeatedly redoes the page breaks in the document
- Incorrect document layout and formatting
- Unreadable characters on the screen
- Error messages during processing
- A computer that stops responding when you open the file
- Any other unexpected behavior that cannot be attributed to the typical operation of the program
Sometimes, this behavior can be caused by factors other than document damage. It is important to determine whether the document is damaged or whether the problem is a software issue. To eliminate these other factors, follow these steps:
- Look for similar behavior in other documents. Try to open other Word documents to see whether the same problem occurs. If they open correctly, then the problem might be with the Word document.
- Look for similar behavior in other Microsoft Office programs. If this is the case, then the issue might be with another application or the operating system.
If any of these steps indicate that the problem is not in the document, you will then have to troubleshoot Word, the Office suite, or the operating system that is running on the computer.
Troubleshooting steps to try if the damaged document does not open
Try the methods in the order given. If one does not work for you, try the next one.
Method 1: Open the damaged document in draft mode without updating links
Step 1: Configure Word
- Start Word.
- On the View tab, select Draft in the Views group.
- Select the File Menu, and then Options, and then Advanced.
- In the Show document content section, select Use draft font in Draft and Outline views and Show picture placeholders.
- Scroll down to the General section, clear the check box Update automatic links at open, select OK, and then close Word.
Step 2: Open the damaged document
- Start Word.
- Select the File Menu, and then select Open.
- Select the damaged document, and then select Open.
If you can open the document, close the document and then reopen it by using method 6, and repair the document. Otherwise go to method 2.
Method 2: Insert the document as a file in a new document
Step 1: Create a new blank document
- Select the File Menu, and then select New.
- Select Blank document, and then select Create.NoteYou might have to reapply some formatting to the last section of the new document.
Step 2: Insert the damaged document into the new document
- On the Insert tab, select Insert Object, and then select Text From File.
- In the Insert File dialog box, locate and then select the damaged document. Then, select Insert.You might have to reapply some formatting to the last section of the new document.
Method 3: Create a link to the damaged document
Step 1: Create blank document
- In Word, select the File Menu, and then select New.
- Select Blank document, and then select Create.
- In the new document, type 'This is a test.'
- Select the File Menu, and then select Save.
- Type 'Rescue link,' and then select Save.
Step 2: Create link
- Select the text you typed in step 1-3.
- On the Home tab, select Copy in the Clipboard group.
- Select the File Menu, and then select New.
- Select Blank document, and then select Create.
- On the Home tab, select the arrow on the Paste button in the Clipboard group, and then select Paste Special.
- Select Paste link, select Formatted Text (RTF).
- Select OK.
Step 3: Change the link to the damaged document
- Right-click the linked text in the document, point to Linked Document Object, and then select Links.
- In the Links dialog box, select the file name of the linked document, and then select Change Source.
- In the Change Source dialog box, select the document that you cannot open, and then select Open.
- Select OK to close the Links dialog box.NoteThe information from the damaged document will appear if there was any recoverable data or text.
- Right-click the linked text, point to Linked Document Object, and then select Links.
- In the Links dialog box, select Break Link.
- When you receive the following message, select Yes: Are you sure you want to break the selected links?
Method 4: Use the 'Recover Text from Any File' converter
Note
The 'Recover Text from Any File' converter has limitations. For example, document formatting is lost. Additionally, graphics, fields, drawing objects, and any other items that are not text are lost. However, field text, headers, footers, footnotes, and endnotes are retained as simple text.
- In Word, select the File Menu, and then select Open.
- In the Files of type box, select Recover Text from Any File(.).
- Select the document from which you want to recover the text.
- Select Open.
After the document is recovered by using the 'Recover Text from Any File' converter, there is some binary data text that is not converted. This text is primarily at the start and end of the document. You must delete this binary data text before you save the file as a Word document.
Note
If you are using Word 2007 and there is not a file button in the User Interface, choose the Office Button and follow the directions when necessary.
Troubleshooting steps to try if you can open the damaged document
Method 1: Copy everything except the last paragraph mark to a new document
Step 1: Create a new document
- In Word, select File on the Ribbon, and then select New.
- Select Blank document, and then select Create.
Step 2: Open the damaged document
- Select File on the Ribbon, and then select Open.
- Select the damaged document, and then select Open.
Step 3: Copy the contents of document, and then paste the contents into the new document
Note
If your document contains section breaks, copy only the text between the sections breaks. Do not copy the section breaks because this may bring the damage into your new document. Change the document view to draft view when you copy and paste between documents to avoid transferring section breaks. To change to draft view, on the View tab, select Draft in the Document Views group.
- In the damaged document, press CTRL+END, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+HOME.
- On the Home tab, select Copy in the Clipboard group.
- On the View tab, select Switch Windows in the Window group.
- Select the new document that you created in step 1.
- On the Home tab, select Paste in the Clipboard group.
If the strange behavior persists, go to method 8.
![Problems Problems](https://images.template.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/19094658/Complaint-Letter-to-Landlord-Free-Download1.jpg)
Method 2: Change the template that is used by the document
Step 1: Determine the template that is used by the document
- Open the damaged document in Word.
- Select File on the Ribbon, and then select Options.
- Select Add-Ins.
- In the Manage box, select Templates under View and manage Office add-ins.
- Select Go.
The Document template box will list the template that is used by the document. If the template that is listed is Normal, go to step 2. Otherwise, go to step 3.
Step 2: Rename the global template (Normal.dotm)
- Exit Word.
- Select the Start button.
- In your operating system, search for normal.dotm. It's typically found in this location: %userprofile%appdataroamingmicrosofttemplates
- Right-click Normal.dotm, and then select Rename.
- Type 'Oldword.old', and then press ENTER.
- Close File Explorer.
- Start Word, and then open the document.
Step 3: Change the document template
- Open the damaged document in Word.
- Select File on the Ribbon, and then select Options.
- Select Add-Ins.
- In the Manage box, select Templates, and then select Go.
- Select Attach.
- In the Templates folder, select Normal.dotm, and then select Open.
- Select OK to close the Templates and Add-ins dialog box.
- Exit Word.
Step 4: Verify that changing templates worked.
- Start Word.
- Select File on the Ribbon, and then select Options.
- Select the damaged document, and then select Open.
If the strange behavior persists, go to method 3.
Method 3: Start Word using default settings
You can use the /a switch to start Word by using only the default settings in Word. When you use the /a switch, Word does not load any add-ins. Additionally, Word does not use your existing Normal.dotm template. Restart Word by using the /a switch.
Step 1: Start Word by using the /a switch
- Exit Word. Minimal browser mac.
- Select the Start button and search for Run. In the Run dialog box type the following:winword.exe /a
Step 2: Open the document
- In Word, select File on the Ribbon, and then select Open.
- Select the damaged document, and then select Open.
If the strange behavior persists, go to method 4.
Method 4: Change printer drivers
Step 1: Try a different printer driver
- In your operating system search for Devices and Printers.
- Select Add a printer.
- In the Add Printer dialog box, select Add a local printer.
- Select Use an existing port, and then select Next.
- In the Manufacturer list, select Microsoft.
- Select Microsoft XPS Document Writer, and then select Next.
- Select Use the driver that is currently installed (recommended), and then select Next.
- Select to select the Set as the default printer check box, and then select Next.
- Select Finish.
Step 2: Verify that changing printer drivers fixes the problem
- Start Word.
- Select File on the Ribbon, and then select Open.
- Select the damaged document, and then select Open.
If the strange behavior persists, go to step 3.
Step 3: Reinstall original printer driver.
Windows 10 and Windows 7
- Appfresh 1 0 5. In your operating system search for Printers.
- Select the original default printer, and then select Delete.If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or select Continue.
- If you are prompted to remove all the files that are associated with the printer, select Yes.
- Select Add a printer or scanner, and then follow the instructions in the Add Printer Wizard to reinstall the printer driver.
Step 4: Verify that changing printer drivers fixes the problem
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- Start Word.
- Select File on the Ribbon, and then select Open.
- Select the damaged document, and then select Open.
If the strange behavior persists, go to method 5.
Method 5: Force Word to try to repair a file
Step 1: Repair document
In Word, select File on the Ribbon, and then select Open.
- In the Open dialog box, click once to highlight your Word document.
- Select the arrow on the Open button, and then select Open and Repair.
Step 2: Verify that repairing the document fixes the problem
Verify that the strange behavior no longer occurs. If the strange behavior persists, restart Windows, and then go to method 6.
Method 6: Change the document format, and then convert the document back to the Word format
Step 1: Open the document
- Start Word.
- Select File on the Ribbon, and then select Open.
- Select the damaged document, and then select Open.
Step 2: Save the document in a different file format
- Select File on the Ribbon, and then select Save as.
- Select Other Formats.
- In the Save as file type list, select Rich Text Format (*.rtf).
- Select Save.
- Select File on the Ribbon, and then select Close.
Step 3: Open the document, and then convert document back to Word file format
- In Word, select File, and then select Open.
- Select the converted document, and then select Open.
- Select File, and then select Save as.
- Choose Word Document for the Save As type.
- Rename the document's file name, and then select Save.
Step 4: Verify that converting the document file format fixes the problem
Verify that the strange behavior no longer occurs. If the behavior persists, try to save the file in another file format. Repeat step 1 to step 4, and then try to save the file in the following file formats, in the following order:
- Webpage (.htm; .html)
- Any other word processing format
- Plain Text (.txt)
Note
When you save files in the Plain Text (.txt) format, you might resolve the damage to the document. However, all document formatting, macro codes, and graphics are lost. When you save files in the Plain Text (.txt) format, you must reformat the document. Therefore, use the Plain Text (.txt) format only if the other file formats do not resolve the problem.
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If the strange behavior persists, go to method 7.
Method 7: Copy the undamaged parts of the damaged document to a new document
Step 1: Create a new document
- In Word, select File, and then select New.
- Select Blank document, and then select Create.
Step 2: Open the damaged document
- Select File, and then select Open.
- Select the damaged document, and then select Open.
Step 3: Copy the undamaged parts of document, and then paste the undamaged parts to the new document
Note
If your document contains section breaks, copy only the text between the sections breaks. Do not copy the section breaks because this might bring the damage into your new document. Change the document view to draft view when you copy and paste between documents to avoid transferring section breaks. To change to draft view, on the View tab, select Draft in the Document Views group.
- In the damaged document, locate and then select an undamaged part of the document's contents.
- On the Home tab, select Copy in the Clipboard group.
- On the View tab, select Switch Windows in the Window group.
- Select the new document that you created in step 1.
- On the Home tab, select Paste in the Clipboard group.
- Repeat steps 3a to 3e for each undamaged part of the document. You must reconstruct the damaged sections of your document.
Method 8: Switch the document view to remove the damaged content
If the document appears to be truncated (not all pages in the document are displayed), it might be possible to switch the document view and remove the damaged content from the document.
- Determine the page number on which the damaged content is causing the document to appear to be truncated.
- In Word, select File, and then select Open.
- Select the damaged document, and then select Open.
- Scroll to view the last page that is displayed before the document appears to be truncated. Make a note of the content which appears on that page.
- Switch views, and then remove the damaged content.
- On the View tab in the Document Views group, select Web Layout or Draft view.
- Scroll to view the content that was displayed before the document appeared to be truncated.
- Select and delete the next paragraph, table, or object in the file.
- On the View tab in the Document Views group, select Print Layout. If the document continues to appear to be truncated, continue to switch views and delete content until the document no longer appears truncated in Print Layout view.
- Save the document.
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Method 9: Open the document with Notepad
If the document is corrupted and none of the previous methods work, try to recover its content by opening the document with Notepad.
Note
By using this method, you will lose all formatting. The intention is to recover the content.
- Locate the damaged document using Windows File Explorer.
- Right click the document and select Open with.
- Select Notepad:
4. The document will open in Notepad with extra code and text around the content.
Note
You may have to change the file type from 'Text Documents (.txt)' to 'All Files (.*)'.5. Clean the text by deleting all or most of the extra characters.6. Select File, and then select Save As… Rename the document to make sure that you don't overwrite the damaged one.
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Go back to Word and open the new document. Once in Word, you can clean it up and try to reapply the lost format.