Office Installation Errors

Fix Microsoft Word Repeatedly Showing 'First Things First' Message

Aamir Naveed Akram Sep 27, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve an issue where Microsoft Word continuously loops a license agreement prompt, preventing normal usage of the application.

How to Fix Microsoft Word Repeatedly Showing the 'First Things First' Message

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Launching Microsoft Word after a new Office installation, a major update, or a license renewal.
Observed behavior: Word repeatedly displays the 'First things first' prompt. Accepting the prompt does not permanently dismiss it, often resulting in the application freezing, closing, or shutting down.

Before you start

Verify whether this is a brand-new Office installation or an existing one, and ensure you have your Microsoft account login credentials handy before proceeding.

Solution 1Recommended

Run Microsoft Word as an Administrator

Running the application with administrative privileges allows Windows to properly save your acceptance of the license agreement to the system registry.

In many cases, the 'First things first' loop occurs because Microsoft Word lacks the necessary system permissions to record your acceptance of the End User License Agreement (EULA).

Close all Office applications

Ensure Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and any background Office processes are completely closed.

Search for Microsoft Word

Click the Windows Start menu and type 'Word' into the search bar.

Launch as administrator

Right-click on the Word application icon from the search results and select 'Run as administrator' from the context menu.

Accept the prompt

When the 'First things first' prompt appears, click 'Accept'. Close Word and reopen it normally to verify that the message no longer appears.

Permanent Fix: You only need to run the application as an administrator once. Subsequent launches can be done normally.

Solution 2

Repair the Office Installation

Use the built-in Windows repair tool to fix corrupted Office files that might be causing the prompt to freeze or loop.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Switch to WPS Office to Avoid Licensing Prompt Loops

If Microsoft Word continues to freeze or loop the license agreement despite troubleshooting, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, hassle-free word processing experience without complex licensing errors.

1. Download the software: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installer for your operating system.
2. Install WPS Office: Run the downloaded setup file and follow the quick installation prompts.
3. Open and edit seamlessly: Launch WPS Writer, open your existing .docx files, and start editing immediately without any license prompts.

Completely free to use with no complex license activation loops.Highly compatible with Microsoft Word documents (.docx) so you won't lose your work.Lightweight installation that runs smoothly without freezing or crashing.Familiar user interface for seamless and quick migration from Microsoft Office.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the 'First things first' prompt keep reappearing?

This typically happens when Windows lacks the necessary administrative permissions to save your acceptance of the End User License Agreement (EULA) to the system registry, or if there is an underlying activation error.

Does reinstalling Office fix the 'First things first' loop?

Reinstalling can resolve corruption issues, but if it is a permissions or registry problem, simply running Word as an administrator is often a quicker and more effective fix.

Will I lose my documents if I repair Microsoft Office?

No. Running a Quick Repair or Online Repair for Microsoft Office only fixes system and application files. Your personal documents, settings, and saved templates remain completely unaffected.

Installation & Activation