Office Performance Issues

Can Word Count Be Completely Disabled in Microsoft Word?

Olivia Miller Oct 14, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is looking for a way to completely disable the background word count process because it is slowing down the performance of a large report.

How to Fix Microsoft Word Performance Issues Caused by Background Word Count

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Editing a very large document or report where background processes cause noticeable lag and performance degradation.
Observed behavior: Word continues to count words in the background even after hiding it from the status bar and disabling it under the Review tab, which slows down the application.

Before you start

Save and back up your large report before troubleshooting, and note that Word relies on background document calculations for pagination, meaning the process cannot be permanently turned off.

Solution 1Recommended

Update and Repair Microsoft Office

Since background word count cannot be fully disabled, repairing the Office installation is the most effective way to resolve unexpected performance lags on large files.

Microsoft Word requires certain background calculations to format pages correctly. If these calculations are severely impacting performance, it often indicates an underlying corruption in the Office installation or an outdated version.

Check for Office Updates

Open Microsoft Word, navigate to 'File' > 'Account', click on 'Update Options', and select 'Update Now' to ensure you are running the latest version.

Open Windows Settings

Press the Windows key + I to open Settings, then go to 'Apps' > 'Installed apps' (or 'Apps & features').

Run Office Repair

Scroll down to find Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365. Click the three dots (or right-click) and select 'Modify'. Choose 'Online Repair' and click 'Repair' to fix corrupted application files.

Repair Time: An Online Repair requires an active internet connection and may take several minutes to complete as it redownloads necessary components.

Solution 2

Disable Unnecessary Add-ins

Third-party add-ins often conflict with background calculations like word count, worsening the lag on extensive documents.

Solution 3

Completely Uninstall and Reinstall Office

If the performance issue affects only one specific computer, performing a clean reinstallation is the final troubleshooting step.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Experience Faster Editing on Large Documents with WPS Office

Since background calculations in Microsoft Word can bog down large reports and cannot be fully disabled, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a lightweight, highly optimized alternative that handles massive documents smoothly without the heavy background processing lag.

1. Download and Install: Get the free WPS Office installer from the official WPS website and run it.
2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your heavy Word (.docx) report directly.
3. Edit Without Lag: Enjoy fast, uninterrupted editing and formatting on large documents.

Handles exceptionally large documents smoothly without performance lagFully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formatsLightweight software architecture saves system memory and CPUFamiliar ribbon interface ensures zero learning curve

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Microsoft Word lag when typing in a large document?

Word constantly runs background calculations for pagination, word counts, and spell-checking. In exceptionally large documents, these processes consume significant memory and CPU, which can cause typing lag or freezing.

Can I hide the word count from the status bar in Word?

Yes, you can hide it by right-clicking the status bar at the bottom of the Word window and unchecking 'Word Count'. However, this only hides the visual display; Word may still calculate it in the background.

Does turning off spell check improve Word's performance?

Yes. Disabling 'Check spelling as you type' in File > Options > Proofing can significantly reduce background processing, speeding up document editing on older computers.

How do I stop background saves to speed up Microsoft Word?

Go to File > Options > Advanced, scroll down to the Save section, and uncheck 'Allow background saves'. This stops Word from saving simultaneously while you are typing, which can reduce temporary freezes.

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