Office Apps Crashing

Fix Microsoft Word Crashes While Typing on Windows 11

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user experiences intermittent crashes when typing in Microsoft Word, which then automatically reopens.

Product: Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365)
Device & OS: Windows 11
Scenario: Typing documents in Microsoft Word.
Observed behavior: Word crashes unexpectedly while typing. Event viewer logs show WINWORD.EXE and wwlib.dll faulting with exception code 0xc0000005. Standard troubleshooting like repairs, cache clearing, and SFC scans have not resolved the issue.

Before you start

Before rolling back your Office installation, ensure you save any open documents and close all active Microsoft Office applications to prevent interrupted background processes.

Solution 1Recommended

Roll Back Microsoft Office to an Earlier Build

Reverting to a previous, stable version of Office can bypass recent buggy updates causing the wwlib.dll and WINWORD.EXE crashes.

Exception code 0xc0000005 often indicates an access violation caused by a bug in the latest Microsoft 365 update. Rolling back to a previous build, such as 16.0.17531.20120, can stabilize Word until Microsoft releases a permanent patch.

Open Command Prompt as Administrator

Type 'cmd' in the Windows 11 search bar, right-click on 'Command Prompt' in the results, and select 'Run as administrator'.

Navigate to the ClickToRun Folder

Type the command `cd %programfiles%\Common Files\microsoft shared\ClickToRun` and press Enter.

Execute the Rollback Command

Type `OfficeC2RClient.exe /update user updatetoversion=16.0.17531.20120` and press Enter to begin the downgrade process.

Restart and Disable Automatic Updates

Wait for the process to complete, then restart your computer. Open Word, go to File > Account > Update Options, and choose 'Disable Updates' so the buggy version isn't reinstalled.

Test the Build Stability: After the rollback, test Word by typing a document normally. If it no longer crashes, leave updates disabled for a few weeks until a newer patch is confirmed stable.

Solution 2

Report the Crash via Microsoft Feedback Portal

If rolling back does not resolve the issue, escalating the issue directly to Microsoft with your specific error codes is the best next step.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Use WPS Office to Prevent Interruptions While Typing

If Microsoft Word continues to crash on Windows 11 due to update bugs or wwlib.dll errors, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a free, highly stable, and lightweight alternative that ensures your writing workflow remains uninterrupted.

1. Download and Install WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and click 'Download WPS Office Free' to get the lightweight installer for Windows 11.
2. Open Your Word Documents: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing .docx files directly. The formatting will remain completely intact.
3. Continue Typing Safely: Enjoy a stable word processing environment without unexpected crashes or wwlib.dll errors interrupting your work.

Highly stable performance without unexpected crashes while typing.Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx), Excel, and PowerPoint formats.Lightweight installation that uses fewer system resources than Microsoft 365.Familiar user interface requiring no learning curve to switch.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes wwlib.dll exception code 0xc0000005 in Word?

This exception code usually indicates a memory access violation error. In Microsoft Word, it is often triggered by a recent buggy Microsoft 365 update, corrupt DLL files, or compatibility issues between a specific Office build and Windows 11.

How do I find my current Microsoft Word build number?

Open Word, click on 'File' in the top-left corner, and select 'Account' (or 'Help' in older versions). Your current version and build number will be listed under 'About Word' on the right side of the screen.

Will repairing Office fix the WINWORD.EXE crashing issue?

Running a Quick Repair or Online Repair from the Windows Control Panel can fix corrupt files. However, if the crash is caused by a known bug in a specific Microsoft 365 build, standard repairs usually won't help, and you will need to roll back to an earlier version instead.

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