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Fix Microsoft Word Crashing When Changing Page Layout or Margins
Question details
Microsoft Word freezes or becomes unresponsive whenever the user attempts to change page margins, orientation, or paper size.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Adjusting page layout settings such as margins or orientation while formatting a document.
- Observed behavior
- The application freezes, crashes, or becomes completely unresponsive, often due to conflicts with installed printer drivers or software.
Save your current work and ensure you have administrative privileges on your computer, as you will need to change Windows printer settings or uninstall drivers.
Change Default Printer and Disable Windows Printer Management
Since page layout settings in Word depend on printer drivers to calculate printable areas, changing the default printer to a local or virtual one often resolves the crashing.
Microsoft Word continuously polls the default printer driver to verify page margins and paper size. If the default printer is a network printer with a slow connection or a corrupted driver, Word will freeze.
Press the Windows key + I to open Windows Settings, then navigate to 'Bluetooth & devices' and click on 'Printers & scanners'.
Scroll down to the 'Printer preferences' section and toggle off the 'Let Windows manage my default printer' option.
Select 'Microsoft Print to PDF' (or another local printer like XPS Document Writer) from your list of printers and click 'Set as default'.
Close Microsoft Word entirely, reopen your document, and try changing the page layout again.
Uninstall Conflicting Printer Software or Drivers
If changing the default printer does not work, a recently installed network or school printer application might be interfering with Word's layout rendering.
Try WPS Office to Edit Page Layouts Smoothly
If Microsoft Word continues to crash due to persistent printer driver conflicts, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative that handles page layouts, margins, and complex document formatting flawlessly without bogging down your system.
- 1. Open your document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open your existing .docx file directly.
- 2. Navigate to the Page Layout tab: Click on 'Page Layout' in the top ribbon to access margin, size, and orientation settings.
- 3. Adjust your layout settings: Safely modify your margins or paper orientation without experiencing printer-related freezes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Microsoft Word rely on my printer when I change page margins?
Word communicates with your default printer driver to determine the exact printable area and hardware-supported paper sizes. If the printer driver is faulty, unreachable over a network, or incompatible, it causes Word to freeze while waiting for a response.
Will setting my default printer to a PDF printer prevent me from printing normally?
No. Changing the default printer only affects the initial layout calculation and the default option shown in the print menu. You can always select your physical printer manually from the drop-down list when you are ready to print.
How do I fix Word if 'Microsoft Print to PDF' is missing from my printer list?
You can restore it by searching for 'Turn Windows features on or off' in the Start menu, locating 'Microsoft Print to PDF' in the list, checking the box next to it, and clicking OK to install the feature.
