Fix Microsoft Word Opens and Closes Immediately After Office Installation
Question details
The user needs to stop Microsoft Word 2019 from opening, flashing dialogs, and closing immediately after Office installation while Excel and PowerPoint continue to work normally.
- Product
- Microsoft Word 2019
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- After installing Microsoft Office, the user opens Word, but it flashes dialogs and closes immediately. Excel and PowerPoint work normally, and repairing or reinstalling Office may not resolve the issue.
- Observed behavior
- Microsoft Word flashes dialogs and closes immediately on startup, which points to a damaged Normal.dotm template rather than a problem with Excel or PowerPoint.
Close all Word processes and save any open files in other Office apps before renaming the template. Make sure File Explorer can show hidden and system folders so the Templates directory is accessible.
Rename the damaged Normal.dotm template to force Word to create a new default template
Use this when Word opens and immediately closes, and repairing or reinstalling Office has not resolved the issue.
The Normal.dotm template stores default styles, macros, and formatting. If it becomes damaged, Word can crash or close during startup even when Excel and PowerPoint remain unaffected.
Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager, select any Microsoft Word or Winword.exe processes, and click End task.
Press Windows Key+R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates\, and press Enter.
Right-click Normal.dotm, choose Rename, and change the name to Normal_backup.dotm.
Open Microsoft Word again. Word will create a new Normal.dotm automatically and preserve your previous customizations in the renamed backup file.
Start Word in Safe Mode to confirm that the default template is causing the startup crash
Use this to isolate whether the issue comes from the Normal.dotm template or from an add-in.
Open and Edit Word Documents in WPS Office When Microsoft Word Closes on Startup
If Microsoft Word 2019 continues to close immediately because of a damaged Normal.dotm template, WPS Office offers a free, lightweight alternative that opens and saves Word-compatible .docx files in a familiar interface without requiring template repairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Word open and close immediately while Excel and PowerPoint work normally?
This usually means the Word default template Normal.dotm is damaged. Excel and PowerPoint use separate templates, so they continue to open normally.
Where is the Normal.dotm template file located?
Open the Run dialog with Windows Key+R, enter %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates\, and press Enter to open the Templates folder that contains Normal.dotm.
Will renaming Normal.dotm delete my custom styles or macros?
No. Renaming it to Normal_backup.dotm preserves your previous customizations, and Word creates a new default template when it starts.
What should I do if Word still closes after renaming Normal.dotm?
Start Word in Safe Mode by typing winword /safe in the Run dialog. If Word still closes, the issue may be caused by an add-in or the Office installation itself.
Can I use WPS Office to open my Word documents if Microsoft Word keeps closing?
Yes. WPS Office Writer can open and save .docx and .doc files, so you can continue working without repairing the Microsoft Word template first.
