Office Apps Crashing

How to Fix Microsoft 365 Word and Excel Closing After an Error

WPS Content Manager Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users are experiencing unexpected application closures in Microsoft 365 Word and Excel right after an error message is displayed.

How to Fix Microsoft 365 Word and Excel Closing After an Error

Product: Microsoft 365 (Word and Excel)
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to open, edit, or save documents and spreadsheets within Microsoft 365 applications.
Observed behavior: Word and Excel display an error message stating the application cannot work correctly, followed by the program closing unexpectedly.

Before you start

Before attempting to uninstall or repair the software, verify that you know your Microsoft account login credentials and confirm that your active Microsoft 365 subscription is successfully linked to your account.

Solution 1Recommended

Run in Safe Mode and Disable Add-ins

This is the best first step to determine if a third-party add-in or extension is causing Word or Excel to crash.

Incompatible or outdated COM add-ins are a frequent cause of Office applications crashing. Starting the app in Safe Mode bypasses these add-ins, allowing you to isolate and disable the problematic extension.

Launch in Safe Mode

Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box. Type 'winword /safe' (for Word) or 'excel /safe' (for Excel) and press Enter.

Access Add-in Settings

If the application opens successfully without crashing, click on 'File' in the top left corner, select 'Options', and then click on 'Add-ins' in the left sidebar.

Manage COM Add-ins

At the bottom of the window, ensure 'COM Add-ins' is selected in the Manage drop-down menu, and click the 'Go' button.

Disable Add-ins

Uncheck all the boxes next to the active add-ins to disable them temporarily. Click 'OK' and restart Word or Excel normally to see if the error is resolved.

Identify the Culprit: If disabling all add-ins fixes the crashing issue, you can re-enable them one by one to identify exactly which add-in is causing the application to fail.

Solution 2

Run an Online Repair for Microsoft 365

Use this method if Safe Mode does not resolve the issue, as it repairs corrupted or missing installation files.

Solution 3

Completely Uninstall and Reinstall Microsoft 365

If all other repairs fail, a clean installation ensures that deep-rooted configuration errors are completely removed.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Switch to WPS Office to Avoid App Crashes

If Microsoft 365 continues to experience errors and unexpected closures, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a lightweight, reliable, and free alternative that runs smoothly even on older devices while maintaining flawless compatibility with your existing documents.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download the free installation package for your device.
2. Install the software: Run the downloaded installer and follow the simple setup wizard to complete the installation in minutes.
3. Open your Microsoft files: Launch WPS Writer or WPS Spreadsheet and seamlessly open your existing .docx or .xlsx files without losing any formatting.

Free, lightweight, and fast-performing office suiteFully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) and Excel (.xlsx) formatsFamiliar user interface requires no steep learning curveFewer background processes reducing the chance of unexpected system crashes

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word or Excel suddenly display an error and stop working?

This issue is typically caused by faulty or incompatible third-party add-ins, corrupted Microsoft Office installation files, or conflicts with recent Windows updates.

Will I lose my documents if I uninstall and reinstall Microsoft 365?

No, uninstalling Microsoft 365 only removes the application files. Your personal documents, spreadsheets, and files saved on your hard drive or OneDrive will remain perfectly safe.

How do I check if my Microsoft 365 subscription is active before reinstalling?

Log in to your account at https://account.microsoft.com/services. From there, you can view your active subscriptions and verify your software licenses before proceeding with an uninstallation.

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