How to Fix Microsoft Word 365 Stuttering or Hiccuping When Scrolling
Question details
The user experiences constant stuttering and lag when scrolling through documents in Microsoft Word 365, regardless of the document size.
- Product
- Microsoft Word 365
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Scrolling through documents during reading or editing.
- Observed behavior
- Word stutters or hiccups continuously during scrolling, even when hardware graphics acceleration settings are unavailable or irrelevant to the issue.
Ensure your Windows operating system and Microsoft Office 365 are updated to the latest versions. Save your current work and close any unnecessary background applications to free up system resources.
Use Safe Mode to Identify and Disable Problematic Add-ins
Starting Word in Safe Mode bypasses third-party add-ins, helping you determine if an extension is causing the scrolling lag.
Third-party add-ins often conflict with Word's rendering engine, causing performance hiccups during scrolling. Safe Mode allows you to isolate the application from these external variables.
Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Windows Run dialog.
Type winword.exe /safe in the text box and press Enter or click OK.
Open a document and scroll through it. If the stuttering stops, an add-in is likely the cause.
Go to File > Options > Add-ins. Select COM Add-ins from the Manage dropdown and click Go. Uncheck the add-ins one by one and restart Word normally to identify the culprit.
Test with a New Windows User Profile
A corrupted Windows user profile can cause application-level performance issues. Testing in a new profile isolates the problem from your personal configuration.
Switch to WPS Office for a Lag-Free Document Experience
If Microsoft Word continues to stutter or consume too many system resources, try WPS Office. It is a lightweight, highly optimized, and completely free alternative that ensures smooth scrolling and editing, even on older devices.
- 1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS website to download and install WPS Office for free.
- 2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer, click Open, and select your existing .docx file.
- 3. Experience Smooth Scrolling: Scroll through your document seamlessly without lag or performance hiccups.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Word document lagging only when I scroll?
Scrolling lag in Word is often caused by conflicting third-party add-ins, corrupted user profiles, or rendering conflicts. Running Word in Safe Mode is the most effective way to determine if an add-in is the root cause.
Can my web browser settings affect Microsoft Word performance?
No, Microsoft Word is a standalone desktop application. Troubleshooting your browser's cache, extensions, or hardware acceleration settings will not resolve scrolling hiccups that occur inside the Word application.
Where is the Hardware Graphics Acceleration setting in Word 365?
Microsoft has removed or hidden the Hardware Graphics Acceleration setting in recent updates of Office 365. If you cannot find it under File > Options > Advanced, you will need to rely on Safe Mode and user profile troubleshooting to fix scrolling lag.
Does the size of my document cause Word to stutter?
While extremely large documents with high-resolution images can slow down older computers, the specific stuttering or hiccuping issue described often happens on documents of any size due to application-level conflicts.
