Office Apps Freezing

How to Fix Microsoft Word Mouse, Touch, and Scrolling Not Responding

Olivia Miller Oct 12, 2026 872 views

Question details

The user is experiencing an issue in Microsoft Word where all navigation inputs suddenly stop working after a short period of use.

How to Fix Microsoft Word Mouse, Touch, and Scrolling Not Responding

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Editing or navigating a document in Microsoft Word.
Observed behavior: Navigation works temporarily upon opening a document, but touch input, the mouse, and scroll bars eventually stop responding. Closing and reopening the document temporarily restores functionality before the issue returns.

Before you start

Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + S to save your current document and close any unnecessary background applications to ensure the freezing is not caused by a system memory overload.

Solution 1Recommended

Run Word in Safe Mode and Disable Add-ins

Starting Microsoft Word in Safe Mode disables all third-party add-ins, helping you determine if a conflicting extension is causing the unresponsiveness.

Conflicting or outdated COM add-ins are one of the most common reasons for input devices failing to respond in Office applications.

Open the Run Dialog

Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run window.

Launch Safe Mode

Type winword /safe into the dialog box and press Enter to launch Microsoft Word in Safe Mode.

Test and Disable Add-ins

Test your mouse and scrolling. If they work perfectly, go to File > Options > Add-ins. Select 'COM Add-ins' from the Manage dropdown at the bottom and click 'Go'. Uncheck all add-ins, click OK, and restart Word normally to see if the issue is resolved.

Run Word in Safe Mode and Disable Add-ins

Isolating the Problem: If disabling add-ins fixes the issue, you can re-enable them one by one to identify exactly which extension was causing the freeze.

Solution 2

Update Device Drivers and Office Software

Outdated touch screen, mouse drivers, or Microsoft Office bugs can lead to input conflicts and unresponsiveness.

Solution 3

Run the Office Repair Tool

Repairing your Microsoft Office installation can fix corrupted core files that cause the application to freeze or ignore inputs.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Switch to WPS Office for a Freeze-Free Editing Experience

If Microsoft Word continues to struggle with input freezing and lag, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a highly stable, lightweight office suite that flawlessly handles your existing documents without draining system resources or freezing mid-task.

1. Download and Install: Get WPS Office for free from the official website and install it on your computer.
2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and seamlessly open your existing Word document directly.
3. Edit Smoothly: Enjoy responsive scrolling, touch interaction, and editing without sudden freezes or performance drops.

Seamless format compatibility with Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) filesLightweight architecture prevents UI freezing and scroll lagFamiliar ribbon interface ensures zero learning curveFree to use with comprehensive editing and formatting tools

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word freeze but the rest of my computer works perfectly?

Microsoft Word may experience isolated freezing due to conflicting application add-ins, corrupted user preferences, or issues specific to how Word renders graphics and handles hardware acceleration.

Can a large document file size cause scrolling to stop responding?

Yes, extremely large documents with numerous high-resolution images, complex tables, or heavy formatting can overwhelm application memory, leading to temporary freezes during scrolling or touch navigation.

How do I clear corrupted Word preferences that cause freezing?

Corrupted preferences can often be bypassed by resetting the normal.dotm template. Close Word, press Windows + R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates, and press Enter. Locate the Normal.dotm file and rename it to NormalOld.dotm, then restart Word.

Will I lose my work if I force quit Word when it stops responding?

If AutoRecover is enabled, Word periodically saves a temporary copy of your document. However, unsaved changes made just before the freeze may be lost. You can try waiting a few minutes to see if the app recovers before forcing it to close.

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