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How to Fix Microsoft Word Not Opening After Update on macOS Catalina
Question details
The user is unable to launch Microsoft Word on macOS Catalina following recent system or Office updates, despite other Office applications working normally.
- Product
- Microsoft Word (Office 2019)
- Device & OS
- macOS Catalina
- Scenario
- Attempting to open Microsoft Word after installing updates for macOS Catalina or Microsoft Office.
- Observed behavior
- Microsoft Word completely fails to open, whereas Excel and PowerPoint continue to function without any issues.
Before proceeding with reinstallation steps, ensure you have your Microsoft account login credentials or Office 2019 product key handy to reactivate the software later.
Install Pending Updates and Restart Your Mac
Applying the latest patches can resolve compatibility issues between macOS Catalina and Microsoft Office.
Software updates often include critical bug fixes for app crashes. Ensuring both your operating system and the Office suite are fully up to date is the best first step to resolve launch failures.
Click the Apple menu in the top left corner of your screen, select 'System Preferences', and click on 'Software Update'. Install any available updates for Catalina.
Open a working Office application like Excel. Go to the 'Help' menu at the top of the screen and select 'Check for Updates'. Follow the prompts to install available Microsoft updates.
Click the Apple menu and select 'Restart'. Once the computer boots back up, try launching Microsoft Word again.
Test Word in a New macOS User Account
Creating a new user profile helps determine if the issue is isolated to corrupted cache or preference files in your current account.
Completely Uninstall and Reinstall Office 2019
If Word still will not open, the application installation itself may be damaged and requires a clean reinstall.
Try WPS Office for Mac – A Reliable Alternative to Microsoft Word
If Microsoft Word continues to crash on macOS Catalina or you want to avoid complicated troubleshooting, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative for viewing, editing, and creating Word documents on your Mac without the heavy resource usage or update conflicts.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the Mac version of WPS Office.
- 2. Install the application: Open the downloaded .dmg file and drag the WPS Office icon into your Applications folder.
- 3. Open your Word documents: Launch WPS Office and directly open your existing .docx files to continue working immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Excel and PowerPoint open but not Word after a Mac update?
Updates can sometimes corrupt specific application packages or cache files. If only the files related to Microsoft Word were affected during the update process, Excel and PowerPoint will continue to function normally.
Will uninstalling Office 2019 delete my Word documents?
No, uninstalling Microsoft Office only removes the application files. Your saved documents, templates, and personal files remain safely on your Mac's hard drive.
Where are the Microsoft Word cache files located on macOS Catalina?
Word cache and preference files are located in the hidden user Library folder. You can access them by opening Finder, holding the Option key, clicking the 'Go' menu, and selecting 'Library'. Then navigate to 'Containers' > 'com.microsoft.Word'.
