How to Fix Office Crashes with Application SID and Conductor SID Errors
Question details
Users are experiencing repeated crashes in Word and Excel accompanied by a RestartManager error indicating a mismatch between the Application SID and Conductor SID.
- Product
- Microsoft Office
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Attempting to open, edit, or save documents in Word or Excel.
- Observed behavior
- The application crashes unexpectedly, and system event logs display a RestartManager error stating that the 'Application SID does not match Conductor SID'.
Ensure you have saved all your work and closed any running Office applications. It is also highly recommended to back up your important documents to an external drive or cloud storage before making system-level profile changes.
Perform an Office Online Repair
Use the built-in Windows repair tool to fix corrupted Office installation files that might be triggering the SID mismatch and application crashes.
An Online Repair reinstalls core Office components without affecting your personal documents. This is the safest and most effective first step for resolving systemic application errors.
Press the Windows key, type 'Control Panel', and press Enter. Navigate to 'Programs' and click on 'Programs and Features'.
Scroll through the list of installed applications to find your Microsoft Office suite. Right-click it and select 'Change'.
In the pop-up dialog, choose the 'Online Repair' option (this requires an active internet connection) and click the 'Repair' button.
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the repair process. Once finished, restart your computer and open Word or Excel to see if the issue is resolved.
Test with a New Administrator Account
SID errors are often tied to corrupted Windows user profiles or permission issues. Testing on a fresh administrator account isolates the problem.
Verify Document Storage Locations and Permissions
If crashes only happen with specific files, the folder permissions or storage location might be restricted, causing conflicts with the RestartManager.
Try WPS Office for a Stable, Crash-Free Experience
If Microsoft Office continues to crash due to persistent SID errors and corrupted system profiles, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a free, lightweight suite that offers robust performance without the heavy system overhead that often leads to RestartManager errors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the 'Application SID does not match Conductor SID' error mean?
This error occurs in the Windows Event Viewer when the system's RestartManager fails to successfully recover a crashed application. It indicates a permission or identity mismatch between the Windows user account running the application and the background system process attempting to manage it.
Will creating a new user profile delete my personal files?
No, creating a new local administrator account does not delete your existing files. However, if you decide to permanently migrate to the new profile, you will need to manually copy your documents, pictures, and desktop files from the old user folder (C:\Users\OldUsername) to the new one.
Why are both Word and Excel crashing at the same time?
Word and Excel share the same underlying Microsoft Office core components, registry keys, and system permissions. A corrupted Windows user profile, widespread permission error, or a global Office installation issue will typically affect all applications within the suite simultaneously.
