Office Apps Crashing

How to Fix Word and Excel Errors That Cause Applications to Close

Bushra Parveen Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is experiencing unexpected crashes and application closures when using Word and Excel, and needs reliable troubleshooting methods to restore stability.

How to Fix Word and Excel Errors That Cause Applications to Close

Product: Microsoft Word and Excel
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Attempting to open or work on documents and spreadsheets, but the applications throw errors and shut down automatically.
Observed behavior: Word and Excel display error prompts and abruptly close. This is typically caused by account authentication issues, corrupt Office identity data, incompatible add-ins, or damaged installation files.

Before you start

Ensure you are signed in with the correct Microsoft account associated with your Office subscription, and temporarily disable your antivirus software to see if it is interfering with the applications.

Solution 1Recommended

Test Office in Safe Mode and Disable Add-ins

Running Word or Excel in Safe Mode helps determine if a third-party add-in is responsible for the application crashes.

Add-ins can sometimes conflict with Office applications, causing them to crash upon startup or during use. Safe Mode loads the application without these extensions.

Launch in Safe Mode

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

Access Add-in Settings

If the application opens successfully without crashing, go to File > Options > Add-ins.

Disable COM Add-ins

At the bottom of the window, select 'COM Add-ins' from the Manage drop-down list and click 'Go'. Uncheck all add-ins in the list and click OK. Restart the application normally to see if the issue is resolved.

Test Office in Safe Mode and Disable Add-ins

Identifying the Culprit: If disabling all add-ins fixes the crash, re-enable them one by one, restarting the application each time, to isolate the specific add-in causing the error.

Solution 2

Run an Online Repair for Office

Use the built-in Windows repair tool to fix corrupted Microsoft Office installation files.

Solution 3

Reset the Office Identity Registry Key

Clear out potentially corrupted account identity data from the Windows Registry to resolve sign-in related crashes.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for a Stable, Crash-Free Experience

If Microsoft Word and Excel continue to display errors and close unexpectedly, it might be time for a change. WPS Office is a highly stable, lightweight alternative that lets you open, edit, and save your existing documents without the frustrating crashes.

1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installation package.
2. Install WPS Office: Run the downloaded setup file and follow the quick installation prompts.
3. Open Your Files: Launch WPS Office and instantly open your existing Word or Excel files to continue your work seamlessly.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), and PowerPoint formatsHighly stable application architecture designed to prevent unexpected closuresLightweight installation that runs smoothly even on older devicesFree to use with a familiar, easy-to-navigate tabbed interface

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Word and Excel close immediately after I open them?

This is often caused by an incompatible COM add-in trying to load at startup, corrupted Office identity data in the Windows Registry, or damaged core installation files due to a recent system update.

How do I roll back a recent Office Click-to-Run update?

You can roll back an update by closing all Office apps, opening Command Prompt as an administrator, and running the specific Click-to-Run update executable with a command pointing to the build number of an earlier, stable version.

Will running an Online Repair delete my Word and Excel documents?

No, both Quick Repair and Online Repair only fix or replace the Microsoft Office application files. Your personal documents, spreadsheets, and other files saved on your hard drive will remain completely untouched.

What should I do if offline repair and safe mode don't fix the issue?

If standard troubleshooting fails, you may need to completely uninstall Microsoft Office and reinstall it using an offline installation package to bypass potential network-related corruption, or consider switching to a stable alternative like WPS Office.

Office App Problems