Office Apps Crashing

How to Fix Word Closing While Editing a SharePoint Document with Multiple Authors

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users experience Microsoft Word unexpectedly closing or crashing when multiple authors simultaneously edit a large document stored on SharePoint, especially when modifying tables or using Track Changes.

Product: Microsoft Word, SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Co-authoring a large document stored on SharePoint with multiple users.
Observed behavior: Word lags, triggers frequent autosaves, types slowly, and ultimately closes unexpectedly for all active authors when multiple users edit the document simultaneously.

Before you start

Verify that your internet connection is stable and ensure you have a local backup of your document to prevent data loss while troubleshooting.

Solution 1Recommended

Sync the SharePoint Document to a Local OneDrive Folder

Opening the file from a locally synced folder can bypass the direct real-time server connection issues that cause Word to lag and crash.

When multiple authors edit a large document simultaneously, SharePoint's real-time synchronization can sometimes struggle to keep up, especially with heavy elements like complex tables. Syncing locally can improve stability.

Navigate to SharePoint

Open your web browser and go to the SharePoint document library where the file is stored.

Sync the Library

Click the 'Sync' button in the toolbar to synchronize the SharePoint files to your local OneDrive.

Open Locally

Open File Explorer, navigate to the newly created synced folder, and double-click the document to open it in the desktop version of Word.

Sync Status: Ensure the OneDrive client is running and up to date so that changes sync back to the SharePoint server correctly.

Solution 2

Temporarily Disable Track Changes

Track Changes can severely bloat large documents during simultaneous editing and lead to unexpected application closures.

Solution 3

Use SharePoint Check-Out to Prevent Simultaneous Editing

If simultaneous co-authoring continues to cause crashes, restricting editing to one user at a time via Check-Out can resolve the issue.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Smooth and Stable Document Editing

If Microsoft Word continues to crash while handling large files or collaborating, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative for viewing and editing complex documents without the heavy resource overhead.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installation package for your operating system.
2. Install the Software: Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup process in just a few minutes.
3. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer, go to 'File', select 'Open', and choose your large .docx document to start editing smoothly without crashes.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formatsLightweight architecture runs smoothly even with large files and complex tablesFree to download and use with a familiar, user-friendly interfaceRobust cloud integration for seamless file access and stable collaboration

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word crash when multiple people edit a SharePoint document?

Word can crash during simultaneous co-authoring due to network synchronization conflicts. This happens most often in large documents with heavy formatting, complex tables, or when Track Changes is enabled, which overwhelms the real-time syncing process.

Does disabling Track Changes permanently delete the edit history?

No, turning off Track Changes only stops the application from recording new edits. Any previously tracked changes will remain visible in the document until they are explicitly accepted or rejected by an editor.

How do I know if the document itself is corrupted?

To test for file corruption, try opening a brand new, blank document on SharePoint and invite a colleague to co-author it. If the new document works flawlessly, your original document may be corrupted or too complex.

Can I co-author a document without using SharePoint online?

Yes, you can use OneDrive to share and co-author documents. Alternatively, you can use other collaborative cloud services, such as WPS Cloud, which offer real-time editing and collaboration features outside of the SharePoint environment.

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