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How to Fix Word Lagging and Corrupted Files on Mac
Question details
The user needs to resolve severe typing and scrolling delays and recover corrupted documents in Microsoft Word on a MacBook.
- Product
- Microsoft Word for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Editing and navigating through text documents after a recent Office update.
- Observed behavior
- Word becomes highly unresponsive, exhibiting lagging and scrolling delays, leading to application crashes and document corruption.
Ensure you save any currently open documents and have your Microsoft account credentials ready, as you may need to sign back in after reinstalling an earlier version of the application.
Revert to an Earlier Version of Microsoft Word
Rolling back to a previous stable version is the most effective fix for lagging caused by a buggy recent update (like version 16.85).
Software updates occasionally introduce bugs that affect performance. Uninstalling the problematic version and downloading the previous stable release will restore smooth functionality.
Open the Finder, navigate to the Applications folder, locate Microsoft Word, and drag it to the Trash.
Visit the official Microsoft Office for Mac Update History webpage and download the installer package for the previous stable version (e.g., version 16.84).
Run the downloaded installer package and follow the on-screen prompts to reinstall Microsoft Word on your Mac.
Launch Word, go to 'Help' in the top menu bar, select 'Check for Updates', and uncheck 'Automatically keep Microsoft Apps up to date' to prevent the buggy version from reinstalling.
Recover Corrupted Word Documents
If performance lagging caused Word to crash and damage your file, use built-in recovery methods to salvage your text.
Tired of Word Lagging? Try WPS Office for Mac
If Microsoft Word continues to lag or corrupt your files on your Mac, WPS Office offers a lightweight, highly compatible, and completely free alternative that runs seamlessly on macOS without slowing down your system.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Navigate to the official WPS website and download the macOS version.
- 2. Install and launch: Run the downloaded installer, follow the prompts, and open WPS Writer.
- 3. Open your documents seamlessly: Drag and drop your existing .docx files directly into WPS Office to continue editing without any lag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Microsoft Word suddenly start lagging on my Mac?
Sudden lagging and scrolling delays are often caused by bugs introduced in recent software updates, such as Office for Mac version 16.85. Reverting to the previous update can quickly resolve the performance drop until an official patch is released.
How can I stop Microsoft Word from automatically updating to the buggy version?
Open any Office application on your Mac, click on 'Help' in the top menu bar, select 'Check for Updates', and turn off the toggle or uncheck the box for 'Automatically keep Microsoft Apps up to date'.
Can a corrupted Word document be completely restored on Mac?
It depends on the severity of the corruption. You can often salvage the raw text using the 'Recover Text from Any File' option in the Open dialog, or locate an earlier auto-saved version in the AutoRecovery folder. However, complex formatting and images might not be recoverable.
