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How to Fix Microsoft Forms Not Opening or Displaying Errors

John Wilson Oct 19, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is unable to open a specific Microsoft Forms form from their form list, encountering unresponsiveness or direct access errors.

How to Fix Microsoft Forms Not Opening or Displaying Errors

Product: Microsoft Forms
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to open, view, or manage an existing form in Microsoft Forms.
Observed behavior: The form appears in the list but clicking it does nothing, or direct access results in an error message indicating the form may be deleted or inaccessible.

Before you start

Ensure you have a stable internet connection and verify with your collaborators that the form was not recently deleted from the shared workspace.

Solution 1Recommended

Access Microsoft Forms via an Alternative Browser

Switching to a different web browser or using Incognito mode can help rule out browser-specific cache issues or incompatible extensions preventing the form from opening.

Often, a corrupted browser cache or conflicting browser extensions can interfere with web applications like Microsoft Forms, causing them to become unresponsive.

Open a different web browser

Launch an alternative supported web browser (such as Microsoft Edge, Chrome, or Firefox) or open a new Incognito/Private browsing window.

Log into Microsoft 365

Navigate to the Microsoft Forms portal and sign in with your Microsoft account credentials.

Test the form access

Locate the problematic form in your forms list and click on it to see if it opens successfully.

Access Microsoft Forms via an Alternative Browser

Browser Maintenance: If the form opens in a different browser, consider clearing the cache and cookies in your primary web browser to resolve the underlying issue.

Solution 2

Verify Microsoft 365 Service Health

If the form remains inaccessible across multiple browsers, there may be a service-side outage. IT administrators can check for active service incidents affecting Microsoft Forms.

Solution 3

Submit a Support Request

If there is no ongoing service outage and the form still will not open, Microsoft Support can investigate the tenant backend to see if the form was permanently deleted or corrupted.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Microsoft Forms say my form doesn't exist?

This error typically occurs if the form was accidentally deleted by you or a collaborator. It can also happen if the original owner's account has been deactivated, or if the sharing link you are using has expired.

Can I recover a deleted Microsoft form?

Yes, if a form was recently deleted, it can usually be recovered. Scroll to the bottom right corner of your Microsoft Forms homepage and check the 'Recycle bin'. You can restore forms from there within 30 days of deletion.

How do I know if Microsoft Forms is down?

If you suspect a service outage, you need to check the Service Health dashboard. Because this dashboard is restricted to administrators, you must ask your IT admin to log into the Microsoft 365 admin center to verify if Microsoft Forms is currently experiencing an outage.

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