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Fix: “Word/Excel Has Run Into an Error” Issue in Windows

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by

David Turner

If you’ve ever launched Microsoft Word or Excel only to be greeted by a cryptic message saying, “Word/Excel has run into an error that is preventing it from working correctly”, you’re not alone. This frustrating issue can pop up unexpectedly and halt your productivity, especially when you’re in the middle of important work. Fortunately, there are several methods you can try to resolve this problem in Windows. This article walks you through a set of comprehensive, proven fixes—whether you’re a casual Office user or a power user who depends on Microsoft applications daily.

What Causes the “Word/Excel Has Run Into an Error” Message?

Before diving into the solutions, it’s helpful to understand some common reasons this error message might appear:

  • Corrupt Office files or improper installation
  • Disabled or faulty add-ins
  • Outdated Office or Windows updates
  • Corrupted user profiles or temporary files
  • Third-party software interference or malware

Now, let’s get to the fun part—fixing it!

1. Restart Office and Your PC

It may sound overly simple, but sometimes closing Microsoft Word or Excel and restarting your computer can resolve temporary glitches.

  • Close all instances of Microsoft Office products.
  • Restart your PC to clear out any background processes linked with Office apps.
  • Reopen Word or Excel to check if the issue persists.

2. Start Office in Safe Mode

Microsoft Office’s Safe Mode loads the program without any add-ins or extensions. This can help identify if an add-in is causing the issue.

To launch Word or Excel in Safe Mode:

  • Press Windows + R.
  • Type winword /safe or excel /safe and hit Enter.

If the program runs smoothly in Safe Mode, then an add-in is likely the culprit.

3. Disable Add-ins

If Word or Excel only works in Safe Mode, the issue is probably a problematic add-in. Here’s how to disable them:

  1. Open Word or Excel normally.
  2. Go to File > Options > Add-ins.
  3. At the bottom, next to Manage, select COM Add-ins and click Go.
  4. Deselect all checkboxes and click OK.
  5. Restart the Office application to check for improvements.

4. Update Office and Windows

Using outdated software can trigger conflicts and bugs. Ensuring that both your Microsoft Office suite and Windows OS are up to date may solve the problem:

To update Office:

  • Open Word or Excel.
  • Go to File > Account.
  • Click Update Options > Update Now.

To update Windows:

  • Click Start and select Settings.
  • Navigate to Update & Security > Windows Update.
  • Click Check for updates.

Often, timely patches from Microsoft address these types of errors directly.

5. Repair Microsoft Office

Sometimes the issue stems from a corruption within the Office installation itself. Microsoft includes a built-in repair utility that can identify and fix these issues automatically.

  1. Go to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
  2. Select Microsoft Office from the list.
  3. Click Change.
  4. Choose either Quick Repair or Online Repair.

Quick Repair is faster and doesn’t require an internet connection. Online Repair takes longer but has better chances of fixing hidden issues.

6. Delete Office Cache and Temporary Files

Corrupted cache files can sometimes interfere with regular Office operations. Manually deleting these may refresh the environment:

  • Open the Run dialog with Windows + R.
  • Type %localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\16.0 (or 15.0 depending on your version).
  • Locate and delete content in the OfficeFileCache or Temp folders.

Be sure Word or Excel is not running while doing this. After deletion, restart the application.

7. Check for Antivirus or Third-Party Conflicts

Some antivirus software can wrongly identify Office components as threats, blocking their operations and causing the error. Try temporarily disabling the antivirus to see if it resolves the issue.

Additionally, some third-party applications (such as document converters or clipboard managers) can interfere with Office. Consider running Windows in Clean Boot to test for conflicting programs:

  • Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and hit Enter.
  • Under the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services and then click Disable all.
  • Go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager. Disable all startup items.
  • Restart your computer and test Word or Excel.

8. Create a New Office Profile

If Office works fine on another user account, your profile may be corrupted. Creating a fresh user profile helps isolate and resolve that issue:

  1. Open Settings > Accounts > Family & other users.
  2. Click Add someone else to this PC.
  3. Follow the prompts to create a new account.
  4. Log into the new account and open Word or Excel to see if the problem persists.

9. Uninstall and Reinstall Microsoft Office

If all else fails, a complete uninstall and clean reinstall of Office might be necessary. Make sure you have your license or Microsoft account credentials ready before starting the process.

  1. Go to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
  2. Select Microsoft Office and click Uninstall.
  3. Restart your computer.
  4. Download and reinstall Office from the Microsoft website or installation media.

Bonus Tip: Use Office Web Apps

If you’re dealing with a particularly stubborn version of Office and need to urgently view or edit a document, consider using Office Web Apps temporarily:

  • Visit Office.com and sign in with your Microsoft account.
  • Use Word Online or Excel Online to continue your work without delay.

While not as feature-rich as the desktop versions, they offer a reliable workaround in emergencies.

Final Thoughts

The “Word/Excel has run into an error” message doesn’t have to be the end of your productivity. By following the steps outlined above, you can often diagnose and fix the issue without needing professional support. Start with the simplest solutions — like restarting your PC — and gradually move to more advanced steps like repairing or reinstalling Office. Maintaining updated software and cleaning temporary files periodically can also help prevent similar issues in the future.

Modern Office suites are robust, but like any software, they occasionally need a little human intervention to keep running smoothly. Don’t let a small error stand in the way of your big ideas!