Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac? Unable to load any of your documents and files?
In this post, we have listed a few troubleshooting methods that will allow you to fix MS Word keeps crashing issue on Mac.
But before we proceed towards the solutions, let’s learn a little about what causes the “Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac” issue on your device.
Also read: Quick Fixes For Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing In Windows 10
Why is Microsoft Word Unexpectedly Crashing on macOS?
Here are a few reasons that may cause Microsoft Word to crash unexpectedly on MacOS.
- The installation process of Microsoft Office Suite could not be completed successfully.
- Incompatible version of MS Word that is not supported on macOS.
- Using a pirated/corrupt copy of MS Word.
- Mac is not allowing third-party applications to execute due to security reasons.
- The location of the Microsoft Word file has been moved to some other folder.
- MS Word infected with malware or virus.
Also read: How To Remove Microsoft 365 From Mac Completely
How to Fix the “Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing on a Mac” Issue?
1. Clear the Auto Recovery Folder
We’re all aware of the “Auto-save” feature on MS Word that automatically saves the document’s content in case the app crashes and closes unexpectedly. As soon as you open the file after it has been crashed, the Auto-save feature allows you to resume from exactly that point where you left, without losing any data.
The Auto-Recovery folder on Mac stores all such files, even the corrupt ones. To make sure that MS word functions without any hindrance on macOS, we recommend you delete the Auto Recovery folder. Here’s what you need to do.
Open Mac’s Finder and navigate to Go> Go to Folder.
Head on to the following location and to do so you simply need to copy and paste this address in the search bar placed at the top-right corner of the window.
~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery/
Once you’ve arrived at the “Auto Recovery” folder, delete all the files that you see placed in this folder.
Exit all windows and then try running MS Word again to check if you’re still encountering the “Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac” issue.
2. Reset Word Preferences
To reset Preferences on the Microsoft Word app, follow these steps:
Locate the MS Word icon placed on the desktop. Right-click on the Word icon, select “Preferences”.
In the Word Preferences tab, tap on the “File Locations” option.
Tap on the “User Templates” option and “Reset” it.
After resetting Word Preferences, exit all Windows and then try running the Microsoft Word app again on your Mac device to check if the issue persists.
Also read: 63 Best MS Word Shortcut Keys To Increase Productivity
3. Save the Word Document to a Different Location
If any of your Mac’s storage drive is corrupt and if you’re trying to save your Word file on it, it may cause the “Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac” issue. To resolve this hindrance, we recommend you try saving the Word document to any other location.
Open the MS Word file, head on to File> Save As.
Select the Browse button and pick a different location this time to save your Word file.
Once the file has been successfully moved to a new location, open it and see if the MS Word app is still crashing.
4. Switch to Safe Mode
Just like Windows, your macOS even has a Safe Mode that can be used to fix the “Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac” issue. Switching to Safe Mode allows the OS to bypass a few background applications to lessen the load. To figure out the underlying issues of the MS Word app, let’s learn how to switch to Safe Mode on Mac to run the Microsoft Word Application.
Turn off your Mac device. When you reboot your machine, press the Shift key as soon as you see the Apple logo on the screen.
Pressing the Shift Key while your device is restarting will redirect you to the Safe Mode.
Once the Safe Mode has been activated on Mac, try running the MS Word application to see if it is still crashing unexpectedly upon its launch.
Also read: Boot Mac In Safe Mode: When, How And Why?
5. Run the Disk Utility on Mac
Yes, you heard that right. Your macOS also includes a Disk Utility feature that allows you to repair corrupt system files and applications.
Open Mac’s Utilities. Search for the “Disk Utility” option, tap on it to open Disk utility on macOS.
Pick the disk that needs to be repaired from the left menu pane, and then hit the “First Aid” option.
Wait for a few minutes until the repair process gets successfully completed.
Once the process is completed, exit all windows and try running MS Word again to see if you’re still facing the “Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac” issue.
Also read: How To Resolve Hard Disk Issues With Disk Utility On Mac
6. Download and Install the Latest Update of MS Word
To check if you’re operating on the latest version of Microsoft Word, follow these quick steps:
Launch MS Word on your Mac, head on to “Help> Check for Updates”.
Hit the “Check for Updates” button to see if any latest updates are available for the MS Word app.
If any update is available, install it right away.
Once the installation process is completed, open MS Word again to see if it’s still crashing.
Conclusion
Here were a few ways to fix the “Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac” issue. If the MS Word is unexpectedly crashing, again and again, it can hinder your productivity and also lead to data loss.
You can use any of the above-mentioned troubleshooting solutions to resume using MS Word again without any hindrance.
Good luck fellas!