Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing On My Mac

05.04.2020by

The question why do MacBook Pro/Air, iMac, and Mac mini permanently crash pops up on the Apple support community pretty often. Very few Mac users manage to keep calm when a ‘spinning beach ball of death’ appears on their Mac’s screen. Even worse, macOS Sierra/High Sierra can get stuck on the ‘grey screen of death’ after routine updates. In spite of having a bulletproof reputation, Macs do freeze and crash sometimes, so you have to know how to handle these issues. Read on to learn step-by-step troubleshooting instructions for all possible situations.

Sep 01, 2016  Slow performance of Outlook for Mac Split from this thread. I am really fed up with Outlook on Apple Mac. It used to work a treat but for the last two weeks it's been going completely haywire dead slow and unreliable. I'm really really fed up as I rely on this for my small one person business. Please sort out the problem asap. Outlook performance issues when you have many shared folders or mailboxes open Περιεχόμενο που παρέχεται από τη Microsoft Ισχύει για: Outlook 2016 Outlook 2013 Microsoft Outlook 2010 Outlook for Office 365 Outlook 2019 Περισσότερα. Excel for Mac crashes and slow performance FIXED Excel does not respond when using 'Save as Picture' WORKAROUND Excel prompts you to grant access to files and then hangs or shows a warning that it cannot open the.xlsx file because the format or extension is not valid. Known issues, changed functionality, and blocked or discontinued features. Mac outlook slow performance site answers.microsoft.com login. Sep 27, 2017  I was upgrading a few clients from Outlook 2011 for MAC to Outlook 2016 for MAC, and afterwards they complained about Outlook being very slow after each function. I initially, just automatically allowed the import of Outlook 2011 data during the install process, but after the latency issues I. Hi, I initially, just automatically allowed the. Nov 11, 2018  Outlook 2016 has an option to find the add-in that cause slow performance. Go to ‘File Info’ menu. Scroll down on the right pane and click on the ‘Manage COM Add-ins’ button. This section will list out all the add-ins that causing slow performance and crashing Outlook.

2013-10-27  I am using Microsoft Office 2008 software on my mac book pro (operating system OSX 10.8.2). Suddenly, Microsoft Word started crashing every time I open it. I tried reinstalling Office but the problem remained. 2020-3-22  Microsoft PowerPoint may be the most popular slideshow creator around but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Converted from Windows to Mac, the Microsoft suite is mostly stable and works well enough but does have a tendency to crash or freeze. If PowerPoint keeps crashing on your Mac, this tutorial has a few methods for fixing it. If the problem still occurs, quit Microsoft Word, and restore the file to its original location. Then, go to the next step. If the problem seems to be resolved, you can move the com.microsoft.Word.plist file to the trash. Quit all Microsoft Office for Mac programs. On the Go menu, click Home. Open Library. 2015-2-3  It's recommended to download and install Configuration Analyzer Tool (OffCAT), which is developed by Microsoft Support teams. Once the tool is installed, you can run it at any time to scan for hundreds of known issues in Office programs.

Macs can crash for a variety of reasons, which is why each particular situation needs separate troubleshooting activities. However, the typical reasons causing Mac crashes are as follows:

Malware/virus infection which infiltrated a Mac through third-party apps;

Mac system is very different than Windows OS and hence, the MS Word preferences are different too. In order to resolve the Microsoft word 2016 keeps crashing on Mac issue, the first thing you should try is to reset the preferences of Word for Mac.

Insufficient RAM for applications to run properly;

Insufficient CPU capacity for resource-intensive programs;

Several apps are competing for disk access and system resources.

How to fix the Finder app that keeps crashing on your Mac? The best option is deleting potentially corrupted Finder system preference files with .plist extension:

  1. If the Finder app still launches in spite of crashing, open the Finder window.
  2. Go to Home -> Library -> Preferences.
  3. Find and remove these files:apple.finder.plist and com.apple.sidebarlists.plist.
  4. Log out, and log back in.
  5. Empty the Trash.

Alternatively, you can use the Terminal app to remove the files, if Finder won’t launch.

  1. Run the following commands:

rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist, then press Return.

rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.sidebarlists.plist, then press Return.

  1. Log out, and log back in.
  2. Empty the Trash.

One of the most frequent issues with MacBook Pro is related to random crashes known as ‘kernel panic.’ These crashes may occur after hardware replacement or software updates. Microsoft arc touch mouse mac os x driver. To identify what’s causing the problem, run Apple Diagnostics (or, Apple hardware test on Macs manufactured before 2013).

1.Unplug all external devices (keep the keyboard, mouse, monitor, Ethernet connection, and AC power plugged). Apple Hardware Test might show an error message if other devices are not unplugged.

2. Turn off your Mac, and turn it on again holding the D key while it is booting. Wait until the Apple Diagnostics screen (Apple Hardware Test icon) shows up:

3. If you’re running the Apple Hardware Test, choose the language by pressing the ‘up’ and ‘down’ arrows, then hit the Return key to confirm. Apple Diagnostics performs the further steps automatically.

4. Next, click the Test button (T key) or Return to begin testing. Running an in-depth test needs a bit more time to complete. Select Perform extended testing before the test begins.

5. Once the test is over, you can see the results in the bottom-right part of the window.

6. To exit the diagnostics, click Restart (R key)/ Shut Down (S key) in the lower part of the window.

“A Mac update crashed my computer!” is another frequent plea for help on the Apple support community. Users know that installing Mac OS /software updates is the best way to keep their Mac protected. Still, many users have experienced crashes in the middle of a system upgrade. On older Mac models, upgrading to macOS Sierra on top of OS X El Capitan caused slow work and freeze ups. To fix the issues caused by upgrading to the latest Mac OS, you can do the following:

restart your Mac in a Safe Mode and disable the antivirus software (especially if you’re using third-party antivirus software);

switch to another Wi-Fi network

Microsoft Word 2016 Keeps Crashing

try downgrading to the previous Mac OS version

perform a clean install of the new operating system

If your Mac crashed during the automatic software update, find and delete the following files:

  • /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist
  • /Home/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.xyz.plist (“xyz” is a number).
  • /Home/Library/Caches/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate/ (purge the entire folder).

Alternatively, use a Time Machine backup to revert to the previous state.

If you use one of the earlier Mac OS X versions, follow the below instructions to fix freeze-ups and system crashes. Choose an option depending on the severity of the problem:

  1. Try rebooting your Mac in a Safe Mode. For this, hold down the Shift key while restarting your computer until the Apple logo appears. If the startup fails, most likely you don’t have enough free space on your startup disk.
  2. Try resetting the NVRAM. For this, restart your Mac and press down the Command-Option-P-R keys altogether after hearing the start-up chime. Release the keys after you hear the startup chime for the second time.
  3. Boot into the Recovery Mode. For this, restart your Mac holding down the Command ()-R key combination after hearing the start-up sound. Check your hard drive for errors using the Disk Utility.
  4. If the problem persists, reinstalling Mac OS X from scratch is your best option. First, reboot your computer into the Recovery Mode. In the OS X Utilities menu, select Reinstall OS X, then click Continue.

Note: reinstalling OS X on top of the current system does not delete your files and settings. However, this may help in fixing some system-wide issues.

If your Mac crashes several times in a row, it is crucial to single out the problem. Find out if a particular application is a reason, or the entire operating system is affected. In the first case, you will get an application crash report with comments. To fix the issue, click Reopen to relaunch the app, or click OK to quit the alert window.

If the problem stems from the macOS itself, there can be a plethora of reasons causing it. Try the below steps to eliminate the issue:

  1. Reset the SMC (System Management Controller). Unplug all accessories before resetting. Press and hold down the Power button for 10 seconds to turn off your Mac. Disconnect the AC adapter and wait 15 seconds, then plug the power cord back in and switch on your Mac in 5 seconds.
  2. Reboot in Safe Mode. Restart your Mac while pressing down the Shift key after you hear the start-up chime.
  3. Reset NVRAM/PRAM. Restart Mac while holding down the Command-Option-P-R key combination.
  4. Uninstall third-party apps, plug-ins, antivirus software, PPTP VPN software, which may be incompatible with the current macOS version.
  5. Clean up your Mac’s startup disk to ensure there is enough space for macOS to operate properly.

Mac crashes can stem from different reasons, which signal about serious application or system-related issues. Isolating and identifying the problem is the best way to single out all possible causes. To prevent your Mac from occasional freeze-ups and crashes, use the latest Mac OS and software compatible with your machine’s hardware. macOS High Sierra is the recommended version of the operating system to date. Upgrade to the latest stable version to maximize your macOS experience.

Apr 01,2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions

'Why does my Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac? I have tried several attempts to resolve it, but I can't seem to fix the issue or get back my lost Word documents.'

This is a query from one of the MS Word users on Mac that we have got recently. As you know, MS Word is a part of the Office suite, which is developed by Microsoft. Apart from Windows, it is also available for Mac and provides tons of utility features. Though, there are times when Word on Mac keeps crashing and users are not able to utilize its features or even save their existing files.

Don't worry! the issue is pretty common and can easily be fixed. In this guide, we will teach you why does Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac and how to fix this problem in 8 different ways. Apart from that, we will also discuss how to recover Word document after a crashed Mac. Let's begin and start a quick MS Word troubleshooting on Mac.

Part 1: Why Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing on Mac?

Before we discuss issues to fix the Microsoft Word Mac crashing issues, it is important to note what could have caused the problem to begin with. In this way, you would be able to understand why does Word keeps crashing on Mac and can even avoid it in the future.

  • Mostly, MS Word crashes because of a fault in the Office suite of the tool itself. Chances are that the application could not have been installed probably.
  • You might be running an old or incompatible version of Word on your Mac.
  • If you are using a pirated MS Word application, then it could have been corrupted as well.
  • Sometimes, Mac doesn't give permissions to third-party applications (like Word), making them faulty to work.
  • The source drive where MS Word has been installed could be corrupt as well.
  • The location of the MS Word application could have been moved to someplace else.
  • The application was crashed earlier or closed during processing, making it faulty or corrupt.
  • Chances are that MS Word could have been infected by a malware.

Part 2: How to Fix 'Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing on Mac'

The good news is that most of these problems can easily be resolved if we follow the right approach. Ideally, you can fix Microsoft Word keeps crashing issue with these solutions.

1. Check the Hard Drive Name

A faulty hard drive name is one of the most common issues for Word to malfunction. This is because Mac provides a more flexible way to name the hard drive while Windows has certain restrictions. If needed, you might need to change the hard drive name as well to fix this. Here's how you can check and rename hard drive on Mac to make it compatible with Word.

  1. Just click on the Apple logo on the top left corner of the desktop and open the Applications tab. Go to the Utilities section to open the Disk Utility window.
  2. Select your Mac hard drive from the left and view its name and other details on the right (under the 'Partitions' tab).
  3. Make sure that the drive has a name and it should start from a character. While it can have numbers, it should not have all numbers or any special character. Make the needed changes to rename the hard drive.

Once the hard drive has been renamed, you can restart Mac and try accessing MS Word on it again.

2. Clear the AutoRecovery Folder

As you know, Auto-save is an inbuilt feature in MS Word that automatically saves the running document in the background. It allows us to fetch our files back if they are lost or closed unexpectedly. Though, sometimes the AutoRecovery folder might cause some clash with the application itself, making it faulty. Therefore, you can consider clearing it to fix Word on Mac keeps crashing.

  1. To start with, simply launch Finder on your Mac and from its menu, click on Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Now, copy and paste the path '~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery/' on your Mac (without the quotes).
  3. As you click on 'Go', it will open the AutoRecovery folder on your Mac. From here, you can just delete the auto-saved files so that the folder would be cleared.

3. Reset the Word Preferences

Sometimes, the reason for Microsoft Word Mac crashing could be the wrong preferences on the application as well. In order to resolve this, you can reset the preferences altogether and try restarting Word.

  1. Firstly, select the Word icon on the desktop and go to the Word > Preferences option from the menu.
  2. As the Word Preferences tab would be opened, click on the 'File Locations' icon from here.
  3. This will open the File Locations feature on the screen. Click on the 'User templates' option and choose to 'Reset' it.
  4. You can also click on the 'Modify' button to view it. Here, you can see a 'Normal' file. You can cut and paste it to any other location (like your desktop) or simply move it to the Trash as well.

After resetting the Word preferences, restart the applications and check if it fixes MS Word crashing on Mac or not.

4. Save the Word Document to another Location

Apart from the MS Word application, there could be a problem with the Mac storage. as well. For instance, if the particular partition or sector on the hard drive has been corrupted, then you should try to save your documents somewhere else. This will help you avoid Word crashing on Mac or prevent the loss of your important files as well.

Related: If you get problems with Mac storage, come to know 8 ways of freeing up and managing Mac storage.
  1. Firstly, open the MS Word application on your Mac and try opening the file. If you are lucky, you would be able to open the file without the Word application crashing.
  2. Quickly, go to the File menu and click on the 'Save As' option.
  3. Now, browse to the location where you wish to save your Word document and give it the needed name.

Alternatively, you can also copy your MS Word file and just paste it to any other location as well.

5. Download and Install Word Updates

As stated previously, one of the reasons for Microsoft Word crashing on Mac could be an old version of the application. If the MS Word application has not been updated in a while, then it can encounter compatibility issues with Mac. The best way to fix MS Word crashing on Mac is by updating it. Not only will it fix the Microsoft Word Mac keeps crashing, it will also make the application more secure by installing the needed patches.

  1. Simply launch the Word application on your Mac and from its menu, go to Help > Check for Updates.
  2. From here, you can enable the automatic update option if you want to. Make the relevant selection and click on the 'Check for Updates' button again.
  3. In no time, MS Word will connect to its server and look for any recent available update. Once it will notify you the same, you can just select the update and click on the 'Install' button.
  4. Now, you can just wait for a while as Word would install the update and restarts in the end to a stable version.

6. Create another User Account on Mac

Although it might sound surprising, but there could be some issue with your user account on Mac as well. For instance, the account you are accessing might be blocked to use certain applications or there could be a clash with some commands. To avoid this problem and fix Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac, simply create another account on your system instead.

  1. To start things, go to the Apple icon from the desktop and visit System Preferences.
  2. Click on the 'Users & Groups' sections from here. Once its dedicated window will open, click on the lock icon at the bottom to make some changes in it.
  3. You need to enter your administrator password to proceed. Afterward, click on the '+' icon to add a new account.
  4. Simply enter basic details for the new account (like its type, name, and so on) and click on the 'Create User' button in the end.
  5. If you want, you can create a different password for the new account and link it with the same iCloud account as well.

In the end, you can sign-out from the present account and log-in to the new account instead. Now, try to open MS Word and see if it resolves the problem or not.

7. Boot Mac in Safe Mode

Just like Windows, you can also boot your Mac system in a safe mode as well. The safe mode is mostly used for troubleshooting and it automatically turns on various secondary processes. In this way, you can check if there is a problem with the MS Word application itself or your Mac system. Here's how you can boot your Mac in safe mode and fix Microsoft Word crashing on Mac.

  1. Simply turn on your Mac by pressing the power button. If you are already using it, then restart it instead.
  2. As soon as you would hear the startup chime (or see Apple's logo), press the Shift key on the keyword.
  3. Keep pressing it for the new few seconds as Mac would be restarted in the safe mode.
  4. You can see 'Safe Mode' written at the top right corner of the screen now. Just log-in to any account and try accessing the MS Word application on it.

8. Run Disk Utility to Repair Crashed Word

If none of the above-listed techniques would fix MS Word crashing on Mac, then you can consider repairing the entire disk. Although it would take a lot of time, it will make sure that your Mac's disk would stay secure and in a healthy condition. To repair your Mac's disk and fix Word keeps crashing on Mac, follow these quick steps:

  1. Look for the 'Disk Utility' option from the Spotlight and open it. Alternatively, from the main menu on Mac, click on Go > Utilities and launch the Disk Utility window.
  2. From the left panel, you can select the primary disk on your system. In most of the cases, it is Macintosh HD. Now, click on the 'First Aid' option from its toolbar and confirm your choice.
  3. As Mac would start repairing the disk, you can just wait for a while for the process to be completed.
  4. Once it is done, restart your Mac and check if Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac or not.

Part 3: How to Recover Crashed Word Documents on Mac?

When any application crashes on Mac, we often end up losing its data. Similarly, if MS Word has been crashed while you were working on a document, then you might end up losing it forever. To avoid such an unwanted scenario, consider using Recoverit Data Recovery for Mac. It is one of the best data recovery tools for Mac that is used by leading experts. Developed by Wondershare, it provides a fast, easy, and highly secure way to get your data back. The application has a high data recovery rate and supports all the leading Word document extensions.

  • With the help of Recoverit Data Recovery, you can get back your lost, deleted, or inaccessible Word files in a jiffy.
  • The application supports all kinds of other data types too like photos, videos, PDFs, Excel sheets, emails, compressed files, and so much more.
  • No matter what the situation is, Recoverit will help you in every possible data loss scenario like accidental deletion, corrupt storage, lost partition, etc.
  • It follows different scanning modes, letting users save their time and get the expected results as well.

Video Tutorial on Mac File Recovery

How to Recover Word Document on Mac

In order to learn how to recover Word document after a crashed Mac, the following steps can be taken.

  1. Select a target location

  2. Simply launch Recoverit Data Recovery on your Mac and select a location where you wish to perform the scan. This would be the primary Macintosh HD in this case. Though, if you want, you can perform data recovery on an external device as well.

  3. Scan for the lost files

  4. As you would mark a source location and start the process, Recoverit will carefully scan the location. You are recommended to wait for a while so that the process can be completed without any trouble.

  5. Preview and recover your Word files

  6. When the data extraction process is completed, the application will let you preview the recovered content. Now, you can simply select the Word files you want back and save them to any secure place.

Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing On My Mac Computer

Part 4: Tips to prevent Word Keeps Crashing on Mac

If you don't want to suffer from an unexpected loss of data or MS Word crashing on Mac, then consider following these suggestions.

  • Always make sure that the MS Word application is updated on your system. You can turn on the automatic update to save your time.
  • Keep the real-time scanning of the firewall on, so that the application would be safe from any malware attack.
  • Don't turn off your Mac when MS Word is still running in the background.
  • Try not to close any MS Word document in between or in an unexpected manner.
  • Install MS Word in the primary partition on your Mac hard drive (if you have multiple partitions).
  • Don't install MS Office from an unreliable source (or a pirated version). Buy it from Microsoft's official website to avoid any software-related issue.

Now when you know how to fix Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac, you would be able to resolve this issue like a pro. Apart from listing different fixes for Word crashing on Mac, we have also provided a quick solution to perform data recovery on Mac as well. With the help of Recoverit Data Recovery, you can easily get back any lost or deleted content in no time. Go ahead and download the Mac data recovery tool on Mac or share it with others to teach them how to recover crashed Word document on Mac.

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