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Word Freezing or Crashing

Intermediate Word Errors & Fixes Applies to: Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows 11

Word becomes unresponsive while typing or scrolling, or crashes outright with "Microsoft Word has stopped working."

Before you start: save any open work and note down what you were doing when the problem started — that context helps if you need to search further or ask for help.
  1. Start Word in Safe Mode (hold Ctrl while opening it) — if the freezing stops, a third-party add-in is almost certainly the cause.
  2. Disable add-ins one at a time via File > Options > Add-ins > Manage: COM Add-ins > Go to find the specific one responsible.
  3. Rename the Normal.dotm template file so Word rebuilds it fresh — a corrupted template is a very common cause of intermittent freezing.
  4. Check the document for a huge number of tracked changes, comments, or embedded images, which can make even a simple document feel sluggish.
  5. Run a Quick Repair from Settings > Apps > Installed apps (Windows 11) or Apps & features (Windows 10) > Microsoft 365/Office > Modify, and try Online Repair if Quick Repair doesn't resolve it.
Still not fixed? Send us the details and we'll help you dig further, or browse related guides in Word Errors & Fixes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Could a specific add-in really cause this much trouble?
Yes — a poorly coded or outdated add-in is one of the most common causes of Word instability, which is why testing in Safe Mode (which disables add-ins) is one of the first diagnostic steps worth trying.
Is it normal for Word to freeze briefly during a large mail merge?
Yes, a large mail merge or a very long document repaginating can genuinely take a noticeable moment and look like a freeze — that's exactly the scenario Ctrl+Break is meant to distinguish from an actual crash.

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