Why Does Microsoft Word Keep Crashing on Mac?

Microsoft Word, one of the most widely used word processing applications, can be frustratingly unpredictable at times. If you're a regular user of MS Word on your Mac, you may have experienced the annoyance of it suddenly quitting or crashing unexpectedly. This issue is more common in recent versions of macOS such as Big Sur, Catalina, and Mojave.

Common Causes

Before we dive into troubleshooting steps, let's identify some of the most common reasons why MS Word keeps crashing on Mac:

* Background applications interfering with Word: Other apps running in the background might be consuming system resources, causing conflicts with MS Word.

* Corrupted preferences: The Word preferences stored within your computer may be corrupted, leading to crashes and errors.

Troubleshooting Steps

To stop MS Word from quitting unexpectedly on your Mac, follow these troubleshooting steps:

1. Run Disk Repair: If the problem persists after running disk repair, it's likely that your hard drive is corrupted or damaged.

2. Reset Normal.dotm File: Navigate to `~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/User Templates/My Templates` and reset the normal.dotm file. This should resolve most issues with MS Word not opening on Mac.

3. Fix Corrupted File: If your Word file is not opening, it could be due to corruption of the word file. You can try fixing the corruption or creating a new document.

Resetting Preferences

To reset corrupted Word preferences and solve this error:

1. Navigate to `~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft` folder.

2. Drag `com.microsoft.Word.plist` to the desktop (or any other location) to create a backup of your settings.

3. Reset the normal.dotm file by deleting it and then restarting MS Word.

Additional Tips

To ensure MS Word runs smoothly on your Mac:

1. Close unnecessary apps: Close background applications that might be interfering with MS Word.

2. Check for updates: Ensure you're running the latest version of MS Word and macOS.

By following these troubleshooting steps, you should be able to resolve the issue of MS Word quitting unexpectedly on your Mac. Remember to always keep a backup of your files and preferences to prevent data loss in case of any system errors or crashes.

Microsoft Word is a reliable application that works flawlessly on all computers, including MacBook. However, occasional crashes can happen due to various reasons such as corrupted preferences or background applications interfering with the software. By identifying and addressing these issues, you can stop MS Word from quitting unexpectedly on your Mac and enjoy seamless productivity with this powerful word processing tool.

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