Microsoft Office Keeps Crashing — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

A Microsoft Office app is closing suddenly without warning. This is most often caused by a faulty add-in, a corrupted Office installation, or a conflict with antivirus software. Disabling add-ins or running an Office repair usually fixes it.

Affected Models

Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft 365

Common Causes

A third-party add-in or plugin is conflicting with the Office app
The Office installation has corrupted files that need to be repaired
Antivirus or security software is interfering with Office processes
The document or file being opened is corrupted and causing a crash
Windows is missing important updates that Office depends on

How to Fix It

Start Office in Safe Mode to check for add-in problems. Hold Ctrl while clicking the Office app icon, then click Yes when asked about Safe Mode. If it does not crash, an add-in is the cause.

Safe Mode disables all add-ins. If the app works fine there, you have found your culprit.
Disable add-ins one by one. Open the Office app normally, go to File > Options > Add-ins. At the bottom, set 'Manage' to 'COM Add-ins' and click Go. Uncheck all add-ins, click OK, then restart the app.

Re-enable them one at a time to identify which specific add-in is causing the crash.
Update Microsoft Office. Open any Office app and go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now. Install any available updates, then restart your computer.

Microsoft regularly releases fixes for crash bugs. An update may resolve the issue immediately.
Repair the Office installation. Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features. Find Microsoft 365 or Office, click 'Change', then choose 'Quick Repair'. Run it and restart your computer.

Quick Repair is fast and fixes most corrupted file issues without downloading anything.
Check if a specific file is causing the crash. Try opening a brand new blank document instead of the file that was open when it crashed. If Office is stable with a blank file, the original document is corrupted.

Try copying the content from the corrupted file into a new document and saving it under a new name.

When to Call a Professional

If Office crashes on every document and repair does not help, your Windows installation may have deeper issues. Contact a technician or your IT department for a full diagnosis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Office crash only when I open a specific file?

That file is likely corrupted. Try opening it on a different computer, or use File > Open > Open and Repair in Word or Excel.

Will repairing Office delete my documents?

No. Repair only fixes the Office program files. Your documents, spreadsheets, and other files are not affected.

Office worked fine yesterday and now keeps crashing — what changed?

A Windows update or Office update may have introduced a conflict. Check Windows Update history to see what was installed recently, and try rolling it back if needed.