Word Error 0x800706BA — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

Error 0x800706BA in Microsoft Word means 'The RPC server is unavailable.' RPC (Remote Procedure Call) is a Windows service that Office uses to communicate with other system components. When this service is stopped or blocked, Word cannot perform certain actions and throws this error.

Affected Models

Microsoft Word 2016
Microsoft Word 2019
Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365

Common Causes

The Windows RPC (Remote Procedure Call) service has stopped or is not running
A firewall or security software is blocking RPC communication on your PC
Windows system files related to RPC have become corrupted
A recent Windows update changed RPC settings or broke a dependency
A conflict with another installed application that interferes with Windows services

How to Fix It

Press Windows+R, type services.msc and press Enter. Find 'Remote Procedure Call (RPC)' in the list and make sure its Status is 'Running'.

If it is not running, right-click it and select Start. Also check that Startup Type is set to Automatic.
Restart your computer. Many service-related errors clear up after a full reboot.

A restart forces Windows to reload all services from scratch, which often resolves temporary failures.
Run the Office Quick Repair tool. Go to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, right-click Microsoft Office, and select Change, then Quick Repair.

Quick Repair fixes common Office problems without needing an internet connection.
Open Command Prompt as administrator and run: sfc /scannow

This scans Windows system files for corruption and repairs them automatically.
If the error still appears, run the Office Online Repair tool (same location as Quick Repair) which does a more thorough fix.

Online Repair downloads fresh Office files from Microsoft's servers, so you need an internet connection.

When to Call a Professional

If restarting the RPC service and running SFC does not fix this error, the problem may be deeper inside Windows. An IT professional can run advanced diagnostics on your Windows services and repair them safely. Do not attempt to manually edit the Windows registry unless you are confident doing so.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the RPC server and why does Word need it?

RPC stands for Remote Procedure Call. It is a Windows service that lets programs communicate with each other and with Windows system components. Microsoft Office uses RPC for tasks like spell checking, licensing verification, and connecting to other Microsoft services.

Will I lose my documents if I run Office Repair?

No. Office Repair only touches the Office program files — it does not delete or change your Word documents, Excel files, or any other personal files. Your work is completely safe.

Can antivirus software cause Error 0x800706BA?

Yes. Some antivirus and security software aggressively blocks Windows services including RPC. Try temporarily disabling your antivirus and see if the error goes away. If it does, add an exception for Word in your antivirus settings.