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Oct 10,2020 • Filed to: Mac Recovery • Proven solutions

'How to open Word on Mac? I have some important Word documents saved on my Mac, but every time I try to open them, the application crashes!'

This is a recent query posted on a forum by a concerned user about MS Word on Mac. Since MS Office is a third-party application on Mac, a lot of users struggle with it. For instance, some people say that Microsoft Word won t open on Mac, even after numerous efforts. Chances are that there could be a problem with the software itself or your Mac as well.

The good news is that you can learn how to open Word on Mac and fix this issue by following some simple steps. In this guide, we will help you resolve the Word won't open on Mac query like a pro.

Fail to activate Office for Mac after updating to OS Catalina. Affected environment: Office 2016 for Mac. Mac OS Catalina. Office 2016 for Mac should be activated by signing with a Microsoft account with a valid license but not using the product key directly. The license is associated with this account by finishing redeem steps. I was having the same problem with MS Word. Just upgraded to the latest version of Word and running OS High Sierra on my mac. Could not open files or save or save as MS word docs because I didn't have correct permissions. I, too, tried save boot up, fixing permissions, etc. How to Update Microsoft Word on PC or Mac. This wikiHow teaches you how to install Microsoft Word updates on your Windows or macOS computer. Click the button. It's usually at the bottom-left corner of the screen. ‎The trusted Word app lets you create, edit, view, and share your files with others quickly and easily. Send, view and edit Office docs attached to emails from your phone with this powerful word processing app from Microsoft. With Word, your office moves with you. Whether you’re a blogger, writer. Try Apples apps first, and try Libre Office next. Office for the Mac has always looked and felt different from the Windows version so you aren't going to have the same experience you are used to even if you get the official MS product. MacOS comes with a plethora of useful pre-installed apps, all of which make the Mac ready to go as soon as you take it out of the box. But you don't have to use these programs if you don't want to.

Part 1: How to Open Microsoft Word on Mac?

There are times when users are not able to understand how to open Microsoft Word on Mac. Needless to say, before you proceed, make sure that MS Word is already installed on your Mac and is running smoothly. You can just look for the Word application on your Mac and launch it without any trouble. Here's how to open Word on Mac seamlessly.

Step 1 The easiest way to open Word on Mac is by using the Spotlight search. Simply click on the search icon on the top-right corner of the screen.

Step 2 You can either look for the MS Word application or type the name of the document that you wish to open. Click on the searched results to launch it.

Step 3 Subsequently, you can also view the installed Applications by visiting Mac's System Preferences. Also, you can just press Command + Shift + A to open the Applications tab.

Step 4 Scroll down to view all the MS Office applications installed on your Mac. Look for MS Word and double-click it to launch the application.

Part 2: Why Microsoft Word Won't Open on Mac?

Before we learn ways to fix Word won't open on Mac, it is important to know what could have caused the issue in the first place. Here are some of the common reasons why Word won't open on Mac:

• There might be some issue with MS Word or the Office application.


• The installer could have been corrupt, leading to a malfunction application installation.


• If you are running an outdated version of MS Word on a new macOS, then you can encounter this issue.


• The storage unit where MS Word was installed could have been corrupt as well.


• A system setting could be blocking the Word application in the background.


• The MS Word document that you are trying to open could have been corrupt.


• A change in Word Preferences or app settings can also lead to the malfunction of the utility tool.

Part 3: What to Do When Word Files Won't Open on Mac?

As you can see, there could be different reasons for Word files not opening on Mac. Thankfully, you can easily fix this issue by following some thoughtful troubleshooting tips. Here's how you can also resolve the Microsoft Word not opening on Mac problem.

Solution 1: Run 'Disk Utility' to Repair

Disk Utility is the native feature of macOS that can help us repair a disk (system storage or external devices). You can access it via Mac's Applications or by booting your system in the recovery mode. Therefore, if your Mac is functioning seamlessly, then you can take the assistance of Disk Utility in no time. This will scan your Mac's storage and make sure that it won't lead to any MS Word issue.

Step 1 Firstly, go to Mac's Finder and visit Applications > Utilities. From the list of the available Utility tools, tap 'Disk Utility'.

Step 2 This will launch the Disk Utility application on Mac. On the left panel, you can see the available drives and partitions. Simply select the drive where MS Word is installed.

Step 3 You will get its details on the right and numerous other options. From its toolbar, click on the 'First Aid' button.

Step 4 A pop-up window will ask you to confirm your choice. Click 'Run' and wait for a while as Mac would repair its storage.

Solution 2: Remove Word Preferences

Chances are that there could be a problem with the MS Word application installed on your Mac as well. For instance, the default template or Word preferences could clash with its functioning. In this case, you can just remove the Word Preferences and try to fix the Word won't open on Mac issue instantly.

Step 1 First, select the Word icon on the desktop or open the application. Go to the Finder menu and click on Word > Preferences.

Step 2 This will launch the Word Preferences window on the screen. Click on the 'File Locations' option to continue.

Step 3 Now, you can see different file types with their location. Click on the 'User Templates' option and choose to reset it.

Step 4 If you want to delete it entirely, then click on the 'Modify' button instead. Look for the 'Normal' file, cut it, and paste it somewhere else (or just delete it from the location).

Solution 3: Try 'Open and Repair'

The above-listed solutions would work if there is an issue with Mac's storage or the Word application itself. Though, the reason why won't Word open on Mac could be something else as well. For instance, the Word document that you are trying to open could have been corrupt. To repair a corrupted Word document, you can take the assistance of the application's native feature. Here's how to open Word on Mac and repair a faulty document.

Step 1 If the MS Word application is already not opened, then do the same by clicking on its icon.

Step 2 After the application is launched, go to its main menu and click on File > Open to proceed.

Step 3 As a browser window will launch, simply go to the location where the faulty Word document is stored and select it.

Step 4 Instead of clicking on the 'Open' button, click on the dropdown icon and choose to 'Open and Repair' the file.

Wait for a while as Word will try to automatically repair the document and would extract its saved content.

Part 4: How to Recover Lost Word Documents on Mac?

By following the discussed solutions, you would be able to fix issues like Word won't open on Mac. Though, if you have lost some of your documents or have deleted them accidentally, then consider using Recoverit (IS) for Mac. It is a dedicated data recovery tool that can get back all kinds of lost or deleted documents on your Mac. This includes all sorts of Word, Excel, PDF, PowerPoint, and numerous other file types.

Recoverit (IS) for Mac

A Life Saver to Solve Your Data Loss Problems!

• Extremely easy to use and features one of the highest data recovery rates in the market.
• It can recover data lost under different scenarios like accidentally deleted documents, corrupt Word files, lost partition, corrupt storage, etc.
• You can recover data from an external source like SD card, USB drive, hard drive, and more.
• The application can perform different kinds of scans on any source – quick or deep. You can perform the needed scan as per your requirements.
• Apart from Word documents, it can also recover your photos, videos, audios, compressed files, and all kinds of data.

Get Word For Mac

Even with no prior technical knowledge, you can take the assistance of Recoverit (IS) and get back your lost files on your Mac. To do it, follow these basic steps:

Step 1Download and install

How To Get Word App On Mac Os

Download and install the Recoverit (IS) program on your Mac computer.

Step 2Pick a location to scan

In order to proceed, you can just choose a location to scan for lost Word documents. It can be the internal Mac storage or any other external device.

Step 3Restore your data

This will make the application look for any lost or deleted Word file on the selected location. You can just wait for a while for the process to be completed.

In the end, users can just preview the recovered data on the application and select the Word documents to save. Click on the 'Recover' button and save them to any location of your choice.

Bonus Tips: How to Avoid Word File Corruption on Mac

A lot of times, a Word file becomes inaccessible or corrupt on Mac as well. If you don't want to go through unwanted issues like Word won't open on Mac, then consider following these preventive measures:

• Always keep a backup of your important Word files so that you won't lose them unexpectedly.
• Keep the Word application updated to make sure it won't suffer from any compatibility issue.
• Avoid changing the extension of the documents forcefully.
• Don't open Word documents with other third-party tools that can corrupt them.
• Keep the Mac storage clean and not cluttered to ensure its safety.
• Only use an authentic copy of MS Word from its official website. If you are using a pirated version, then it might corrupt your documents.
• Don't close your Mac unexpectedly when the Word document is still being processed in the background.

Conclusion

There you go! After reading this guide, you would be able to fix issues like Microsoft Word won't open on Mac for sure. We have come up with three working solutions on Word won't open on Mac problems and have provided a stepwise solution on how to open Word on Mac.

Apart from that, you can take the assistance of Recoverit (IS) to get back lost Word documents in no time. It is a highly secure and reliable application that can help you in more ways than you can imagine. Give it a try and never lose your important Word documents on Mac again.

Make your Mac invincible

Since its initial release nearly 30 years ago, Microsoft Office has become one of the world’s most popular productivity suites. With programs like Word and Excel for Mac, it’s no wonder that the MS Office suite is a must-download on any computer.

Microsoft Office for Mac 2019 includes the most modern versions of Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, and OneNote. These apps are all available for download at the Mac App Store. Alternatively, with Office 365 for Mac, you can work online or offline and collaborate with others in real time, which is especially useful for any kind of team work.

Get a perfect alternative for MS tools on Mac

Try Setapp, an all-in-one toolkit that covers apps substituting Microsoft’s Visio, Project, and Publisher. All in a single spot on your Mac.

If you’ve been asking yourself questions like “what is Office 365 for Mac” and “how much is Microsoft Office?” — the guide below will help dispel your confusion. Besides, do you know how you can download Microsoft Office?

How To Download And Install MS Office For Mac

As mentioned above, Microsoft Office suite and all of its apps — Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, OneNote, and OneDrive — are now available at the Mac App Store. This makes it easier than ever to get the most current versions of MS Office for Mac (note that you’ll need an Office 365 subscription to use these apps). There is also a Microsoft Office trial available that allows you to use Office 365 free for one month.

To buy Microsoft Office outright, visit office.com. At the Office home page, select Install Office. Then follow the instructions for the installer file that has been downloaded to your computer.

System requirements to download Microsoft Office

Before downloading Office for Mac, make sure you have the fitting system requirements that allow for the best experience with Microsoft apps. For example, Microsoft Office suite always supports the latest three versions of macOS. Currently, it’s 10.14, 10.13, and 10.12.

As new versions of macOS are released, Microsoft shifts its support to the newest ones. While your Office apps might still work on older unsupported versions of macOS, you won’t be able to get security or feature updates.

To run Microsoft Office at the moment, you’ll need macOS 10.12 (Sierra), 4 GB RAM and 10 GB of available disk space.

The difference between Office 2019 and Office 365 for Mac

You can still buy Microsoft Office without getting into a subscription. The downside is not getting continuous feature updates, which will in turn be bundled altogether in the following year’s release.

Office 365, on the other hand, is based purely on a subscription model and powered by Microsoft’s cloud service. It frequently receives updates and provides full access to the whole suite of services.

How much is Microsoft Office?

As MS Office for Mac is available in two versions — a one-time payment and subscription — there are two prices. If you want to buy a license for Office Home and Student 2019 for Mac, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, it will cost you $149.99. If you’d like to use Microsoft Office Outlook, you’ll need to purchase the Office Home and Business 2019 for Mac at $249.99.

For the subscription model, Microsoft Office 365 for Mac, you pay a month-by-month or yearly fee. And as new versions are introduced, you automatically get them as part of your subscription. Office 365 for Home costs $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month.

What about MS Office vs. iWork

Apple’s free iWork has a great price advantage over the MS Office suite, but is it better than all the Microsoft’s popular productivity apps?

iWork includes Keynote, Pages, and Numbers, but is generally best suited for smaller businesses or home use. Additionally, if you already use Microsoft Office extensively at home or work, being able to switch between Macs and PCs gives Microsoft Office Suite a big plus.

Microsoft Office is known for having a slight edge for ease-of-use and is packed with more features. The latest version of the suite also looks brand new compared to iWork’s currently outdated version. As Microsoft Office continues to learn the macOS, it continues to grow.

MS Office Touch Bar features

Trackpad and Touch Bar, unique to MacBooks, have made great new features available on Office for Mac.

In Microsoft Word for Mac, you can use the Touch Bar to insert hyperlinks, comments, or photos right in the text editor. It’s especially great when you’re working in Word Focus Mode without access to the controls on the screen.

In Excel for Mac, using the equal sign on your keyboard will launch most recently used commands on the Touch Bar. Then you can select a range of commands or perform specific actions.

In Microsoft Office Outlook, Touch Bar makes recent files appear when you’re composing an email. From here, you can attach relevant files with a single tap. In Outlook’s Today view, you can use the Touch Bar to get a quick look at your daily calendar events or launch a Skype call.

During slideshow presentations in Powerpoint, you can use the Touch Bar to view specific controls. The function integrates slide thumbnails and includes a timer to make moving through your presentation on time a snap.

Great Substitutes For MS Project, Visio, And Publisher

If you’ve used MS Office tools on Windows before, you may have noticed that some of them aren’t available on Mac, specifically Microsoft Project, Visio, and Publisher.

The good news is you can easily substitute lacking MS Office apps with Setapp.

Take care of your publishing needs

With Microsoft Publisher for Mac currently unavailable, you need an app that is easy to use but, at the same time, delivers professional results when you’re looking to put together greeting cards or self-publish a magazine. Enter Swift Publisher.

Swift Publisher has a robust set of design tools that allow you to apply gradients, draw freehand shapes, and control different aspects of your design layout at once. The app also features an extensive graphic library with over 2,000 pieces of clip art and 100 image masks.

Make publishing easy with Swift Publisher’s support for exports to a variety of digital formats, including social media. You’ll find that quickly Microsoft Publisher for Mac will become a thing of the past.

The best alternative to Microsoft Visio

With the need to create flowcharts, diagrams, and organizational tables for your projects, you may miss Microsoft Visio. Fear not. You can easily brainstorm and create long-term plans with iThoughtsX instead. Even better, you’ll never lose important information with its built-in cloud integration.

iThoughtsX lets you visualize an idea, track to-dos along with deadlines, and check on the team's progress. You don’t have to interrupt your workflow at all, as this app supports multiple file formats that can store your ideas in .rtf, .txt, Microsoft Word (.docx), .csv, MindGenius (.mgmx), MindNode (.mindnode), .opml, and more.

Plan projects with Merlin Project Express

Merlin Project Express will help you plan both home and professional projects. It’s a great solution for managing budgets and resources available for any endeavour.

Just like Microsoft Project for Mac, Merlin Project Express lets you create tasks, manage dependencies, and track progress with ease. You can also come up with project templates to streamline your workflow, set daily goals, and visualize the timeline. Consolidate all information in one place with project info at hand by attaching emails, images, costs, and notes.

Best of all, three substitute apps: Swift Publisher, iThoughtsX, and Merlin Project Express are available on Setapp, a platform of more than 150 Mac apps and utilities that you can use at home and work to improve all aspects of interacting with your Mac. Get yourself a perfect complement to your Microsoft Office suite purchase and try Setapp free for seven days. Working smart doesn’t have to feel like a trade-off.

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

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