I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC
Applies ToExcel for Microsoft 365 Word for Microsoft 365 Outlook for Microsoft 365 PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 Publisher for Microsoft 365 Visio Plan 2 Excel 2024 Outlook 2024 PowerPoint 2024 Excel 2021 Word 2021 Outlook 2021 PowerPoint 2021 Publisher 2021 Visio Professional 2021 Visio Standard 2021 Excel 2019 Word 2019 Outlook 2019 PowerPoint 2019 Publisher 2019 Visio Professional 2019 Visio Standard 2019 Excel 2016 Word 2016 Outlook 2016 PowerPoint 2016 Publisher 2016 Visio Professional 2016 Visio Standard 2016 Visio Professional 2013 Office for business

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You might get this error when you start the Office 2021, Office 2019, or Office 2016 versions of Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, or Visio on your PC:

Microsoft Excel has stopped working.

Microsoft Word has stopped working.

Microsoft Outlook has stopped working.

Microsoft PowerPoint has stopped working.

Microsoft Visio has stopped working.

Microsoft Publisher has stopped working.

Before you try any of the resolutions in this article, it's important to make sure that Office is fully up-to-date. If you still get "stopped working" errors after installing Office updates, choose Most Office apps or Outlook and follow the troubleshooting options in the order they are presented.

Try these solutions in the order listed below.

Instructions on this tab apply to Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Visio. Click the header for more instructions.

  1. Open any Office app, such as Word, and create a new document.

  2. Go to File > Account (or Office Account if you opened Outlook).

  3. Under Product Information, choose Update Options > Update Now.

    Note: You may need to click Enable Updates first if you don't see the Update Now option right away.

  4. Close the You're up to date! window after Office is done checking for and installing updates.

Certain add-ins may cause compatibility issues that cause a "stopped working" error with Office apps. A quick way to find out is by starting the Office app in Safe Mode. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Click the Search icon and type "run", then click the Run app that appears in the search results.

    • In Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Window 8, right-click the Start button Windows Start button in Windows 8 and Windows 10 (lower-left corner), and choose Run.

    • In Windows 7, click Start > Run.

  2. Type one of these commands:

    Note: If you get a "can't find" error after typing the command, check if you included a space between the app name and /safe.

    • Type excel /safe and press Enter to start Excel.

    • Type winword /safe and press Enter to start Word.

    • Type powerpnt /safe and press Enter to start PowerPoint.

    • Type mspub /safe and press Enter to start Publisher.

    • Type visio /safe and press Enter to start Visio.

To ensure the Office app is in Safe Mode, check the title bar. You should see something like: Microsoft Excel (Safe Mode).

If the Office app doesn’t start in Safe Mode, the problem isn’t with add-ins. Try repairing Office or uninstalling and reinstalling it instead. If that still doesn't work, you should have the latest device drivers installed on your PC.

If the Office app starts in Safe Mode, disable the application add-ins and COM add-ins one at a time:

  1. With the Office app still in Safe Mode, click File > Options > Add-Ins.

  2. Check the Manage list for Add-ins options, such as Word Add-ins or Excel Add-ins, and then click Go. If you can't find an Add-ins option specific to the Office app in the Manage list, choose COM Add-ins instead.

  3. Uncheck one of the add-ins in the list and click OK.

    Note: Some older add-ins are known to cause problems. Uncheck these add-ins first if they are in your list: Abbyy FineReader, PowerWord and Dragon Naturally Speaking.

  4. Restart the application (not in Safe Mode this time).

If the Office app starts, there’s a problem with the add-in you unchecked. We recommend you visit the company website for the add-in to check for an updated version you can install. If there isn’t a newer version or if you don’t need to use the add-in you can leave it unchecked or remove it from your PC.

If the Office app doesn't start, repeat the steps to uncheck the other add-ins one by one. If there was another Add-ins option in the Manage list, such as COM Add-ins, repeat this process for those add-ins as well. If all add-ins are unchecked and you still can’t open your Office application, the problem isn't related to add-ins. Try some of the other troubleshooting options provided in this article.

Older versions of these add-ins are known to cause problems with Office 2016 applications:

If this didn't resolve your issue, click the next header, below.

This step is useful if one of the Office app is damaged or corrupted. Try a quick repair first, and if that doesn't work, try the online repair. For more information, see Repair an Office application.

If this didn't resolve your issue, click the next header, below.

Older Windows device drivers may be incompatible with your Office application. You should run a Windows or Microsoft update on your PC to ensure you have the latest drivers. To do this, follow these steps:

For Windows 11:

  1. Select the Start Windows Start button in Windows 8 and Windows 10 button.

  2. Type "settings" in the Search box.

  3. Select Windows Update.

  4. Select Check for updates.

  5. If updates are available, select Install.

For Windows 10:

  1. Select the Start Windows Start button in Windows 8 and Windows 10 button.

  2. Select Settings > Update & security > Windows Update.

  3. Select Check online for updates from Microsoft Update.

  4. If updates are available they should automatically be installed on your PC.

For Windows 8.1 and Windows 8:

  1. On the Start screen, click Settings on the Charms Bar.

  2. Click Change PC Settings.

  3. In the PC Settings app, click Windows Update.

  4. Click Check for updates now.

For Windows 7:

  1. Click Start.

  2. Type Windows Update in the Search programs and files box.

  3. In the search results, click Check for updates.

  4. If updates are available, click Install.

If the problem continues to occur after updating Windows, you should check to make sure that these specific drivers are up-to-date: video card, printer, mouse, and keyboard. Drivers for these devices can usually be downloaded and installed directly from the manufacturer's website.

Also, if you have a laptop, you should check the manufacturer's website for any updated files related to the laptop. For example, there's a known issue with an older DisplayLink User Mode Driver that certain laptops use. To update the DisplayLink driver you need to go to the manufacturer’s site.

Use the uninstall troubleshooter to uninstall Microsoft 365, Office 2021, Office 2019, or Office 2016 from your Windows PC.

  1. Select the button below to start the uninstall troubleshooter.

    Uninstall

  2. Click Open if you get a pop-up window indicating This site is trying to open Get Help.

  3. Follow the prompts on the remaining screens and when prompted, restart your computer.

  4. Select the steps for the version of Office you want to install or reinstall.

    Microsoft 365 | Office 2024 | Office 2021Office 2019 | Office 2016

Important: 

  • The uninstall troubleshooter currently can't uninstall Office 2024.

  • Run the troubleshooter on the same Windows PC with the Microsoft 365 or Office product you want to uninstall.

  • You need to be on Windows 10 or higher to run the troubleshooter.

Tip: If the Microsoft 365 uninstall troubleshooter doesn't completely uninstall Microsoft 365 or Office from your PC, you can try to manually uninstall Office.

If this didn't resolve your issue, click the next header, below.

Instructions on this tab apply to Outlook.

Problems with the existing Outlook profile could cause this error to appear when try starting Outlook. A quick fix is to create a new profile to replace the existing one and to re-add your email accounts to the new profile. To do this, follow the information in this article: Create an Outlook profile.

If this didn't resolve your issue, click the next header, below.

This step is useful if one of the Outlook files is damaged or corrupted. Try a quick repair first, and if that doesn't work, try the online repair. For more information, see Repair an Office application.

If this didn't resolve your issue, click the next header, below.

Use the uninstall troubleshooter to uninstall Microsoft 365, Office 2021, Office 2019, or Office 2016 from your Windows PC.

  1. Select the button below to start the uninstall troubleshooter.

    Uninstall

  2. Click Open if you get a pop-up window indicating This site is trying to open Get Help.

  3. Follow the prompts on the remaining screens and when prompted, restart your computer.

  4. Select the steps for the version of Office you want to install or reinstall.

    Microsoft 365 | Office 2024 | Office 2021Office 2019 | Office 2016

Important: 

  • The uninstall troubleshooter currently can't uninstall Office 2024.

  • Run the troubleshooter on the same Windows PC with the Microsoft 365 or Office product you want to uninstall.

  • You need to be on Windows 10 or higher to run the troubleshooter.

Tip: If the Microsoft 365 uninstall troubleshooter doesn't completely uninstall Microsoft 365 or Office from your PC, you can try to manually uninstall Office.

If this didn't resolve your issue, click the next header, below.

Older Windows device drivers may be incompatible with Outlook. You should run a Windows or Microsoft update on your PC to ensure you have the latest drivers. To do this, follow these steps:

For Windows 10:

  1. Select the Start Windows Start button in Windows 8 and Windows 10 button.

  2. Select Settings > Update & security > Windows Update.

  3. Select Check online for updates from Microsoft Update.

  4. If updates are available they should automatically be installed on your PC.

For Windows 8.1 and Windows 8:

  1. On the Start screen, click Settings on the Charms Bar.

  2. Click Change PC Settings.

  3. In the PC Settings app, click Windows Update.

  4. Click Check for updates now.

For Windows 7:

  1. Click Start.

  2. Type Windows Update in the Search programs and files box.

  3. In the search results, click Check for updates.

  4. If updates are available, click Install.

If the problem continues to occur after updating Windows, you should check to make sure that these specific drivers are up-to-date: video card, printer, mouse, and keyboard. Drivers for these devices can usually be downloaded and installed directly from the manufacturer's website.

Also, if you have a laptop, you should check the manufacturer's website for any updated files related to the laptop. For example, there's a known issue with an older DisplayLink User Mode Driver that certain laptops use. To update the DisplayLink driver you need to go to the manufacturer’s site.

You may also want to see Outlook not responding, stuck at "Processing," stopped working, freezes, or hangs.

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