Quick & Easy Methods to Fix Word File Won’t Open Error

If you get the “Word file won’t open” error when trying to open a document you’ve previously saved in Word, there are a few things you can try.

1. Try opening the file in a different program and then opening it in Microsoft Word.
2. Attempt to save the file as another name.
3. Try reinstalling Word.

5 Methods to Fix the ‘Word File Won’t Open’ Error

If the troubleshooting methods mentioned earlier did not work, we have 5 targeted solutions to fix the “word file not opening” error.

1. Open Doc or Docx Files with Microsoft Word
2. Check the Trust Center Settings
3. Change the “Component Security” settings
4. Make Use of the Open and Repair Feature
5. Repair Word Files Using Yodot Doc Repair Tool

make sure to follow each instruction to the letter. if you are unfamiliar with a step feel free to reach out to a friend or acquaintance that has experience with Windows.

Below we have covered 5 effective methods to fix the Word file not opening error:

Method 1: Open Doc or Docx Files with Microsoft Word

You can set MS Word as your default app to open the doc files.

To set MS Word as your default app, follow the below steps:

• Right-click on the doc/docx file and choose Open with
• Next, expand the More app and select Word

• Finally, check the Always use this app to open the .docx file option and click on the OK button.

Method 2: Check the Trust Center Settings

The Trust Center settings for Microsoft programs allow you to adjust your privacy and security settings. These settings also let you share your Word document with others and restrict some information. You can also resolve and open corrupted Word DOC and DOCX files by disabling the Protected View settings.

Follow the below steps to disable the Protect View option:

• Open your Microsoft Word
• Go to the File and click Options
• Go to Trust Center and hit the Trust Center Settings option.

• Now, click on the Protected View option.

• Uncheck everything and then click the OK button.
• In the end, Restart Microsoft Word and try to open the same document again to check whether it is opening.

Method 3: Change the “Component Security” settings

Windows security levels may prevent users from opening Word files. The user should set the “Component Security” to the default option in such situations.

• Go to the Search box, type dcomcnfg, and press the Enter button.

• A new window will open. From the left pane, select “Component Services.”

• In the middle pane, go to Computers and double-click to expand.

• Go to the My Computer icon. Right-click on it and select Properties.

• Finally, go to the Default Properties tab.

• Under Distributed Com Communications Default Properties, set the Default Authentication Level to the Default option from the drop-down menu.

• Now, set the Impersonation Level from the default impersonation level to Identify.

• Finally, click the OK button.

Method 4: Make Use of the Open and Repair Feature

The Open and Repair feature is an inbuilt feature of MS Word. By using this feature, you can repair and restore Word files. This feature can also solve – MS Word encountered file errors.

Follow the below simple steps to open and repair the file using Word.

• Open the Microsoft Word application and click on the File menu.
• Now click on Open, and scroll down to the Browse option.
• Select the Word file that is not opening. Then, click the arrow next to ‘Open‘ and select ‘Open and Repair.’

Method 5: Repair Word Files Using Yodot Doc Repair Tool

If any of the above methods didn’t help you to fix the ‘Word file won’t open issue, it can be concluded that the document has been severely corrupted. The above methods are unreliable if the Word file is corrupted due to physical hard drive corruption or other significant reasons. 

However, you can safely repair Word files and open them without problems using the dedicated Word Repair Tool.

One of the safest and easiest ways to repair corrupt Word files is Yodot Doc Repair Software. This tool helps you fix the Word document regardless of the extent of corruption. This tool works on all versions of MS Word, including the latest 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2010, and Word 2007, for Office 365. Download this tool now.

Follow the below steps to repair the Word document that cannot be opened:

• First, install Yodot Document Repair software on your computer.

• Next, launch the software and choose the Word file you want to repair by clicking on the “Browse” button.
• Finally, click the “Repair” button to start the repair process.

• After completion of the repair process, you can Preview the repaired file. Then, if you are satisfied with the repair process, you can go ahead and activate the software and save the fixed Word document to the desired location.

• At last, Save the repaired Word file to the desired destination location.

Also Read: Unable to Open Word document because of Error Code 0xc0000142.

Conclusion

This article helps you to fix the Word file won’t open error. If you are looking for a quick and safe way to repair your Word file, Yodot Doc Repair Tool is recommended. Moreover, If you have any further queries regarding the article, please use the comment section below.