10 Solutions to Microsoft Word Not Responding Not Saved Issue

September 18, 2024 (updated September 18, 2024)

Encountering issues with Microsoft Word not responding and failing to save while working, such as during typing, saving, closing, or printing on Windows 10/11, can be quite frustrating. However, there are 10 effective methods to resolve this problem and recover lost or accidentally deleted Word documents using the free data recovery software WinfrGUI.

Part 1: Microsoft Word is unresponsive and cannot save.

General questions about the issue “Word not responding” are as follows:

How do you save a non-responsive Word document?

If Microsoft Word is unresponsive and you haven’t saved your work, try these steps:

Please hold. Programs may restart on their own.
Open Task Manager and close Microsoft Word with Ctrl + Shift + Esc if not.
Open a fresh Microsoft Word and check “Document Recovery.” for the unsaved document.
If there isn’t one, try searching for temporary files in the documents folder.

I hope this helps!

How can I fix the Word not responding issue on Windows?

What will you do to get Microsoft Word on Windows working again?

When using Microsoft Word, many people often encounter the error “Word is not responding.” Some have a habit of regularly saving their Word files while typing, which allows them to close the program and reopen it to select the latest version and recover their documents. However, for those who forget to save their work, it can be disastrous, as the Word file may be lost or inaccessible.

This post offers 10 Windows Word not responding remedies for crashes, freezes, and other difficulties. It also advises professional Windows 10/11 Word file recovery software to retrieve lost or unsaved documents.

Let’s explore the reasons that might cause Word to become unresponsive and look for solutions.

Part 2: 10 Solutions When Microsoft Word Is Not Responding and Not Saving

#1. Disable third-party plugins. (Add-ons)

Third-party plugins or add-ons are often the cause of Microsoft Word freezing or becoming unresponsive. To resolve this issue, disable or uninstall these plugins one by one. Then restart your computer and open Microsoft Word again to check if the problem persists.

To disable plugins in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

Open Microsoft Word and click on the file button in the toolbar.
Please select an option from the left panel.
On the left panel, click on Add-ins, and you will see the list of installed plugins in the right panel.
Disable all third-party add-ins by clicking the button next to the COM Add-ins box, selecting the add-ins from the list, and clicking OK.

After disabling the plugin, restart your computer and open Microsoft Word to check if the issue has been resolved.

#2. Starting Microsoft Word in Safe Mode.

Microsoft Word’s safe mode addresses Word-specific difficulties. Safe mode disables all third-party services and apps in Word. Steps to do this:

Find Microsoft Word on Windows 10/11’s Start menu.
Office Word opens in safe mode with Ctrl-click.
Check Word’s functionality. Use the Command Prompt to start Microsoft Word in safe mode if the problem persists.

#3. Fix Word that is unresponsive using the MS Office application recovery tool.

Microsoft Office recovery tools can solve sluggish Microsoft Word and restore unsaved Word files. Use the tool as follows:

Open MS Office Application Recovery by clicking Start, All Programs, Microsoft Office Tools, and MS Office Application Recovery.
Select the unresponsive Word file and select recovery to recover the lost or unsaved file. If your machine doesn’t have the utility, try the other options in this page.

#4. Using free data recovery software to recover deleted or lost Word files.

Windows 10/11 data recovery software WinfrGUI is trustworthy and professional. It recovers lost or mistakenly deleted Word documents quickly. This sophisticated recovery application can recover files, folders, photos, music, movies, and more from your computer’s hard disk, external hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, SD cards, and other storage devices.

WinfrGUI is 100% secure and clean, recovering data from OS failures, virus assaults, malware infestations, and hard disk issues. This utility can restore Word files lost due to the “Word not responding” problem.

Follow these three easy steps to download WinfrGUI for Windows 10/11 and recover lost Word files:

Open WinfrGUI and click on This PC in the left column.
Select the partition or drive where your missing Word file is located, and click the scan button.
After the scanning process is complete, you can search for missing or deleted Word document files in the scan results window. Click the save button to store the recovered Word files in a new location.

#5. Fix Word not responding on Windows 10/11 with the Office repair tool.

You can also try using the built-in repair tool in Microsoft Office to fix issues with Word not responding, freezing, or crashing. Here’s how to do it:

Click on the Start button and type “Control Panel” in the search bar. Open the Control Panel from the results at the top.
Go to the program and select Uninstall Program.
Right-click on Microsoft Office Suite and click on Change. In the pop-up window, select “Repair and Continue.”
In the next pop-up window, you will be asked to choose a repair mode: online repair or quick repair. Select the mode you prefer and let the repair tool fix the Office program.
After the Word repair process is complete, please restart your computer and check if Word is functioning correctly.

#6. Temporarily disable the antivirus software.

If you have installed third-party antivirus software on your computer, temporarily disabling it may help you determine if it is causing Word to become unresponsive or to crash. Once disabled, restart your computer and open Word again to check if it functions normally. Don’t forget to re-enable the antivirus software afterward to ensure ongoing protection against various threats.

#7. Updating device drivers and graphics cards.

Old device drivers or graphics cards might cause Microsoft Word difficulties. Update drivers and graphics cards to address Windows 10/11 Word not responding. Windows 10/11 Device Manager simplifies driver updates. So how:

Click Start, type “Device Manager,” then choose the best result to launch Device Manager.
Select the device category and right-click the target. Select “Update Driver.”
Right-click Display adapters, then graphics card driver, then select Update driver. Update Driver
Select “Automatically search for updated driver software” to update device drivers.

#8. Temporarily disable hardware acceleration.

Hardware acceleration errors in Windows 10/11 operating systems can also lead to the “Word not responding” error. Disabling hardware graphics acceleration may help resolve the issue. Follow these steps:

Right-click on the desktop, then select “Customize,” choose “Display,” and then select “Change display settings.”
Click on advanced settings to open the graphics properties window and select the troubleshooting option.
If the current display driver allows you to make changes, click the change settings button to open the display adapter troubleshooter.
Slide the pointer to the left to reduce or disable hardware acceleration, then click OK.

#9. Fix the issue of Word not responding when typing by changing the default printer.

If Microsoft Word is unresponsive when trying to type in Windows 10/11, changing the default printer may help resolve the issue. Follow these steps:

Press the Windows + R keys on the keyboard, then type “control panel” before hitting Enter to open the Windows Control Panel.
Select “View devices and printers” under Hardware and Sound, right-click on the desired printer, and choose “Set as default printer.”
Restart your Windows 10/11 computer to check if the issue with Word not responding has been resolved.

#10. Start Windows 10/11 in Safe Mode to check for system errors on your computer.

If the error “Microsoft Word is not responding” continues to occur on your Windows 10/11 computer, starting the program in safe mode can help identify system errors, file corruption, hard disk errors, and other potential issues that may arise.

Summary

To mitigate the risk of losing your job due to errors caused by Word not responding, you should save your Word documents frequently. If you encounter issues with unresponsiveness, crashes, or freezes while using, saving, or printing your Word documents, you can try the ten solutions mentioned in this post. These methods will help you recover unsaved Word files and restore lost or accidentally deleted Word files using WinfrGUI.

Additionally, if you are interested in learning more about data recovery services from hard drives, we recommend that you read the article that provides valuable information about protecting your data and restoring peace of mind for yourself.