If the crash is so bad that you can't get Restart to work, press and hold your Mac's power button until the machine shuts off. As a last resort, turn off your Mac by unplugging the power cord. When an app crashes on your Mac, it automatically generates a crash report. You'll see this appear after the crash with a warning dialog saying 'App has quit unexpectedly.' That crash report is available to read immediately in that window by clicking the 'Report ' button. The crash report can also be found in the Console app. Mac crashes can stem from different reasons, which signal about serious application or system-related issues. Isolating and identifying the problem is the best way to single out all possible causes. To prevent your Mac from occasional freeze-ups and crashes, use the latest Mac OS and software compatible with your machine's hardware.
Sep 21, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
This is a query from one of the MS Word users on Mac that we have got recently. As you know, MS Word is a part of the Office suite, which is developed by Microsoft. Apart from Windows, it is also available for Mac and provides tons of utility features. Though, there are times when Word on Mac keeps crashing and users are not able to utilize its features or even save their existing files.
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Don't worry! the issue is pretty common and can easily be fixed. In this guide, we will teach you why does Microsoft Word keep crashing on Mac and how to fix this problem in 8 different ways. Apart from that, we will also discuss how to recover Word document after a crashed Mac. Let's begin and start a quick MS Word troubleshooting on Mac.
Part 1: Why Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing on Mac?
Before we discuss issues to fix the Microsoft Word Mac crashing issues, it is important to note what could have caused the problem to begin with. In this way, you would be able to understand why does Word keeps crashing on Mac and can even avoid it in the future.
- Mostly, MS Word crashes because of a fault in the Office suite of the tool itself. Chances are that the application could not have been installed probably.
- You might be running an old or incompatible version of Word on your Mac.
- If you are using a pirated MS Word application, then it could have been corrupted as well.
- Sometimes, Mac doesn't give permissions to third-party applications (like Word), making them faulty to work.
- The source drive where MS Word has been installed could be corrupt as well.
- The location of the MS Word application could have been moved to someplace else.
- The application was crashed earlier or closed during processing, making it faulty or corrupt.
- Chances are that MS Word could have been infected by malware.
Part 2: How to Fix 'Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing on Mac'
The good news is that most of these problems can easily be resolved if we follow the right approach. Ideally, you can fix Microsoft Word keeps crashing issue with these solutions.
1. Check the Hard Drive Name
A faulty hard drive name is one of the most common issues for Word to malfunction. This is because Mac provides a more flexible way to name the hard drive while Windows has certain restrictions. If needed, you might need to change the hard drive name as well to fix this. Here's how you can check and rename hard drive on Mac to make it compatible with Word. Free ex4 to mq4 decompiler software engineering.
- Just click on the Apple logo on the top left corner of the desktop and open the Applications tab. Go to the utility section to open the Disk Utility window.
- Select your Mac hard drive from the left and view its name and other details on the right (under the 'Partitions' tab).
- Make sure that the drive has a name and it should start from a character. While it can have numbers, it should not have all numbers or any special character. Make the needed changes to rename the hard drive.
Once the hard drive has been renamed, you can restart Mac and try accessing MS Word on it again.
2. Clear the AutoRecovery Folder
As you know, Auto-save is an inbuilt feature in MS Word that automatically saves the running document in the background. It allows us to fetch our files back if they are lost or closed unexpectedly. Though, sometimes the AutoRecovery folder might cause some clash with the application itself, making it faulty. Therefore, you can consider clearing it to fix Word on Mac keeps crashing.
- To start with, simply launch Finder on your Mac, and from its menu, click on Go > Go to Folder.
- Now, copy and paste the path '~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery/' on your Mac (without the quotes).
- As you click on 'Go', it will open the AutoRecovery folder on your Mac. From here, you can just delete the auto-saved files so that the folder would be cleared.
3. Reset the Word Preferences
Sometimes, the reason for Microsoft Word Mac crashing could be the wrong preferences on the application as well. To resolve this, you can reset the preferences altogether and try restarting Word.
- Firstly, select the Word icon on the desktop and go to the Word > Preferences option from the menu.
- As the Word Preferences tab would be opened, click on the 'File Locations' icon from here.
- This will open the File Locations feature on the screen. Click on the 'User templates' option and choose to 'Reset' it.
- You can also click on the 'Modify' button to view it. Here, you can see a 'Normal' file. You can cut and paste it to any other location (like your desktop) or simply move it to the Trash as well.
After resetting the Word preferences, restart the applications and check if it fixes MS Word crashing on Mac or not.
4. Save the Word Document to another Location
Apart from the MS Word application, there could be a problem with Mac storage. as well. For instance, if the particular partition or sector on the hard drive has been corrupted, then you should try to save your documents somewhere else. This will help you avoid Word crashing on Mac or prevent the loss of your important files as well.
- Firstly, open the MS Word application on your Mac and try opening the file. If you are lucky, you would be able to open the file without the Word application crashing.
- Quickly, go to the File menu and click on the 'Save As' option.
- Now, browse to the location where you wish to save your Word document and give it the needed name.
Alternatively, you can also copy your MS Word file and just paste it to any other location as well.
5. Download and Install Word Updates
As stated previously, one of the reasons for Microsoft Word crashing on Mac could be an old version of the application. If the MS Word application has not been updated in a while, then it can encounter compatibility issues with Mac. The best way to fix MS Word crashing on Mac is by updating it. Not only will it fix the Microsoft Word Mac keeps crashing, but it will also make the application more secure by installing the needed patches.
- Simply launch the Word application on your Mac and from its menu, go to Help > Check for Updates.
- From here, you can enable the automatic update option if you want to. Make the relevant selection and click on the 'Check for Updates' button again.
- In no time, MS Word will connect to its server and look for any recently available updates. Once it will notify you the same, you can just select the update and click on the 'Install' button.
- Now, you can just wait for a while as Word would install the update and restart in the end to a stable version.
6. Create another User Account on Mac
Although it might sound surprising, there could be some issue with your user account on Mac as well. For instance, the account you are accessing might be blocked to use certain applications or there could be a clash with some commands. To avoid this problem and fix Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac, simply create another account on your system instead.
- To start things, go to the Apple icon from the desktop and visit System Preferences.
- Click on the 'Users & Groups' sections from here. Once its dedicated window will open, click on the lock icon at the bottom to make some changes in it.
- You need to enter your administrator password to proceed. Afterward, click on the '+' icon to add a new account.
- Simply enter basic details for the new account (like its type, name, and so on) and click on the 'Create User' button in the end.
- If you want, you can create a different password for the new account and link it with the same iCloud account as well.
In the end, you can sign-out from the present account and log-in to the new account instead. Now, try to open MS Word and see if it resolves the problem or not.
7. Boot Mac in Safe Mode
Just like Windows, you can also boot your Mac system in a safe mode as well. The safe mode is mostly used for troubleshooting and it automatically turns on various secondary processes. In this way, you can check if there is a problem with the MS Word application itself or your Mac system. Here's how you can boot your Mac in safe mode and fix Microsoft Word crashing on Mac.
- Simply turn on your Mac by pressing the power button. If you are already using it, then restart it instead.
- As soon as you would hear the startup chime (or see Apple's logo), press the Shift key on the keyword.
- Keep pressing it for the new few seconds as Mac would be restarted in the safe mode.
- You can see 'Safe Mode' written at the top right corner of the screen now. Just log-in to any account and try accessing the MS Word application on it.
8. Run Disk Utility to Repair Crashed Word
If none of the above-listed techniques would fix MS Word crashing on Mac, then you can consider repairing the entire disk. Although it would take a lot of time, it will make sure that your Mac's disk would stay secure and in a healthy condition. To repair your Mac's disk and fix Word keeps crashing on Mac, follow these quick steps:
- Look for the 'Disk Utility' option from the Spotlight and open it. Alternatively, from the main menu on Mac, click on Go > Utilities and launch the Disk Utility window.
- From the left panel, you can select the primary disk on your system. In most of the cases, it is Macintosh HD. Now, click on the 'First Aid' option from its toolbar and confirm your choice.
- As Mac would start repairing the disk, you can just wait for a while for the process to be completed.
- Once it is done, restart your Mac and check if Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac or not.
Part 3: How to Recover Crashed Word Documents on Mac?
When an application crashes on Mac, we often end up losing its data. Similarly, if MS Word has been crashed while you were working on a document, then you might end up losing it forever. To avoid such an unwanted scenario, consider using Recoverit Data Recovery for Mac. It is one of the best data recovery tools for Mac that is used by leading experts. Developed by Wondershare, it provides a fast, easy, and highly secure way to get your data back. The application has a high data recovery rate and supports all the leading Word document extensions.
- With the help of Recoverit Data Recovery, you can get back your lost, deleted, or inaccessible Word files in a jiffy.
- The application supports all kinds of other data types too like photos, videos, PDFs, Excel sheets, emails, compressed files, and so much more.
- No matter what the situation is, Recoverit will help you in every possible data loss scenario like accidental deletion, corrupt storage, lost partition, etc.
- It follows different scanning modes, letting users save their time and get the expected results as well.
How to Fix Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing on a Mac?
How to Recover Word Document on Mac
To learn how to recover Word document after a crashed Mac, the following steps can be taken.
Select a target location
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Simply launch Recoverit Data Recovery on your Mac and select a location where you wish to perform the scan. This would be the primary Macintosh HD in this case. Though, if you want, you can perform data recovery on an external device as well.
Scan for the lost files
As you would mark a source location and start the process, Recoverit will carefully scan the location. You are recommended to wait for a while so that the process can be completed without any trouble.
Preview and recover your Word files
When the data extraction process is completed, the application will let you preview the recovered content. Now, you can simply select the Word files you want back and save them to any secure place.
Part 4: Tips to prevent Word Keeps Crashing on Mac
If you don't want to suffer from an unexpected loss of data or MS Word crashing on Mac, then consider following these suggestions.
- Always make sure that the MS Word application is updated on your system. You can turn on the automatic update to save your time.
- Keep the real-time scanning of the firewall, so that the application would be safe from any malware attack.
- Don't turn off your Mac when MS Word is still running in the background.
- Try not to close any MS Word document in between or in an unexpected manner.
- Install MS Word in the primary partition on your Mac hard drive (if you have multiple partitions).
- Don't install MS Office from an unreliable source (or a pirated version). Buy it from Microsoft's official website to avoid any software-related issue.
Now when you know how to fix Microsoft Word keeps crashing on Mac, you would be able to resolve this issue like a pro. Apart from listing different fixes for Word crashing on Mac, we have also provided a quick solution to perform data recovery on Mac as well. With the help of Recoverit Data Recovery, you can easily get back any lost or deleted content in no time. Go ahead and download the Mac data recovery tool on Mac or share it with others to teach them how to recover crashed Word document on Mac.
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As Mac OS X users, we have something to be happy about when it comes to app crashes and freezes: rarity. Typically you can work on your Mac for hours at a time without a single issue. However, a crashing app certainly can happen, leading to lost productivity, time and, worst of all, lost work. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to recover from a crashed app, as well as prevent the issue in the first place.
How to fix a crashing app after the macOS upgrade
App crashes after the the macOS update is more than a common problem. Some apps freeze or malfunction, some won't launch, some show no signs of life whatsoever. Why it happens? The most probable reason is that the app is simply not ready for the latest macOS Catalina. Something in its depth turned out to be incompatible with the new macOS.
Now, what can you do to fix an app crashing? Three things.
- First, see if you have the latest version of the app by clicking on its name it the top menu and choosing Check for updates.
- Second, visit developer's website (or App Store page) and see if they've issued a statement about Catalina compatibility.
- Finally, some crashed apps on macOS Catalina can be fixed by running maintenance scripts. Download CleanMyMac X, launch it, find Maintenance tab and run the scripts.
What happens when an app craches: under the hood
Now let's go deeper into the nature of crashed apps, but first, let's identify the difference between a crashed macOS app and a frozen one. While these terms are often used interchangeably, there is a notable difference.
Crash
A crash happens when a piece of software stops working altogether, and then closes on its own. In other words, the app quits when you did not tell it to. When this happens, you'll typically see a message noting that the application has 'unexpectedly quit' just as its windows disappears. It's pretty frustrating — especially if you end up losing all your work.
Freeze
A freeze is when software stops functioning, but continues to run. You can still see its windows, and its Dock icon still indicates that it's running. However, no amount of clicking or tabbing around will do anything. A frozen app doesn't quit like a crashed app does, it simply becomes unresponsive. Often no error messages accompany the freeze. Again, it's a frustrating experience (if you want to know how to deal with it, check out this post on how to fix frozen apps).
When software freezes, you force it to quit, so that you can re-launch and hopefully get on with your work. With crashes, meanwhile, the problem is the app quitting on its own. In this article, I'll discuss recovering from app crashes, as well as steps that help prevent them in the first place. Let's get started.
What to do when a Mac OS X app crashes
The good news here is that a crashed app rarely brings down your entire Mac, as the trouble is restricted to that particular piece of software. That means we have a chance to recover. Let's start with the simplest solutions.
First, just relaunch the app. When an app crashes, you'll typically see a dialog box that says the software 'unexpectedly quit' and you'll have several options to deal with it, including 'Relaunch'. Give that a click and cross your fingers that the crash doesn't happen again. Oftentimes, you're good from there. If not…
Try restarting your Mac. 'Turn if off and back on again' is almost a punchline at this point, but it usually works. Shut down, restart and try again. Very often this simple task will set things right. If not, it's time to try something just a little more involved.
Reinstall the app. Deleting the misbehaving app and grabbing a new copy gives you a fresh version to work with. That is, if you delete all of the app's related files.
See, when you drag an app to the Trash, you aren't deleting everything. Some leftover parts remain, and if the troublemaker is among them, your problem could persist. It's a waste of time to delete an app via drag-and-drop, reinstall and then have it crash again. To make things right, you need to get rid of the app's bits and pieces before you reinstall it, and this is where software like CleanMyMac X comes in handy.
An app that's simply dragged to the Trash leaves behind a pile of associated files that you don't see, like caches, preferences (often the culprit in crash-y apps), saved states, and more. You might not even know they're there, but CleanMyMac X does. It's smart enough to find the whole lot, safely remove them, and ensure that a newly installed app is just that: a complete fresh start.
In fact, you don't even have to launch CleanMyMac X to thoroughly and safely delete an app. Simply right-click (or Control-click) the app's icon and select 'Uninstall with CleanMyMac' from Services in the resulting contextual menu. Easy!
Another wise move is to make sure there are no conflicts between the app and the Mac OS. When Apple pushes an update of its operating system to your Mac, that might interfere with your app's performance, if the app or its add-ons are incompatible with this particular OS X version.
CleanMyMac can help you out here, too. Download it for free, go to its Uninstaller module and find the misbehaving app in the list. If you see a note that this app is incompatible with your system, it means you need to update the app, because your current version doesn't work on the latest OS X.
How can you stay on top of aging apps? Apple makes it easy with software purchased through the Mac App Store. Simply launch the App Store app, go to the Updates tab, and you'll see all available app updates. Find the one you need in the list, click the Update button, and you'll get the latest version to your Mac. It's a bit different with software acquired outside the App Store: you'll have to visit the vendor's website to see if there's a new version available.
If nothing indicates that the troublemaker app is incompatible with your system, the problem could be with its add-ons or preferences. What you can do in this case is reset the app to its initial state. Again, go to the Uninstaller module in CleanMyMac X, select your app, and click Application Reset. CleanMyMac will make that app just the way it was when you first installed it.
What to do when an app crashes at launch
So far I've addressed what to do when an app crashes as you're using it. But what about the frustrating scenario of an app going down as soon as you launch it? No warning, no dialog box, just a bounce or two in the Dock and that's it. In this case, it's time to repair disk permissions.
What's does fixing permissions actually mean? Think of your Mac's hard drive as a tree with many branches. The top level of your drive is the tree's trunk, and the branches represent information about files and folders. These branches, or 'nodes,' store information like the location of data and permission rules, among other things. Normal computer use changes this information, and can lead to a conflict or other issue that generates crashes and the inability to use your system. This is what a permission fix addresses.
To repair disk permissions (for OS X prior to El Captian), go to the Utilities in your Mac's Applications folder and launch Disk Utility. Next, click First Aid. It'll ask for confirmation and get to work, comparing existing permission files with defaults to find any conflicts.
Or, if you want a slightly simpler way, you can fix the permissions with CleanMyMac X Maintenance Scripts. Just open the Maintenance tab, hit Choose Tasks and then Repair Disk Permissions. This helps resolve improper app behavior like crashing and keeps all of your disk's files and folders in proper order. And that's just one of the maintenance tasks available in CleanMyMac X, just try it.
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A crashing app is no fun. Fortunately, a little understanding and proactive behavior can keep them to a minimum. CleanMyMac X makes it easy to do just that. Happy computing, and may your apps never crash again!
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