word crashes in seconds

Dear @Paul Camp,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum. I understand how disruptive it is when Word crashes repeatedly, especially after you have already taken the extensive steps of performing an Online Repair and a full reinstallation. Since the issue persists even in Safe Mode, it indicates that the problem likely lies with a corrupted global template, a conflicting printer driver, or a deep-seated registry entry that a standard reinstall does not remove. 

To resolve this issue, please follow these advanced troubleshooting steps in order: 

Step 1: Rename the Global Template (Normal.dotm) 

Even a reinstallation sometimes leaves the old "Normal" template behind. If this file is corrupt, Word will crash on every launch. 

1. Close all Office programs. 
2. Press Windows Key + R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates, and press Enter. 
3. Find the file named Normal.dotm. 
4. Right-click it and rename it to Normal.old. 
5. Restart Word. Word will generate a fresh, clean template. 

Step 2: Change the Default Printer 

Word communicates with the printer driver immediately upon launch to format the page. If the driver is corrupt, Word will crash. 

1. Go to Windows Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. 
2. Set "Microsoft Print to PDF" as your Default printer. 
3. Try launching Word again. If it stops crashing, you simply need to update your actual printer’s driver. 

Step 3: Use the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant (SaRA) 

Since manual uninstalls can leave residual files, I recommend using the official tool designed for "stubborn" Office issues. 

• Download link: Download Enterprise Version of Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant from Official Microsoft Dow… 
• Run the tool and select Word > Word keeps crashing. It will perform a deeper scan and cleanup than the standard Windows uninstaller. 

Step by step, please refer this Office uninstall with Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant - Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn 

For further technical details on these specific errors, you can refer to: How to troubleshoot problems that occur when you start or use Word - Microsoft 365 Apps | Microsoft… 

Please let me know if the issue persists after these steps so I can provide instructions for a manual registry cleanup.

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Because Word also crashes in Safe Mode and after repair/reinstall, the issue is likely outside normal add-ins or basic corruption. Use these steps to narrow it down:

1. Confirm Safe Mode behavior correctly
   • Start Word in Office Safe Mode using Run:
     • Press Windows key + R.
     • Type winword /safe and select OK.
     • Verify the title bar shows “Microsoft Word (Safe Mode)”.
   • If it still crashes in this state, the problem is not caused by standard Word add-ins.
2. Check for problematic system-wide add-ins or compatibility components
   • Some older components and add-ins are known to crash Office apps even when no changes were recently made.
   • If the Office Compatibility Pack is installed (used for opening newer Office formats in very old Office versions), uninstall it:
     • Open Control Panel → Add/Remove Programs (or Programs and Features).
     • Locate Compatibility Pack for the 2007 Office system.
     • Choose Remove / Add/Remove and follow the prompts.
   • Restart the computer and test Word again.
3. Manually disable all add-ins (if Word stays open long enough)
   • Start Word in Safe Mode (winword /safe).
   • Quickly go to File → Options → Add-ins.
   • In the Manage dropdown, select COM Add-ins (and any Word Add-ins entry) → Go.
   • Uncheck all add-ins and select OK.
   • Close Word, then open it normally.
   • If Word now runs, re-enable add-ins one at a time to find the culprit. Pay particular attention to older or third‑party tools such as OCR, dictation, or translation add-ins.
4. Run a full Online Repair of Office (if not already done from Settings/Control Panel)
   • Close all Office apps.
   • On Windows 10: Right-click Start → Apps and Features.
     • Select the Microsoft 365/Office product → Modify.
   • On Windows 11: Right-click Start → Installed apps.
     • Select the Microsoft 365/Office product → ellipses (…) → Modify.
   • Choose Online Repair → Repair (this is more thorough than Quick Repair and may reinstall Office components).
   • After completion, restart the PC and test Word.
5. If Word still crashes after Online Repair and add-in removal
   • Since Safe Mode and full repair do not help, and Word crashes on every file, the installation or shared Office components may be severely corrupted at system level.
   • Perform a complete uninstall of Office, then reinstall:
     • Uninstall Office from Apps & Features / Programs and Features.
     • Restart the PC (not just shut down).
     • Reinstall Office from the Microsoft account or deployment source.

If, after these steps, Word and other Office apps still crash immediately, the problem is likely environmental (e.g., OS-level issue, drivers, or security software) and further Windows-level troubleshooting or support assistance will be required.

References:

• Open Office apps in safe mode on a Windows PC
• I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC
• Repair an Office application
• How to fix my MS Word? - Microsoft Q&A
• we are sorry, but word has run into an error that is preventing it from working correctly. Word will need to be closed as a result. Would you like us to repair now? - Microsoft Q&A
• how to fix word error - Microsoft Q&A
• how i can fix the microsoft app problem - Microsoft Q&A
• Error 0xC0000142 when you start an Office application