My powerpoint won't open my files all of a sudden and I have presentations to give tomorrow, I'm - Answered by a verified Mac Support Specialist We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. PowerPoint Hangs Up at Startup on a Mac. Businesses can use PowerPoint to create dynamic presentations for customers, potential clients and employees. Mac users may find the program sometimes sits at the spinning wheel stage or won't open at all. Potential causes include corrupted files, name conflicts.
-->Note
Office 365 ProPlus is being renamed to Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. For more information about this change, read this blog post.
Symptoms
When you try to open a PowerPoint for Mac presentation or application it either hangs with spinning wheel or does not open at all.
Resolution
To resolve this issue, follow steps in this article.
Step 1: Check Hard Disc name
Check to ensure the Hard Drive icon has a name to it. The name should not be all numbers but can have numbers in it as along as the name starts with a text character(s). There should be no special characters like, periods, commas, semi-colons, quotes, etc.
- Quit all applications.
- On the Go menu, click Computer. Your hard drive should be listed. The common name of the hard drive is 'Macintosh HD'. E.g. 'Mac HD 1' '1 Mac HD' .
To rename your hard disk:
- Click to select the hard disk.
- On the File menu, click Get Info.
- In the Name & Extension type or edit the name. For example, type Macintosh HD.
- When done, click the red circle button on top.
Step 2: Move AutoRecovery files
Important
The location of certain files are different if you have Service Pack 2 (SP2) installed. To check if it is installed, open PowerPoint, and then click About PowerPoint from the PowerPoint menu. If the version number is 14.2.0 or above, you have Service Pack 2 and you should follow the Service Pack 2 steps when provided in this article.
If there are too many PowerPoint items in this folder userDocumentsMicrosoft User DataOffice 2008 AutoRecovery or Office 2011 AutoRecovery these files will load into memory when Powerpoint launches and can cause memory issues as well as file save issues.
Move AutoRecovery files to the Desktop or another folder to see if they are causing the problem.
To empty the AutoRecovery folder, follow these steps if you have version 14.2.0 (also known as Service Pack 2) installed:
Quit all applications.
One the File menu, click New Folder. A new folder is created on the desktop. The folder will be called 'New Folder.'
On the Go menu, click Home.
Open Library.
Note
The Library folder is hidden in Mac OS X Lion. To display this folder, hold down the OPTION key while you click the Go menu.
Open Application Support, and then open Microsoft.
Open Office 2011 AutoRecovery.
On the Edit menu, click Select All.
Drag all files into 'New Folder' on the desktop.
The AutoRecovery folder should be empty.
Open Excel for Mac 2011 and try to save a file.
If you can save a file, review the contents of 'New Folder' to decide which files that you want to keep.
If the problem continues to occur, go to the next method.
To empty the AutoRecovery folder, follow these steps if you do not have Service Pack 2 installed:
Quit all applications.
On the File menu, click New Folder. A new folder is created on the desktop. The folder will be called 'New Folder.'
On the Go menu, click Documents.
Open Microsoft User Data, and then open Office 2011 AutoRecovery.
On the Edit menu, click Select All.
Drag all files into 'New Folder' on the desktop.
The AutoRecovery folder should be empty.
Open Excel for Mac 2011 and try to save a file.
If you can save a file, review the contents of 'New Folder' to decide which files that you want to keep.
Rhinoceros 5 2 download free. If the problem continues to occur, go to the next method.
Step 3: Remove PowerPoint Preferences
Note
If you have used the software at all on this computer then removing the preferences may reset any customizations that you have made. These customizations include changes made to toolbars, custom dictionaries and keyboard shortcuts that have been created.
Quit all Microsoft Office for Mac programs.
On the Go menu, click Home.
Open Library.
Note
The Library folder is hidden in MAC OS X Lion. To display this folder, hold down the OPTION key while you click the Go menu.
Open the Preferences folder.
Look for a file that is named com.microsoft.powerpoint.plist.
If you locate the file, move it to the desktop. If you do not locate the file, the program is using the default preferences.
If you locate the file and move it to the desktop, start PowerPoint, and check whether the problem still occurs. If the problem still occurs, quit PowerPoint, and restore the file to its original location. Then, go to the next step. If the problem seems to be resolved, you can move the com.microsoft.powerpoint.plist file to the trash.
Quit all Microsoft for Mac programs.
On the Go menu, click Home.
Open Library.
Note
The Library folder is hidden in MAC OS X Lion. To display this folder, hold down the OPTION key while you click the Go menu.
Open the Preferences folder.
Open the Microsoft folder.
Look for a file that is named com.microsoft.powerpoint.prefs.plist.
If you locate the file, move it to the destop. If you do not locate the file, the program is using the default preferences.
If you locate the file and move it to the destop, start PowerPoint, and check whether the problem still occurs. If the problem still occurs, quit PowerPoint, and restore the file to its original location. Then, go to the next step. If the problem seems to be resolved, you can move the com.microsoft.powerpoint.prefs.plist file to the trash.
Quit all Microsoft Office for Mac programs. How to make a fake temporary driver s license.
On the Go menu, click Home.
Open Library.
Note
The Library folder is hidden in MAC OS X Lion. To display this folder, hold down the OPTION key while you click the Go menu.
Open the Preferences folder.
Open the Microsoft folder.
Open the Office 2008 or Office 2011 folder.
Look for a file named PowerPoint Toolbars (12) or Microsoft PowerPoint Toolbars.
If you locate the file, move it the desktop. If you do not locate the file, the program is using the default preferences.
If you locate the file and move it to the desktop, start PowerPoint, and check whether the problem still occurs. If the problem still occurs, quit PowerPoint, and restore the file to its original location. Then, go to the next step. If the problem seems to be resolved, you can move the PowerPoint Toolbars (12) file to the trash.
If the issue continues to occur, proceed to the next step.
Step 4: Create a New User Account
Sometimes, a user's specific information may be corrupted. To determine if this is the case, you can log on as a new user or create a new user account, and then test an application.
If the issue occurs even in new user account, proceed to the next step.
Step 5: Test saving the file in Safe Mode
For information on how to enter Safe Boot in Mac OS, seePerform a clean startup (Safe boot) to determine whether background programs are interfering with Office for Mac.
If you are able to save in Safe Mode, then the problem most likely related to programs that are running in the background.
Oct 26, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
Just like any other software program, MS Word is also susceptible to issues. You will find unlimited queries on forum sites asking, 'why won't my Word document open on my Mac.' Most of the people have no idea why their Microsoft Word stopped working randomly. If you are also facing a similar situation, you will have to look for an appropriate solution to fix this issue.
In this article, we will discuss the potential fixes that can resolve the Microsoft Word, not working issue.
Part 1. Why Won't Microsoft Word Open on Mac Computer?
As MS Word is a widely used program, a malfunction could get tragic real soon. Before you get to solutions, you must go through the reasons for this problem first. The common causes of these issues are.
- Inappropriate shutdown or system crash
- Shift + Delete, and the file is deleted permanently from the device.
- Formatted drives
- Damaged and corrupted files
- Virus or malware attack
Unless you have a brief idea about what caused the problem, you won't be able to steer away from the common errors. The user's listed common symptoms that lead to the 'word won't open on my Mac' issue are given below:
- The application keeps closing without any warning.
- MS Word encounters an unknown issue and needs to close.
- Erase, Install, or re-install factory version of OS X
- MS Word file can't open due to an error.
When you face a situation like this, don't pain and look for solutions on the internet. If you are lucky, then you'll come across real fixes soon. Otherwise, you might have to struggle to find an ideal fix.
Part 2. How to Fix 'Microsoft Word Not Opening Mac'?
With so many versions and updates on MS Word, it can get hard to simplify the solutions for all versions. Here is a summarized list of solutions that can work when Microsoft Word is not opening on Mac. All these methods are useful and easy to carry out. So, give them a try one by one.
Solution 1. Remove Word Preferences to Open Frozen Word
Sometimes, it is the random words combination or special characters that lead to such issues. It can be resolved if you follow the steps below.
- Open library and type Library in the Go to the Folder and hit the Go button.
- Look for a folder that says 'Preferences.' This folder contains the preferences file you set for the MS Word program.
- Open the folder, search for a file named- 'com.microsoft.Word.plist,' and move the file to the desktop. Now, try opening the Word file and see if the problem persists. If it does, then move the file to its original location and move on to the next step.
- Exit every Microsoft program running on your Mac and click on the Word option in the Apple Menu. Tap on the 'Preferences' option from the list.
- Choose the File Locations option and select the 'User templates.'
- Locate the file which saved as Normal and moves it to the desktop.
Solution 2. Open and Repair Microsoft Word
Everyone knows how to open Microsoft Word on Mac, but we do not talk about just opening and closing the files. You can also repair the MS Word files with the following steps.
- Start MS Word and click on the File menu. Choose the Open option, and it will open up a dialog box where you can select the Word file which needs repair.
- While you are selecting the file, at the right bottom side of the window, choose the Repair option and click on the Ok button.
The Mac utility will automatically repair the not opening Word file, and you will be able to use it now.
Solution 3. Run Disk Utility to Repair Word
Besides the above methods fail, you can also run the Disk Utility to repair the Word file if the Microsoft Word is not opening on your Mac computer.
- Inside the Go menu, choose the Utility option and start the Disk Utility program.
- Ensure that you choose the Primary hard disk of your Mac and then click on the 'First Aid' tab.
- You will get a pop-up option that asks you to run First Aid on the drive. Hit the Run option, and the Disk Utility will repair the Disk volume errors and permissions issues.
When the process finishes, click on 'Done' and check whether the problem is fixed or not. There are maximum chances that the problem will be resolved. But if MS Word is still not responding correctly to commands, then there is one 100% guaranteed solution left to recover your Word Documents.
Solution 4. Recover Not Opening Word Files on Mac
While you are trying to repair the drive and Word files, it is common that the solutions don't work as expected, and the files get deleted from Mac. Here is the perfect solution if getting stuck in such circumstances without any recovery option.
The best tool available for Word file recovery on the internet is Recoverit Word Recovery software. This software is capable of recovering various kinds of deleted or lost data. For example, Word documents, PowerPoint, Excel files, PDF, photos, videos, songs, audios, and many more. It is a faster, easier, and 100% secure data recovery tool with the market's highest recovery rate.
How to Fix Microsoft Word Won't Open on Mac
Now, let's have a look at the simple steps on Word document recovery. You only need to launch the Word file recovery software and do a few clicks.
Step 1: Select a location storing the Word file.
To recover the not opening document caused by accidental deletion, you need to select the drive where the data files are lost. Then, click the 'Start' button.
Step 2: Scan the Word location for files
Torrent adobe premiere pro cs6 mac osx. Typically, the software will run an all-around scan and search for the lost and deleted files on the entire drive. If you perform an emptied trash recovery or HFS+ data rescue, you can even try the deep scan mode.
Step 3: Preview and recover Word documents.
When the scan completes, the files will be listed on the screen. The software will sort out the files according to format to make the search easier. You can select multiple files at a time and have a preview of them.
Part 3. Tips Against 'Microsoft Word Won't Open on Mac.'
If you don't want to go through this problem, you should have to take care of a few things. This way, you will be successful in avoiding the Microsoft Word won't open on Mac issue in the future. So, here are some tips that you need to follow: Keynote infographics template.
Quit all applications.
One the File menu, click New Folder. A new folder is created on the desktop. The folder will be called 'New Folder.'
On the Go menu, click Home.
Open Library.
Note
The Library folder is hidden in Mac OS X Lion. To display this folder, hold down the OPTION key while you click the Go menu.
Open Application Support, and then open Microsoft.
Open Office 2011 AutoRecovery.
On the Edit menu, click Select All.
Drag all files into 'New Folder' on the desktop.
The AutoRecovery folder should be empty.
Open Excel for Mac 2011 and try to save a file.
If you can save a file, review the contents of 'New Folder' to decide which files that you want to keep.
If the problem continues to occur, go to the next method.
To empty the AutoRecovery folder, follow these steps if you do not have Service Pack 2 installed:
Quit all applications.
On the File menu, click New Folder. A new folder is created on the desktop. The folder will be called 'New Folder.'
On the Go menu, click Documents.
Open Microsoft User Data, and then open Office 2011 AutoRecovery.
On the Edit menu, click Select All.
Drag all files into 'New Folder' on the desktop.
The AutoRecovery folder should be empty.
Open Excel for Mac 2011 and try to save a file.
If you can save a file, review the contents of 'New Folder' to decide which files that you want to keep.
Rhinoceros 5 2 download free. If the problem continues to occur, go to the next method.
Step 3: Remove PowerPoint Preferences
Note
If you have used the software at all on this computer then removing the preferences may reset any customizations that you have made. These customizations include changes made to toolbars, custom dictionaries and keyboard shortcuts that have been created.
Quit all Microsoft Office for Mac programs.
On the Go menu, click Home.
Open Library.
Note
The Library folder is hidden in MAC OS X Lion. To display this folder, hold down the OPTION key while you click the Go menu.
Open the Preferences folder.
Look for a file that is named com.microsoft.powerpoint.plist.
If you locate the file, move it to the desktop. If you do not locate the file, the program is using the default preferences.
If you locate the file and move it to the desktop, start PowerPoint, and check whether the problem still occurs. If the problem still occurs, quit PowerPoint, and restore the file to its original location. Then, go to the next step. If the problem seems to be resolved, you can move the com.microsoft.powerpoint.plist file to the trash.
Quit all Microsoft for Mac programs.
On the Go menu, click Home.
Open Library.
Note
The Library folder is hidden in MAC OS X Lion. To display this folder, hold down the OPTION key while you click the Go menu.
Open the Preferences folder.
Open the Microsoft folder.
Look for a file that is named com.microsoft.powerpoint.prefs.plist.
If you locate the file, move it to the destop. If you do not locate the file, the program is using the default preferences.
If you locate the file and move it to the destop, start PowerPoint, and check whether the problem still occurs. If the problem still occurs, quit PowerPoint, and restore the file to its original location. Then, go to the next step. If the problem seems to be resolved, you can move the com.microsoft.powerpoint.prefs.plist file to the trash.
Quit all Microsoft Office for Mac programs. How to make a fake temporary driver s license.
On the Go menu, click Home.
Open Library.
Note
The Library folder is hidden in MAC OS X Lion. To display this folder, hold down the OPTION key while you click the Go menu.
Open the Preferences folder.
Open the Microsoft folder.
Open the Office 2008 or Office 2011 folder.
Look for a file named PowerPoint Toolbars (12) or Microsoft PowerPoint Toolbars.
If you locate the file, move it the desktop. If you do not locate the file, the program is using the default preferences.
If you locate the file and move it to the desktop, start PowerPoint, and check whether the problem still occurs. If the problem still occurs, quit PowerPoint, and restore the file to its original location. Then, go to the next step. If the problem seems to be resolved, you can move the PowerPoint Toolbars (12) file to the trash.
If the issue continues to occur, proceed to the next step.
Step 4: Create a New User Account
Sometimes, a user's specific information may be corrupted. To determine if this is the case, you can log on as a new user or create a new user account, and then test an application.
If the issue occurs even in new user account, proceed to the next step.
Step 5: Test saving the file in Safe Mode
For information on how to enter Safe Boot in Mac OS, seePerform a clean startup (Safe boot) to determine whether background programs are interfering with Office for Mac.
If you are able to save in Safe Mode, then the problem most likely related to programs that are running in the background.
Oct 26, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
Just like any other software program, MS Word is also susceptible to issues. You will find unlimited queries on forum sites asking, 'why won't my Word document open on my Mac.' Most of the people have no idea why their Microsoft Word stopped working randomly. If you are also facing a similar situation, you will have to look for an appropriate solution to fix this issue.
In this article, we will discuss the potential fixes that can resolve the Microsoft Word, not working issue.
Part 1. Why Won't Microsoft Word Open on Mac Computer?
As MS Word is a widely used program, a malfunction could get tragic real soon. Before you get to solutions, you must go through the reasons for this problem first. The common causes of these issues are.
- Inappropriate shutdown or system crash
- Shift + Delete, and the file is deleted permanently from the device.
- Formatted drives
- Damaged and corrupted files
- Virus or malware attack
Unless you have a brief idea about what caused the problem, you won't be able to steer away from the common errors. The user's listed common symptoms that lead to the 'word won't open on my Mac' issue are given below:
- The application keeps closing without any warning.
- MS Word encounters an unknown issue and needs to close.
- Erase, Install, or re-install factory version of OS X
- MS Word file can't open due to an error.
When you face a situation like this, don't pain and look for solutions on the internet. If you are lucky, then you'll come across real fixes soon. Otherwise, you might have to struggle to find an ideal fix.
Part 2. How to Fix 'Microsoft Word Not Opening Mac'?
With so many versions and updates on MS Word, it can get hard to simplify the solutions for all versions. Here is a summarized list of solutions that can work when Microsoft Word is not opening on Mac. All these methods are useful and easy to carry out. So, give them a try one by one.
Solution 1. Remove Word Preferences to Open Frozen Word
Sometimes, it is the random words combination or special characters that lead to such issues. It can be resolved if you follow the steps below.
- Open library and type Library in the Go to the Folder and hit the Go button.
- Look for a folder that says 'Preferences.' This folder contains the preferences file you set for the MS Word program.
- Open the folder, search for a file named- 'com.microsoft.Word.plist,' and move the file to the desktop. Now, try opening the Word file and see if the problem persists. If it does, then move the file to its original location and move on to the next step.
- Exit every Microsoft program running on your Mac and click on the Word option in the Apple Menu. Tap on the 'Preferences' option from the list.
- Choose the File Locations option and select the 'User templates.'
- Locate the file which saved as Normal and moves it to the desktop.
Solution 2. Open and Repair Microsoft Word
Everyone knows how to open Microsoft Word on Mac, but we do not talk about just opening and closing the files. You can also repair the MS Word files with the following steps.
- Start MS Word and click on the File menu. Choose the Open option, and it will open up a dialog box where you can select the Word file which needs repair.
- While you are selecting the file, at the right bottom side of the window, choose the Repair option and click on the Ok button.
The Mac utility will automatically repair the not opening Word file, and you will be able to use it now.
Solution 3. Run Disk Utility to Repair Word
Besides the above methods fail, you can also run the Disk Utility to repair the Word file if the Microsoft Word is not opening on your Mac computer.
- Inside the Go menu, choose the Utility option and start the Disk Utility program.
- Ensure that you choose the Primary hard disk of your Mac and then click on the 'First Aid' tab.
- You will get a pop-up option that asks you to run First Aid on the drive. Hit the Run option, and the Disk Utility will repair the Disk volume errors and permissions issues.
When the process finishes, click on 'Done' and check whether the problem is fixed or not. There are maximum chances that the problem will be resolved. But if MS Word is still not responding correctly to commands, then there is one 100% guaranteed solution left to recover your Word Documents.
Solution 4. Recover Not Opening Word Files on Mac
While you are trying to repair the drive and Word files, it is common that the solutions don't work as expected, and the files get deleted from Mac. Here is the perfect solution if getting stuck in such circumstances without any recovery option.
The best tool available for Word file recovery on the internet is Recoverit Word Recovery software. This software is capable of recovering various kinds of deleted or lost data. For example, Word documents, PowerPoint, Excel files, PDF, photos, videos, songs, audios, and many more. It is a faster, easier, and 100% secure data recovery tool with the market's highest recovery rate.
How to Fix Microsoft Word Won't Open on Mac
Now, let's have a look at the simple steps on Word document recovery. You only need to launch the Word file recovery software and do a few clicks.
Step 1: Select a location storing the Word file.
To recover the not opening document caused by accidental deletion, you need to select the drive where the data files are lost. Then, click the 'Start' button.
Step 2: Scan the Word location for files
Torrent adobe premiere pro cs6 mac osx. Typically, the software will run an all-around scan and search for the lost and deleted files on the entire drive. If you perform an emptied trash recovery or HFS+ data rescue, you can even try the deep scan mode.
Step 3: Preview and recover Word documents.
When the scan completes, the files will be listed on the screen. The software will sort out the files according to format to make the search easier. You can select multiple files at a time and have a preview of them.
Part 3. Tips Against 'Microsoft Word Won't Open on Mac.'
If you don't want to go through this problem, you should have to take care of a few things. This way, you will be successful in avoiding the Microsoft Word won't open on Mac issue in the future. So, here are some tips that you need to follow: Keynote infographics template.
- Avoid relying on automated tools to clean up the cache or redundant files on your Mac. These tools often end up deleting the important files on the device.
- In case you use the Command Line to delete a file, be careful as a single mistake can lead to bigger issues.
- Never format a drive before creating a backup; otherwise, you might end up losing important files.
- Stay focused while partitioning the drives on your Mac. Improper partitioning can lead to corruption of data files stored on the drive.
- Avoid rushing commands on MS Word. If you pass on multiple commands at once, then Word might get confused, and the file might become inaccessible due to some random mistake.
Even a little mishandling can lead to major working issues in MS Word. Instead of worrying about how you can rescue the data, try keeping the data safe on the first hand.
Now you know how to open Word on Mac along with the process of repair. And if you are facing a dilemma and then want to recover Word files, you can always think of using Recoverit Data recovery software.
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Powerpoint Won T Open On Mac
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