Microsoft Word is widely used for creating and editing documents, and it plays a significant role in both work and personal activities. Just like any other software, it can sometimes face problems or errors. One common error that users might come across is Word experienced an error trying to open the file error. This error can stop users from accessing their important files.

In this article, we have discussed the causes of Word experiencing an error trying to open the file issue and a few ways to fix it.

Causes Word experienced an error trying to open the file issue

Below we have mentioned a few possible reasons that might be causing the Word to experience an error trying to open the file issue.

Third-party apps altered the document.
Word’s [protected view feature is blocking the File.
File is corrupted

How to fix the issue?

If you are encountering the Word experienced an error trying to open the file issue,, we have explained below a few methods to help you resolve the issue.

Unblock the Word file

MS Word may block the document. To unblock the document, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Find your Word file in a File Explorer window.

Step 2: Right-click on your file and choose Properties from the menu.

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Step 3: In the Properties, click on the Unlock button and then click on the OK button. If you don’t see an Unblock button, it isn’t blocked, and the cause is something else.

Add a trusted location

If you encounter the same issue in multiple files, you don’t have to follow the above-explained method repeatedly for every file. Add all the files in a single folder and then add that folder as a trusted location in Word. To do that, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Open MS Word and click on the File tab.

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Step 2: Click on More and then click on Options.

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Step 3: In the Word options window, click on the Trust Center option in the sidebar and then click on the Trust Center Settings button.

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Step 4: Click the Trusted Locations options and then the Add new location button.

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Step 5: In the pop-up box, click on the Browse button, select the folder’s location and then click on the OK button on all the open windows.

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Also read: Why is my Outlook view changed? Quick Fix

Disable protected view mode

If you are still encountering the issue after following the above methods, you should try disabling the protected view mode. To do that, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Open MS Word and click on the File tab.

Step 2: Click on More and then click on Options.

Step 3: In the Word options window, click on the Trust Center option in the sidebar and then click on the Trust Center Settings button.

Step 4: Click on the Protected View in the sidebar, uncheck all the boxes on the right side, and then click on the OK button on all the open windows.

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Repair the Word file

If you can’t open a file and you encounter the error that says Word had trouble opening it, it might be because the file has become faulty. Sometimes, third-party apps or viruses can change the file, which makes it hard to use.

To fix this, you can use an in-built repair tool in Word that might help repair the file. If this works, you can open the file in Word without any problems. To fix the file, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Open the MS Word, click on the Open, then click the Browse option.

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Step 2: Navigate to the folder containing the faulty file, select the file, click on the Down arrow beside the Open button, and then choose the Open and Repair option from the dropdown menu.

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Also read: Fix: Your call cannot be completed at this time

Repair Microsft Office

If there is any problem with Microsoft Office, repairing it will fix it. To learn how to repair Microsoft Office, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Open Control Panel, and then under programs, click on Uninstall programs option, which will directly take you to the programs and features.

Step 2: Find Microsoft Office and click on it; then click on the Change option available above all the programs.

Step 3: A prompt message will appear, click on Yes and then in the next box select either Quick Repair or Online Repair option and then click on the Repair button.