Troubleshooting
Word document won't open? How to fix a DOCX file
The short answer
Check the file ends in .docx, download it again, try another program such as LibreOffice or a browser tool, and look for a password. If it is damaged, open it with a program that has a recovery option, or rename a copy to .zip and pull the text out of the document file inside.
Few things are as stressful as a document that will not open, especially if it is the only copy. Take a breath. Most of the time it is a simple cause. Work through this list from the top, because the easy fixes come first.
1. Look at the file name
It should end in .docx. If it ends in .doc, .dat, .tmp or nothing at all, it is not what your program expects. Try renaming it to end in .docx. If it is an old .doc, see DOCX vs DOC.
2. Download or copy it again
A half-finished download looks like a normal file and then fails. Download the attachment again, or ask the sender to send it once more. If it came on a USB stick or a memory card, copy it to your computer first and open it from there.
3. Check the size
A real document is rarely under a few kilobytes. If the file is 0 KB, or much smaller than the sender says, it did not arrive properly.
4. Try a different program
- Wrdio. Drop the file onto the home page. If it reads, you can copy the text out.
- LibreOffice Writer. It is forgiving with damaged files.
- Google Docs. Upload it to Drive and open it.
5. Is it password protected?
A protected document will not open without the password. Wrdio does not open protected files. The person who made it can remove the password and send it again.
6. Use the repair option
Desktop Word has an Open and Repair choice on the Open dialog. Use the arrow next to the Open button. It will try to rebuild what it can.
7. Pull the text out by hand
This sounds technical, but it takes a minute and it often works when nothing else does.
- Make a copy of the file. Never work on the only one.
- Change the copy's ending from .docx to .zip. If you cannot see the ending, turn on file extensions in your file manager.
- Open the zip. Go into the folder called
word. - Open the file
document.xmlin a text editor. Your text is in there between tags. It looks untidy, but you can copy the words out.
If nothing works
- Look for a backup or an earlier version in your cloud storage.
- Check your email's sent folder for an earlier copy.
- Check the recycle bin and any auto-recover folder of your word processor.
How to avoid it next time
- Save in a few places, and keep dated copies of important documents.
- Do not edit a file straight from an email attachment. Save it first.
- Eject USB sticks properly.
- For files that cannot be lost, keep a PDF copy too.
Questions people ask
Why won't my Word document open?
The common causes are an incomplete download, a file that is really an old DOC or another format, a password, or file damage.
How do I repair a corrupted DOCX file?
Try opening it in LibreOffice or with the open and repair option in desktop Word. As a last resort, rename a copy to .zip and extract the text from word/document.xml.
Can I recover text from a damaged document?
Often yes. The text is stored in a separate file inside the DOCX, which can sometimes be read even when the whole document will not open.
Why does Wrdio say my file isn't a .docx?
It opens .docx only. Older .doc files and other formats need converting first.