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Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support. How to troubleshoot damaged documents in Word
In this articleSummaryThis article describes how to identify a damaged document in Word 2007 and later versions. Additionally, this article includes steps that explain how to recover the text and data that is contained in a document after you have identified the document as damaged. This article is intended for a beginning to intermediate computer user. You may find it easier to follow the steps if you print this article first. Update Microsoft Office and WindowsMany software issues can be resolved by updating the Microsoft Office and Windows programs. Windows Update FAQ Install Office updates Update Office with Microsoft Update A damaged document or a software issue?A Word document can become corrupted for several reasons that will prevent you from opening it. This behavior may be related to damage to the document or to the template on which the document is based. This behavior might include the following:
Sometimes, this behavior can be caused by factors other than document damage. It is important to determine whether the document is damaged or whether the problem is a software issue. To eliminate these other factors, follow these steps:
If any of these steps indicate that the problem is not in the document, you will then have to troubleshoot Word, the Office suite, or the operating system that is running on the computer. Troubleshooting steps to try if the damaged document does not openTry the methods in the order given. If one does not work for you, try the next one. Method 1: Open the damaged document in draft mode without updating linksStep 1: Configure Word
Step 2: Open the damaged document
If you can open the document, close the document and then reopen it by using method 6, and repair the document. Otherwise go to method 2. Method 2: Insert the document as a file in a new documentStep 1: Create a new blank document
Step 2: Insert the damaged document into the new document
Method 3: Create a link to the damaged documentStep 1: Create blank document
Step 2: Create link
Step 3: Change the link to the damaged document
Method 4: Use the "Recover Text from Any File" converterNote The "Recover Text from Any File" converter has limitations. For example, document formatting is lost. Additionally, graphics, fields, drawing objects, and any other items that are not text are lost. However, field text, headers, footers, footnotes, and endnotes are retained as simple text.
After the document is recovered by using the "Recover Text from Any File" converter, there is some binary data text that is not converted. This text is primarily at the start and end of the document. You must delete this binary data text before you save the file as a Word document. Note If you are using Word 2007 and there is not a file button in the User Interface, choose the Office Button and follow the directions when necessary. Troubleshooting steps to try if you can open the damaged documentMethod 1: Copy everything except the last paragraph mark to a new documentStep 1: Create a new document
Step 2: Open the damaged document
Step 3: Copy the contents of document, and then paste the contents into the new documentNote If your document contains section breaks, copy only the text between the sections breaks. Do not copy the section breaks because this may bring the damage into your new document. Change the document view to draft view when you copy and paste between documents to avoid transferring section breaks. To change to draft view, on the View tab, select Draft in the Document Views group.
If the strange behavior persists, go to method 8. Method 2: Change the template that is used by the documentStep 1: Determine the template that is used by the document
Step 2: Rename the global template (Normal.dotm)
Step 3: Change the document template
Step 4: Verify that changing templates worked
If the strange behavior persists, go to method 3. Method 3: Start Word using default settingsYou can use the /a switch to start Word by using only the default settings in Word. When you use the /a switch, Word does not load any add-ins. Additionally, Word does not use your existing Normal.dotm template. Restart Word by using the /a switch. Step 1: Start Word by using the /a switch
Step 2: Open the document
If the strange behavior persists, go to method 4. Method 4: Change printer driversStep 1: Try a different printer driver
Step 2: Verify that changing printer drivers fixes the problem
If the strange behavior persists, go to step 3. Step 3: Reinstall original printer driverWindows 10 and Windows 7
Step 4: Verify that changing printer drivers fixes the problem
If the strange behavior persists, go to method 5. Method 5: Force Word to try to repair a fileStep 1: Repair documentIn Word, select File on the Ribbon, and then select Open.
Step 2: Verify that repairing the document fixes the problemVerify that the strange behavior no longer occurs. If the strange behavior persists, restart Windows, and then go to method 6. Method 6: Change the document format, and then convert the document back to the Word formatStep 1: Open the document
Step 2: Save the document in a different file format
Step 3: Open the document, and then convert document back to Word file format
Step 4: Verify that converting the document file format fixes the problemVerify that the strange behavior no longer occurs. If the behavior persists, try to save the file in another file format. Repeat step 1 to step 4, and then try to save the file in the following file formats, in the following order:
Note When you save files in the Plain Text (.txt) format, you might resolve the damage to the document. However, all document formatting, macro codes, and graphics are lost. When you save files in the Plain Text (.txt) format, you must reformat the document. Therefore, use the Plain Text (.txt) format only if the other file formats do not resolve the problem. If the strange behavior persists, go to method 7. Method 7: Copy the undamaged parts of the damaged document to a new documentStep 1: Create a new document
Step 2: Open the damaged document
Step 3: Copy the undamaged parts of document, and then paste the undamaged parts to the new documentNote If your document contains section breaks, copy only the text between the sections breaks. Do not copy the section breaks because this might bring the damage into your new document. Change the document view to draft view when you copy and paste between documents to avoid transferring section breaks. To change to draft view, on the View tab, select Draft in the Document Views group.
Method 8: Switch the document view to remove the damaged contentIf the document appears to be truncated (not all pages in the document are displayed), it might be possible to switch the document view and remove the damaged content from the document.
Method 9: Open the document with NotepadIf the document is corrupted and none of the previous methods work, try to recover its content by opening the document with Notepad. Note By using this method, you will lose all formatting. The intention is to recover the content.
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