How to Troubleshoot and Recover Damaged Word Documents

Microsoft Word is a powerful tool for creating and editing documents, but sometimes, things go wrong. A Word document can become damaged or corrupted, preventing you from opening it or causing unexpected behavior. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to troubleshoot damaged Word documents and recover your valuable data.

Identifying a Damaged Word Document

Several signs can indicate that your Word document is damaged:

• Repeated renumbering of pages
• Frequent redoing of page breaks
• Incorrect document layout and formatting
• Unreadable characters on the screen
• Error messages during processing
• Computer freezing when opening the file
• Any unexpected behavior that disrupts normal program operation

Is it a Damaged Document or a Software Issue?

Before assuming the document is damaged, rule out other potential causes:

1. Check other documents: Try opening other Word documents. If they open without issues, the problem likely lies with the specific document.
2. Test other Office programs: See if the issue occurs in other Microsoft Office applications. If so, the problem might be with the Office suite or the operating system.

If the issue isn't isolated to the document, troubleshoot Microsoft Word, the Office suite, or your operating system.

Troubleshooting Steps When the Damaged Document Won't Open

Try these methods in the order presented until you find one that works:

Method 1: Open in Draft Mode Without Updating Links

1. Configure Word:
   • Start Word.
   • Go to the "View" tab and select "Draft".
   • Go to "File" > "Options" > "Advanced".
   • In the "Show document content" section, select "Use draft font in Draft and Outline views" and "Show picture placeholders".
   • Scroll to the "General" section, clear "Update automatic links at open", and click "OK".
   • Close Word.
2. Open the Document:
   • Start Word.
   • Go to "File" > "Open".
   • Select the damaged document and click "Open".

If successful, close the document and reopen it using Method 6 to repair it. If not, proceed to Method 2.

Method 2: Insert the Document as a File in a New Document

1. Create a New Blank Document:

   • Go to "File" > "New".
   • Select "Blank document" and click "Create".

2. Insert the Damaged Document:

   • Go to the "Insert" tab, select "Insert Object," and then "Text From File".
   • Locate and select the damaged document, then click "Insert".

   Note: You may need to reapply some formatting.

Method 3: Create a Link to the Damaged Document

1. Create a Blank Document:
   • Go to "File" > "New".
   • Select "Blank document" and click "Create".
   • Type "This is a test."
   • Go to "File" > "Save" and save the document as "Rescue link."
2. Create a Link:
   • Select the text you typed.
   • On the "Home" tab, click "Copy".
   • Go to "File" > "New".
   • Create a new blank document.
   • On the "Home" tab, click the arrow on the "Paste" button and select "Paste Special".
   • Select "Paste link" and "Formatted Text (RTF)".
   • Click "OK".
3. Change the Link:
   • Right-click the linked text, point to "Linked Document Object," and select "Links".
   • In the "Links" dialog box, select the file name and click "Change Source".
   • Select the damaged document and click "Open".
   • Click "OK" to close the "Links" dialog box.
   • Right-click the linked text, point to "Linked Document Object," and select "Links".
   • In the "Links" dialog box, select "Break Link" and confirm.

Method 4: Use the "Recover Text from Any File" Converter

Note: This method will lose document formatting, graphics, and other non-text elements.

1. Go to "File" > "Open".
2. In the "Files of type" box, select "Recover Text from Any File."
3. Select the damaged document and click "Open".

After recovery, remove any binary data text at the beginning and end of the document before saving.

Troubleshooting Steps When You Can Open the Damaged Document

Method 1: Copy Everything Except the Last Paragraph Mark

1. Create a New Document:
   • Go to "File" > "New".
   • Select "Blank document" and click "Create".
2. Open the Damaged Document:
   • Go to "File" > "Open".
   • Select the damaged document and click "Open".
3. Copy and Paste Content:
   • In the damaged document, press CTRL+END, then CTRL+SHIFT+HOME.
   • On the "Home" tab, click "Copy".
   • Switch to the new document and click "Paste".

Method 2: Change the Template Used by the Document

1. Determine the Template:
   • Open the damaged document.
   • Go to "File" > "Options" > "Add-Ins".
   • In the "Manage" box, select "Templates" and click "Go".
   • The "Document template" box shows the template used.
2. Rename the Global Template (Normal.dotm):
   • Exit Word.
   • Search for "normal.dotm" (typically in %userprofile%\appdata\roaming\microsoft\templates).
   • Right-click "Normal.dotm" and select "Rename".
   • Type "Oldword.old" and press ENTER.
   • Start Word and open the document.
3. Change the Document Template:
   • Open the damaged document.
   • Go to "File" > "Options" > "Add-Ins".
   • In the "Manage" box, select "Templates" and click "Go".
   • Click "Attach".
   • Select "Normal.dotm" and click "Open".
   • Click "OK".

Method 3: Start Word Using Default Settings

1. Exit Word.
2. Open the Run dialog box (Windows key + R).
3. Type winword.exe /a and press Enter.
4. Open the damaged document.

Method 4: Change Printer Drivers

1. Try a Different Printer Driver:
   • Search for "Devices and Printers" in your operating system.
   • Click "Add a printer".
   • Select "Add a local printer".
   • Select "Use an existing port" and click "Next".
   • In the "Manufacturer" list, select "Microsoft".
   • Select "Microsoft XPS Document Writer" and click "Next".
   • Select "Use the driver that is currently installed" and click "Next".
   • Select "Set as the default printer" and click "Next".
   • Click "Finish".
2. Reinstall Original Printer Driver:
   • Search for "Printers" in your operating system.
   • Select the original default printer and click "Delete".
   • Add the printer again using the "Add a printer or scanner" option.

Method 5: Force Word to Repair a File

1. Go to "File" > "Open".
2. Select the damaged document.
3. Click the arrow on the "Open" button and select "Open and Repair".

Method 6: Change the Document Format and Convert Back

1. Open the Document:
   • Go to "File" > "Open".
   • Select the damaged document and click "Open".
2. Save in a Different Format:
   • Go to "File" > "Save As".
   • Select "Other Formats".
   • Choose "Rich Text Format (*.rtf)" and click "Save".
3. Convert Back to Word Format:
   • Open the converted document.
   • Go to "File" > "Save As".
   • Choose "Word Document" and click "Save".

If this doesn't work, try saving in other formats like Webpage (.htm; .html) or Plain Text (.txt).

Method 7: Copy Undamaged Parts to a New Document

1. Create a new document.
2. Open the damaged document.
3. Copy and paste undamaged sections to the new document.

Method 8: Switch View to Remove Damaged Content

1. Determine the page where the document truncates.
2. Open the damaged document.
3. Switch to "Web Layout" or "Draft" view.
4. Delete the paragraph, table, or object causing the issue.
5. Switch back to "Print Layout" view.
6. Save the document.

Method 9: Open the Document with Notepad

1. Locate the damaged document in File Explorer.
2. Right-click and select "Open with" > "Notepad".
3. Clean the text by removing extra code and characters.
4. Save the cleaned text as a new document.
5. Open the new document in Word and reapply formatting.

Conclusion

Dealing with damaged Word documents can be frustrating, but with these troubleshooting steps, you have a good chance of recovering your data. Remember to regularly back up your important files to prevent data loss in the future. If all else fails, consider seeking professional data recovery services.

External Links:

• Windows Update FAQ
• Install Office updates
• Update Office with Microsoft Update