Office 2013 Fix for Common Errors

How to Troubleshoot and fix some common Errors in Office 2013

Older versions of add-ins might cause this type of problem. You might also see one of these errors when you try to start one of these Office 2013 applications:Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, or Visio.

  • Microsoft Excel has stopped working.
  • Microsoft Word has stopped working.
  • Microsoft Outlook has stopped working.
  • Microsoft PowerPoint has stopped working.
  • Microsoft Publisher has stopped working.
  • Microsoft Visio has stopped working.

  • It's important to make sure that Windows is fully up-to-date. A recent update could correct the start up issue you are experiencing with your Office 2013 application:

  1. Install the latest Windows updates to your computer.
  2. Restart your computer.
  3. Try to launch your Office 2013 application.
  4. If after installing Windows updates you are still receiving a "stopped working" error, continue to the next section and follow the instructions.
    Starting the application in Safe Mode is a great way to find out if the problem is caused by and add-in. To do this, go to your Start screen in Windows 8 or click Start > Run in Windows 7, and type one of the following commands:
  • Type excel /safe and press Enter to start Excel 2013.
  • Type outlook /safe and press Enter to start Outlook 2013.
  • Type winword /safe and press Enter to start Word 2013.
  • Type powerpnt /safe and press Enter to start PowerPoint 2013.
  • Type mspub /safe and press Enter to start Publisher 2013.
  • Type visio /safe and press Enter to start Visio 2013.
    If the Office application doesn't start in Safe Mode, the problem isn't with add-ins. Go to the More Information section for other reasons why your Office application is crashing.
    If the Office application starts, let's disable the add-ins one at a time.
With the Office application still in Safe Mode, click File > Options > Add-Ins.
Next to the Manage list, click Go.
Uncheck one of the add-ins in the list and click OK.

Restart the application (not in Safe Mode this time).

If the Office application starts, there's a problem with the add-in you unchecked. I recommend you visit the company website for the add-in to check for an updated version you can install. If there isn't a newer version or if you don't need to use the add-in you can leave it unchecked or remove it from your PC.

If the Office application doesn't start, repeat the steps to uncheck the other add-ins one by one. If all add-ins are unchecked and you still can't open your Office application, follow the steps under

Troubleshooting COM Add-ins.
A COM Add-in may also be responsible for the start up problem. With the Office application still in Safe Mode:
Click File > Options > Add-Ins.
In the Manage list, click COM Add-Ins, and then click Go.
Uncheck one of the add-ins in the list and click OK.
Restart the application (not in Safe Mode this time).
If the Office application starts, the COM add-in you unchecked is causing the problem. recommend you visit the company website for the add-in to find out if there's an updated version you can install. If there isn't a newer version or if you don't need to use the COM add-in you can leave it unchecked.