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Unable to edit Word 2016 documents [SIMPLE GUIDE]
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Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Some users complained on Microsoft forums that they’re unable to edit an existingWord document. Fortunately, this issue is not caused by Microsoft’s developing team, and it isn’t some kind ofbugin Word 2016, so we have a workaround that could help you.
Office2016 was released a couple of years ago, and a lot of people are still using it. But theOfficeversion brought some problems with itself, as a lot of users were complaining about various issues upon the release of the software pack.
Luckily, most of the problems have been solved, and usingOffice2016 apps isn’t frustrating anymore.
What to do if I cannot edit Word 2016 documents?
Table of contents:
1. Disable Document Protection
To do that, follow these steps:
If you cannot edit yourWord document, it’s probablyprotected with a password. In case you don’t want to enter the password every time you access the document, you’ll need to disable document protection, and delete the password.
After performing this, you should be able to edit your Word 2016 document normally, without any interruptions.
2. Repair the Word document
One of the reasons you are unable to edit Word 2016 documents might be because the actual file is damaged.
Fortunately, there are still ways to deal with this. UseStellar Repair for Word– a third-party utility.
It will safelyrepair Word files. It will preserve any text, headers or footers, and images. You can feed it either a .doc file or a .docx.
Fully compatible with Microsoft Word 2016, we highly recommend this tool if you have any issues with your documents.
Once the file is recovered, you can open it again in Word and be able to edit and save the new changes.
⇒Get Stellar Repair for Word
3. Make sure Office 2016 is activated
There’s one more thing that could prevent you from editing your Word 2016 document, and that is the expired Office 2016 trial.
Microsoft offered Office 2016 in a month-long trial, which attracted a lot of users who don’t have anOffice 365, and they downloaded the package, without thinking that it might expire.
And indeed, for some reason, you’ll be still able to useOffice2016 even after that one month of the free trial, but it will eventually expire after some time, leaving your Office 2016 apps useless.
So, if you downloaded the free trial, make sure you boughtOffice 365subscription, or you won’t be able to use Office 2016.
If you don’t want to pay for usingWord, you can always download the ‘lite’ version of the software fromMicrosoft Store, called Word Mobile.
4. Delete Registry keys
If you’re still unable to editWord2016 documents, we’re going to try one registry hack. Here’s what you need to do:
This action will reset Word 2016, along with thebugthat prevents you from editing documents.
5. Disable Add-ins
As much as add-ins are useful inOfficeapps, a corrupt add-in can cause big problems. So, we’re going to disable that troublesome add-in to see ifWordfunctions well without it.
But since we can’t surely know which add-in causes problems, we’ll have to disable them all at once. Here’s how to do that:
Now, start installing add-ins one by one to determine which one causes problems. However, if you’re still unable to edit documents after uninstalling add-ins, install them once again, and move to another solution.
6. Reinstall Office
Reinstalling programs has been one of the most popular troubleshooting methods for years. And we’re going to seek its help here, as well.
However, sinceWordis part of the Office Suite, you’ll have to reinstall the whole bundle. Reinstalling everything can be painful, but it might be worth it in the end.
You can uninstallOfficejust like you would uninstall any other program. The fastest and easiest way is by going toControl Panel>Programs and Features. Now just uninstall the whole suite, install it once again, and see if the problem is resolved.
If you want to completely remove Office from your Windows 10 PC, follow the simple stepsin this article.
7. Disable Hardware Acceleration
Word2016 uses Hardware Acceleration to optimize its performance. However, this very setting can also crippleWordin some cases. So, if none of the solutions from above got the job done, we’re going to disable Hardware Acceleration inWord2016.
If you can’t disable Hardware Acceleration this way, we’re going to turn to the Registry Editor once again:
Note:We advise you to play with Registry only if you know what you’re doing. If you mess up something in Registry, you can have big problems. So, if you’re not sure about this, ask someone else for help.
8. Install Windows updates
Microsoft often releasesOfficeupdates throughWindows Updateas regular updates for Windows. So, maybe you’re dealing with a known problem acknowledged by Microsoft. If that’s the case Microsoft will release a fix or patch through Windows Update.
To check for updates, simply go toSettings>Updates & Security, and check for updates.
9. Uninstall Office updates
On the contrary to the previous workaround, a new update can actually be the problem that caused it in the first place. In that case, the best thing you can do is to uninstall the troublesome update. And here’s how to do that:
Did you know thatWindows 10uninstalls problematic updates to avoid certain startup failures? Check out this article to find out more.
That’s about it. We hope at least one of these solutions helped you in case you were unable to editWord2016 documents. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, just let us know in the comments below.
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More about the topics:Microsoft Office,Microsoft Word issues
Ivan Jenic
Windows Hardware Expert
Passionate about all elements related to Windows and combined with his innate curiosity, Ivan has delved deep into understanding this operating system, with a specialization in drivers and driver troubleshooting.
When he’s not tackling diverse driver-related problems, Ivan enjoys watching good movies and spending time hiking with his family and friends.
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Ivan Jenic
Windows Hardware Expert
Ivan has delved deep into understanding the Windows OS, with a specialization in drivers and driver troubleshooting.
