Fix Word Document Is Blank When Opened
Quick navigation to the methods for Word document is blank when opened problem:
| Workable Solutions | Step-by-step Troubleshooting |
|---|---|
| Fix 1. Use Open and Repair feature | First, try Microsoft Word built-in Open and Repair future to fix the blank Word. Start Word > "File" > "Open" > Select blank word > "Open and Repair"...Full steps |
| Fix 2. Use Qiling File Repair Software | Qiling Word document repair software can fix corrupted Word easily. Free download this file recovery tool...Full steps |
| Fix 3. Use /a Switch utility | The /a switch tool can help check where a problem may exist in Word. It prevents add-ins, templates...Full steps |
| Fix 4. Delete Word Data in Registry | If the saved Word blank issue is caused by unspecific options and settings, delete Word Data...Full steps |
| Fix 5. Restore from Previous Version | If you've enabled Windows file backup, you can restore Word from previous versions to fix the issue...Full steps |
Issue - Saved Word Document Now Blank
"I was working on a Word document (about 5 pages of a report) for a long time yesterday and saved it several times. But this morning, when I tried to open the document, it just showed up empty with no text. I am in huge trouble. Why is my saved Word document blank when I open it? How can I recover the blank Word documents? Any solutions?"
Why Is My Word Document Blank
The causes of Microsoft saved Word document opens but no text are uncertain. There are two reasons for this problem.
- The document has been corrupted in some way. In this case, the content of your Word document is gone, and the file shows up as empty.
- Malware, virus, or other external threats attack the Word and lead to empty Word document.
When you encounter the saved Word document is blank when opened, how to troubleshoot? The next part covers the answers. If your Word document opens blank because that you forgot to save it, the solution is different. Read the article on how to recover unsaved Word document in Windows 10.
How to Fix Word Document Is Blank When Opened
On this page, we offer you a few possible solutions to solve the saved Word document now blank issue. Try each one in turn until the problem is fixed.
Fix 1. Open Blank Word Document Using Open and Repair Tool
1. Start Word.
2. On the File menu or the Microsoft Office button, click "Open".
3. In the Open dialog box, click to select the blank Word file.
4. Click the down arrow on the Open button, and then click "Open and Repair".
This Microsoft Word built-in feature will then fix the problem of corruption that is detected within these documents.
Fix 2. Recover Word Document with File Repair Software
If the saved Word document is corrupted, you may not open it or it may be blank when opened. Under this circumstance, you need a Word document repair tool. Qiling file repair software, integrated file recovery and repair software, allows you to repair any corrupted photos, videos, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or other files with ease.
Qiling toolkit for file repair key features:
- Repair corrupted Word in .doc and .docx formats from any kind of corruption
- Fix severely corrupted XLS and XLSX files without modifying their original format
- Repair corrupt PDF documents, including extracting the text, comments, labels, graphics, etc. from the PDF file
- Repair corrupted files from PC, laptop, external hard drive, SD card, USB flash drive, etc.
Download and install this file repair program on your PC and follow the steps below to fix blank Word documents.
Step 1. Launch Deep Data Recovery on your PC. Select file types and click "Next" to start.
Step 2. Click "Scan" button to scan disk with corrupted documents. This software enables you to fix damaged Word, Excel, PPT, and PDF files in same steps.
Step 3. Qiling data recovery and repair tool will scan for all lost and corrupted files. You can find the target files by file type or type the file name in the search box.
Step 4. Deep Data Recovery can repair your damaged documents automatically. After file preview, you can click "Recover" to save the repaired Word, Excel, and PDF document files to a safe location.
Fix 3. Start Blank Word by Using the /a Switch
Another way you can take to fix Word document blank when opened problem is using the /a switch. The /a switch is a troubleshooting tool that can determine where the problem may be in Word.
When you open Word with /a switch, all the add-ins, global templates, and settings won't load, so you can determine if the Work blank issue is caused by these factors.
Follow these steps:
1. Type Run in the Search box and then press Enter.
2. Type winword /a in the Run dialog box, and press Enter.
If the Word document opens with text, the problem is found. And you need to disable the add-ins. While if your Word document is still blank, try the next option.
Fix 4. Fix Blank Word Document by Deleting Word Data Registry Subkey
One of the common solutions to fix the Word problem is deleting the Word Data registry subkey, which stores most of the options and default settings in Word.
When you restart Word, the program will rebuild the Word Data registry subkey by using the default settings. Hope this method helps you.
1. Exit Word, right-click the Start button, then choose Run.
2. Type regedit, then press Enter to start the Registry Editor.
3. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Data. Right-click "Data" and delete it.
4. Exit the Registry Editor and restart Word.
Fix 5. Restore a Blank Word Document from Previous Versions
Some users have reported that this workaround is effective in bringing back blank Word files. It is worth giving it a try. But note that, to restore a file from the previous versions, you need to enable the File History or restore points in advance; otherwise, this won't be available.
1. Right-click the blank Word document, choose to "Restore previous versions".
2. In the list of previous recovery points, choose the latest one.
3. Click the "Restore" button to recover it back.
To Sum Up
We believe that after trying the above approaches, you can fix the Word document is blank when opened problem. To repair damaged Word documents, try Qiling file repair software, which can fix your corrupted files efficiently.
- Word document is blank when opened on Mac? Look here!
- Many users have complained about the same problem in the apple community - saved Word document is blank when opened on Mac. Once the problem arises, shutting down and restarting Word or the computer does not fix the problem. If you also have this issue, try to restore the lost Word file on Mac to fix the Word document blank when opened issue.
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