How To Fix "This Word Document Caused A Serious Problem The Last Time It Was Opened." Error?

Word 2016 has finally launched and fans are thrilled, but the new version has some issues that need to be resolved. A lot of Word users already faced "This Word document caused a serious problem last time it was opened" errors after updating to the latest Word version, then how to fix "This Word document caused a serious problem last time it was opened." issue? Here is a tutorial for you or you can find more details from here.

There is no denying that Microsoft Word is the most widely used word processing application. It helps users create, edit, and find documents and templates. However, this widely used application is not without its downsides.

Once in a while, Microsoft Word users are likely to encounter various errors such as “This document caused serious error the last time it was opened.” This is a common Microsoft word error that most users experience.

Usually, this error occurs when a file is on the list of disabled files for Microsoft Office program. This happens when Excel or Word opens a file that had previously had a serious error like a crash. As a result, the files are added by the program to the list of disabled items.

When word crashes, it can cause a blacklist of files in the disabled list. Usually, a Microsoft program adds a file to the disabled list if the file causes Office to end unexpectedly or applications to crash.

Hence, you will encounter the error message each time you try to open this file. You will continue to receive the MS word error until you fix it.

In order to solve this issue, you need to remove the file from the disabled items list. There are various ways of doing this depending on your Microsoft Office software version. In this article, we will explore various solutions of this MS word error.

Solution for Microsoft Office Excel 2003, Microsoft Office Word 2003, Microsoft Excel  2002 and Microsoft Word 2002

1. Go to the Help menu and select About Microsoft Program.
2. Next, click Disabled Items.
3. Select the file and click Enable.

Microsoft Office Excel/Word 2007 and Later Editions

Disable Add-Ins

By stopping the Add-ins, you will fix the MS word issue. To remove or disable add-ins, follow the steps below:

1. Open word and then click the File menu.
2. Then select Word Options. You should be able to see the list of disabled files.
3. Navigate to the left pane and select Add-Ins.
4. On the Manage list, click Disabled items and select Go.
   
5. Click the checkbox next to the Add-in to disable it.
6. Now, click OK.

This should disable the Add-ins and remove the error of “This word document caused a serious problem the last time it was opened.” However, if the program doesn’t start successfully, consider repeating the steps above to clear a different Add-in.

If the problem still persists even after clearing the checkbox for the various Add-ins, then the error may not be associated with add-ins. In this case, you can try the next method.

MS Office Repair Tool

Running the Office repair tool is another possible solution for this issue. This repair program is a reliable way to fix this issue that occurs when you try to open a word file. To do this, follow the steps below.

1. Open the Control Panel.
   
2. Next, click on Program and the select Programs and Features.
   
3. Locate and click on Microsoft Office.
4. Once the Microsoft Office has launched, select the Repair option and click Continue.
5. You will be provided with two options. Quick Repair quickly fixes most issues without need for internet connection. On the other hand, Online Repair requires internet connection and takes longer but it fixes all issues.
   
6. Once you have made your selection, click the Repair button to initiate the repair process. It is advisable to let the repairing process to end before restarting your computer.

Summary: This Word document caused a serious problem the last time it was opened

• Open the document.
• Click File, and then click Info.
• Click Check for Issues, and then click Inspect Document.
• Select Document Properties and Personal Information.
• Click Remove All or inspect the document properties one by one and remove the ones you don't want to copy over to the new document.
• Click Reinspect to recheck your document for hidden data and personal information. When the inspection is complete, click Close.

Conclusion

We hope that you find this article useful if you are facing the “This word document caused serious error the last time it was opened” error. If you are unable to resolve the issue using the manual method, consider running the office repair tool. All the best!