How Do I Fix Unreadable Content in Word (Windows/Android)

Real case from Microsoft community ( See it happens on your case): "Word found unreadable content error. Several of my Word files are unable to open and display the error message: "Word found unreadable content in......No matter which option I select, it then shows the message......I've tried Open and Repair, Recover Text from Any File, etc. but nothing has worked so far.

It is really frustrating that your files get such an error in the middle of the work. Here some methods come! In this article, we are going to provide different ways to fix unreadable content in word.

What Is Unreadable Content in Word

The error may happen when your files get damaged or corrupted for some reasons, such as:

1. The Word document was not closed correctly, including files that suddenly shut down, unexpected power interruption, laptop battery exhaustion, system crash, etc.

2. Virus attack.

The virus may attack your Office data contains Word file. If your file gets infected, then your document has unreadable content.

3. Text convert error. When you convert word files to another format, your file will appear "Word found unreadable content" message or "Word was unable to read this document" warning.

Don't worry. Your Word document is still there. Follow us and pick out the great method in the next part.

How to Fix Unreadable Word Documents in Windows

Check one automatic way and two built-in functions in this part.

Fix 1 - Apply EaseUS Word Repair Tool

If an unreadable error happens, the most urgent thing you need to do is find and recover all lost documents. To save your time and apply the simple steps, one of the best data recovery software - EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, is your wise choice.

Trusted by users for 17 years, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can retrieve and repair your lost data in a few clicks. No matter Word documents get corrupted by software or human errors, this app can get them back as soon as possible and repair your corrupted word files during the previewing process.

Download this utility and apply 3 simple steps to repair Word files:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, and then scan disk with corrupted documents. This software enables you to fix damaged Word, Excel, PPT, and PDF files in same steps. 

Step 2. EaseUS 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 3. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard 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 2 - Use "Recover Text from Any File" Function

If you want to search for some manual ways, you can use a text recovery converter from Microsoft Word. Now Open Microsoft word and follow the steps.

Step 1. Navigate to File tab > Click Open on the left panel > Click Browse on the right panel.

Step 2. On the Microsoft Open window, select the unreadable word files.

Step 3. Choose Recover Text from Any File from the drop-down menu.

Step 4. Click Open and wait. Your damaged file will open and you had better save it as a new file.

Fix 3 - Use "Open and Repair" Function

Solution 3 is also a built-in function. And the steps part is the same as the second fix. Check step-by-step guide.

Step 1. Move to File tab > Open > Browse.

Step 2. Choose the damaged file in the new window.

Step 3. Click the small triangle arrow icon > Choose Open and Repair.

Step 4. The file can be open and you can save it as a new file.

Fix Word Found Unreadable Content Android by OneDrive

If you have saved your word files to OneDrive, then you can use the Version History function of OneDrive to restore the word document to the previous version. The following steps are best done on a computer.

If you are using the web version of OneDrive, follow the steps:

Step 1. Log in to your OneDrive account.

Step 2. Select the files you want to restore to the previous version, right-click it and choose Version History.

Step 3. On the Version History window, select the arrow next to the file, and click Restore.

If you are running the OneDrive app on PC, you can go to File Explorer.

Step 1. Click OneDrive on the left panel > Click Document folder and choose the files you want to recover.

Step 2. Choose Version History > Click the dots next to the wanted version > Click Restore.

Windows/Android User: Get Your Answer Here

Have you fixed the unreadable content error in Microsoft Word? We have outlined 3 ways compatible with Windows in part 1 and one reliable way available on Android in part 2. To avoid data loss down the alongside, we recommended you can use File History to back up your word file in your spare time.

Word Found Unreadable Content FAQs

Read the frequently asked questions to get additional help on unreadable content in Word.

1. Why did everything disappear from my Word document?

Here's the reason why the Word document disappeared:

Microsoft Word documents can disappear in certain situations. For example, it may be gone after a forced quit, power interruption, or close without saving changes.

2. Can you fix a corrupted Word file?

Yes. Follow the steps below to repair corrupted Word online:

• Select the corrupted Word .doc/.docx file.
• Type your email address to receive repaired Word file.
• Wait for the repair process to complete.

3. How to recover unsaved Word documents?

Steps to recover unsaved word documents in Windows 10:

• In MS Word, click the File tab in the upper left.
• Click Manage Document and select Recover Unsaved Documents from the drop-down list.
• Check for your missing File in the dialog box. If it was a recent loss, it should appear.
• Open the recovered Word document and click the Save As button in the top banner.