How Do I Repair Docx File? [6 Fixes for Microsoft Word]

✍️Applies to: Repair corrupted DOCX Files in Word 2019/2016/2013/2010/2007.

Usually, when your Word file, like a .docx document, suddenly becomes inaccessible or unopenable, it could be corrupted. The Word application error may also cause this issue. So how do you define if the DOCX file is corrupted and get rid of this error from your computer?

Check the signs of Word .docx file corruption and join us to learn how to repair a corrupted DOCX file with 4 Microsoft built-in tools, 1 Word file repair software, and 1 online file repair tool.

How to Repair DOCX Files in Word 2019/2016 and Lower

Pick one of the 6 methods and follow the specific tutorial guide to rescue the DOCX file content and make your Word document work again:

[In Advance] Define If a DOCX File Is Corrupted

How do you define whether a Word .docx or .doc file is corrupted? Check the signs of Word file corruption, and if you currently are experiencing one of the issues, your DOCX or DOC file is corrupted.

Signs of DOCX or DOC File Is Corrupt:

• ❌The computer does not respond or freezes while opening the .docx file.
• 🔒The .docx file not loading or is stuck in loading.
• 📕The file content is unreadable.
• 💬DOCX file pops an error message: Word was unable to read this document. It may be corrupt.

So how do I fix a corrupted DOCX file on a Windows or Mac computer? Here are 6 ways that are recommended by the Microsoft support team and EaseUS Fixo.

🔮EaseUS Fixo Document Repair	EaseUS Fixo Document Repair is the best Word repair tool that specializes in repairing corrupt DOCX files, offering a comprehensive solution for file recovery.
⏱️Use Temporary AutoSave	Using Temporary AutoSave can help recover a damaged or unsaved DOCX file by locating a temporary version of the document.
🔑Use Open and Repair	Using Open and Repair in Microsoft Word can attempt to repair a corrupted DOCX file by fixing any underlying issues.
📄Use Recover Text from Any File	Using Recover Text from Any File can extract the text from a corrupted DOCX file, allowing you to recover the content even if the formatting is lost.
🔐Unlock Word File	Using Unlock Word File can help remove password protection from a DOCX file, allowing you to access and repair the document.
🖥️Use Online File Repair Tool	DOCX file without the need for additional software, but the success may vary depending on the complexity of the corruption.

Fix 1. Repair DOCX File with EaseUS Fixo Document Repair [Lost, Inaccessible, or Corrupted]

When your Word document is lost, corrupted, or you cannot even access it, what really can help is a reliable Word repair software. EaseUS Fixo, with its Word repair function, can repair your Word file from multiple file damage or corruption cases. It is an easy-to-use tool with cutting-edge capabilities. Users of small businesses should utilize this tool. This program excels because of its thorough scan procedure and powerful data recovery feature. 

What can EaseUS Fixo Document Repair do for you:

• Repair corrupted Excel, Word documents, PDF, PowerPoint, etc.
• Repair corrupted PNG file and JPEG/JPG images.
• Recover and fix corrupted videos, like MP4, MOV, GIF, etc.

Download EaseUS software and follow these steps to repair corrupted Word file now:

Step 1. Download and launch Fixo on your PC or laptop. Choose "File Repair" to repair corrupted Office documents, including Word, Excel, PDF, and others. Click "Add Files" to select corrupted documents.

Step 2. To repair multiple files at once, click the "Repair All" button. If you want to repair a single document, move your pointer to the target file and choose "Repair". You can also preview the documents by clicking the eye icon.

Step 3. Click "Save" to save a selected document. Select "Save All" to save all the repaired files. Choose "View Repaired" to locate the repaired folder.

Many PC users have proved the efficacy of the tool. If you are interested in resolving the file repair, share it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms!

Fix 2. Repair and Restore a Corrupted DOCX File from Temporary AutoSave

This method is used to recover unsaved Word documents in many cases. It also works to help you repair a corrupted DOCX file.

Follow the steps and learn how to repair the corrupted DOCX file on your own:

Step 1. Open the Word application, and click "File" on the left top menu pane.

Step 2. Click "Manage Document", open the dropdown list, and select "Recover Unsaved Documents".

Step 3. Find the temporary files of your problematic DOCX file with .asd extension.

Step 4. Double-click the file and wait for the Word application to open the DOCX document.

Step 5. Then, click "Save As" to save it as a new document.

 

Fix 3. Repair Corrupted Word DOCX File with Open and Repair

The Open and Repair tool is mostly used to fix an unopenable Word file or Excel, or PowerPoint document.

When the DOCX file on your computer is popping up with a "file not openable" error message, you can follow the steps here to try:

Step 1. Open the Word application, and click "File" on the left top menu pane.

Then click "Open" and select "Browse" to open the corrupted .docx file.

Step 2. Navigate to find the corrupted DOCX word file and select it.

Step 3. Then, click the Open option and select "Open and Repair" from the dropdown list.

Wait patiently to let the file be repaired by this built-in feature in your Word application.

Step 4.  Once you see the file content, copy and save the content to a new DOCX Document file.

Fix 4. Corrupted DOCX Word Repair with Recover Text from Any File

When you are unable to view the content of a corrupted DOCX file or the content of the Word document turns into unreadable characters, you can try the "Recover Text from Any File" feature of the text recovery converter.

Here are the steps:

Step 1. Open the Word application, click "File" on the left top menu, and click "Open".

Step 2. Click "Browse" to find the corrupted DOCX Word file.

Step 3. Click the All Files button and select "Recover Text from Any File (*.*)" from the dropdown menu.

Step 4. Click "Open" and wait for the Word application to re-open and display your Word document content.

Step 5. As long as you see the file content, copy the content and save it in a new file.

Fix 5. Unlock Word File to Repair the Unopenable DOCX Document

When you receive an error message that says, "Word experienced an error trying to open the file...", the .docx Word file is not corrupted. It could be locked in a Word found unreadable content state.

And you can unlock the file with the following steps:

Step 1. Right-click the corrupted or unopenable Word file and select "Properties".

Step 2. On the General tab, find the Read-Only box and uncheck it. Click "OK" to confirm.

Now, try to open this Word file on your computer. 

According to EaseUS data repair experts, the above 4 methods often work in repairing corrupted Word DOCX and DOC files. But sometimes, when you are in a peculiar case, such as the Word file folder is lost or unopenable, none of the above methods can help.

Fortunately, EaseUS Word repair tool, with its Document Recovery and Repair feature, can bring your files back to life.

Fix 6. Repair Corrupted Word File Online with Online File Repair Tool

The last popular way that works to repair a damaged or corrupted Word file is turning to an online Word repair tool. When you search "Word Repair Online" or " Repair Word File Online", you may get a large number of online file repair tools.

Among them, a tool named "Online File Repair" is somehow capable to help.

Step 1. Open Online File Repair in a browser with the link: https://onlinefilerepair.com/word

Step 2. Click the SELECT FILE button to browse and enter your email address.

Step 3. Click "Next" to upload the corrupted DOCX file and wait patiently.

Step 4. When the 3 repair steps complete, click "Show preview" or click "Download DEMO file" to check the file content before payment.

Step 5. Once you confirm the .docx file content is repaired, click the Pay button to complete the payment.

Step 6. Last, download the repaired file and save it as a new document on your computer.

Sum Up: Corrupted DOCX File Is Recoverable, But You Can Do More

On this page, we discussed the symptoms of a corrupted Word .docx file and talked about what to do when the file becomes inaccessible, unopenable, or even unreadable.

The corrupted DOCX file is still recoverable with the above recommended 6 ways. If you still don't know which way to take, here's a suggestion from EaseUS Fixo:

• You should take Microsoft fixes for not opening or not responding to a Word DOCX file.
• For an inaccessible or lost, corrupted .docx Word file, the EaseUS Word repair tool is worth your time.

Besides fixing corrupted DOCX or DOC files, what you can do is more. We also have some further tips to help you better protect Word files from corruption:

1. Turn on AutoSave or enable the AutoRecover feature.
2. Back up important Word files regularly.
3. Running Windows compatible edition of Word application on a computer.

FAQs About DOCX Repair

If you still have some questions about repairing docx files, check the quick answers below to help yourself out:

1. What is the free repair tool for DOCX files?

1. EaseUS Fixo Document Repair
2. Stellar Phoenix Word Repair
3. Repair Doc File Software
4. DataNumen Word Repair
5. Remo Repair Word

2. How can I repair a corrupted DOCX File online?

Step 1. Download Fixo to your computer or laptop and run it. To fix damaged DOCX Word documents, select "File Repair". To choose damaged files, click "Add Files".

Step 2. Select "Repair All" to fix numerous files at once. Move your pointer to the target file and select "Repair" if you only want to fix one document. You can also view the documents in advance by selecting the eye icon.

Step 3. Click "Save" to save the document you've chosen. To save every repaired file, choose "Save All". To find the repaired folder, select "View Repaired".

3. Can you fix a corrupted Word document?

• Select File > Open.
• Choosing "Browse" to choose a file.
• Select "Open and Repair" from the drop-down menu by clicking the "Open" little arrow button.

4. Why is a DOCX corrupted?

You may not be able to open a corrupted Word document for a number of reasons. This behavior can be a result of the document or the template it was based on being damaged. These actions could take the following forms: repeatedly renumber the document's current pages.