How To Fix Microsoft Office Being Slow

Microsoft Office is one the most widely used application suites that can handle any projects encountered in a modern work environment. Unfortunately, if it is running slow, takes a long time to open a single document, lags when typing, or freezes frequently, it can lead to a severe decrease in productivity and an increase in frustration. To address the issue of Microsoft Office being slow on a Mac device, explore the potential solutions outlined below.

Start with a fresh template file

Microsoft Word saves its default settings in a file named 'normal.dot.' This file is created automatically and contains all changes that users made to the application's settings. The file ensures that any subsequent file will be opened using the user's preferred settings and eliminating the need to adjust them multiple times. If the 'normal.dot' gets corrupted or starts to malfunction, it could result in slowdowns. In that case, users can delete the old file and force Word to create a fresh new one. 

1. Make sure that Word is completely closed.
2. Open Finder.
3. Type normal.dot in the search field.
4. Wait for the process to complete as there may be more than one normal.dot file present on the system.
5. Select all of the listed files including 'normal.dotm' and delete them.
6. Empty the Trash.
7. Start Word again and see if its performance has improved.

Get rid of the MS Office temporary files

All of the applications in the MS Office suite generate temporary files as part of their normal functionality. These files come incredibly handy, as they can be used to restore any accidentally lost work. Usually, temporary files are removed within due time. However, sometimes, the process may malfunction, leading to a significant build-up of now unnecessary files. To address the issue, do the following:

1. Select the particular temporary files that you wish to remove and go through all of them one by one. 
2. Open Finder and search for ~*.doc, ~*.dot, or ~*.tmp.
3. Select the files you wish to delete.
4. Empty the Trash.

Make sure Microsoft Office is up-to-date

Installing any available Microsoft Office updates is extremely important, as new patches often address security vulnerabilities found within the applications. The updates, however, may include various performance optimizations. To check if you have the latest version of Microsoft Office, follow the steps:

1. Open Microsoft Word.
2. Go to the 'Help' menu and select 'Check for Updates.'
3. Install all available updates.