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, thus negatively impacting the user experience.

One of the common reasons behind performance issues is the junk files accumulated on the system over time. These files can slow down the system's performance. Another reason could be corrupted files that can cause issues with the functioning of Office applications. The slow response times and slow issues might also arise due to a software issue or conflict with other programs on the computer.

Moreover, if the computer's hardware resources are insufficient, Office applications may not work as expected. Additionally, background processes running on the system may cause Microsoft Office to malfunction. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that the system is optimized and free from any junk or corrupted files and that the necessary hardware resources are available to ensure the smooth functioning of Microsoft Office.

There might also be other performance issues on Mac devices that run Office 365. To address these issues, 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 user changes to the application's settings. The file ensures that any subsequent file will be opened using the user's preferred settings, eliminating the need to adjust them multiple times. If the 'normal.dot' gets corrupted or starts to malfunction, it could result in slow performance. In that case, users can delete the old file and force Word to create a new one.

1. Make sure that Word is closed.
2. Open Finder.
3. Type normal.dot in the search field.
4. Wait for the process to complete.
5. Select all 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 Temp Files

All 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, the process may sometimes malfunction, leading to a significant build-up of unnecessary files, thus clogging your disk space. To address the performance issue, follow these simple steps:

1. Select the 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 365 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 that the outdated version may lack. 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.