Windows 10: Can't open Microsoft Office applications in File Explorer

Hi everyone, I've had a weird little issue pop up about 2 monthes ago.


I can no longer open Microsoft Word, Excel, or Powerpoint files when I try to locate and open a file from those applications in the File Explorer.

My screen will freeze and I will have to close my File Explorer window before I can use my laptop normally again.


This is a picture example of what happens:

https://imgur.com/HP9YGp3


The gray effect only occurs on the file explorer.

*edit: that black box is just something I added in ms paint for privacy, it's not actually there.


I can open everything other than Office applications in the file explorer, such as pdfs or video/music files, or autocad, visual studio. I only have problems with Office apps.


This all appeared to start either with an update that was automatically scheduled for my laptop or I wonder, possibly from a corrupted excel file I wanted to download. I had been post-poning the restart that goes along with the update for a few weeks and when I finally restarted, these problems were apparent only and immediately after the restart.


The other possible factor I wonder about is that I was also trying to download an excel file that I had sent to my email from a computer in a lab at my school; when I tried to download this file onto my laptop I found that it was corrupted and had to remove it. I tried to download this file only moments before I restarted my laptop and I don't know if this is a possible culprit.


In any case, I can STILL open Office files if I simply open the application itself and then find the file from in there; I only can't open Office apps from the File Explorer.


So I've been able to use my laptop functionally, only with less convenience than I used to have; my laptop seemed to be working in perfect order before this restart.


Does anyone recognize or know what may be the problem here, and what I can do to fix this?


Thanks,


Alvin.

:)

 

Windows explorer hangs when opening any Office files

Hi DapsF, follow these steps to perform a full repair of your Office installation . . .

Open Control Panel - Programs and Features

Click Microsoft Office in the list of installed applications

At the top, click 'Change'

On the resulting dialog, click 'Repair' - choose the Online Repair, it is a comprehensive fix

That should fix any issues with your Office Installation . . .

 

NOT ABLE TO OPEN EXCEL FILES AND WORD FILES SAVED IN MY LAPTOP THROUGH WINDOWS EXPLORER APP

Hi BHARGAVA

If you open say Word and then choose File - Open and then navigate to find a Word file, does the file open from inside Word, rather than from File Explorer?

If you have Microsoft Office 2016, 2019 or Office 365, follow these steps to perform a full repair of your Office installation . . .

Open Control Panel - Programs and Features

Click Microsoft Office in the list of installed applications

At the top, click 'Change'

On the resulting dialog, click 'Repair' - choose the Online Repair, it is a comprehensive fix

That should fix any issues with your Office Installation . . .

 

Windows 10 Office 365 cannot open files from: recent file list

Thanks for the tip! I followed all above steps.

So far I can open files from the Recent files list when I enter Word itself, however I still am unable to open any documents using the Word icon pinned to the taskbar:





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