“Word experienced an error trying to open the file”

The full message reads “Word experienced an error trying to open the file. Try these suggestions: Check the file permissions for the document or drive. Make sure there is sufficient free memory and disk space. Open the file with the Text Recovery converter.” Despite how it sounds, the file is often fine.

What the message means

Word couldn't read the file, but it doesn't know why, so it lists three generic guesses. In practice there are two very different situations behind it:

Windows or Word blocked the file. This is the most common cause, especially for documents that came from email, a download, Teams or a shared drive. The file itself is undamaged.
The file really is damaged. The save was cut short, a sync went wrong, or part of the file was overwritten.

A quick test: if the same file opens on another computer, in Word for the web, or in LibreOffice, it isn't damaged and the problem is on your computer.

Free fixes for a blocked file (try these first)

Unblock it. Save the file to your computer, right-click it → Properties. If there's an Unblock tick box near the bottom of the General tab, tick it, click OK, and open the file again.
Open it from inside Word. Instead of double-clicking, start Word and use File → Open → Browse. Files opened straight from an Outlook attachment are the usual culprits.
Move it somewhere local. Copy it out of a OneDrive, Dropbox or network folder into your Documents folder. If OneDrive shows a cloud icon, right-click → Always keep on this device first.
Check permissions. In Properties → Security, make sure your account can read the file. Files copied from an old computer or another user sometimes can't be.

Some guides tell you to switch off Protected View in the Trust Center. That works, but it lowers your protection against harmful documents for every file. If you do it, turn it back on straight afterwards.

Free fixes for a damaged file

Work on a copy, never the only original.
File → Open → Browse, select the file, click the arrow next to Open and choose Open and Repair.
Try the Text Recovery converter the message mentions: in the same Open window, change the file type list (bottom right) to Recover Text from Any File (*.*). You get the plain text only, with no formatting or pictures, but it's something.
Look for an earlier copy: right-click → Properties → Previous Versions, OneDrive or SharePoint version history, or File → Info → Manage Document → Recover Unsaved Documents.
Try opening it in LibreOffice Writer (free), which accepts some files Word rejects.

Where Office File Repair helps

If the file is damaged and Word's repair and the text converter both come up short, Office File Repair reads the .docx piece by piece. It keeps every part it can read, repairs text that was cut short back to the last complete paragraph, can often pick up again after a damaged stretch, and builds a fresh document with your formatting and pictures where they survived. It runs in your browser, so the document is never uploaded, and you see a preview of what came back before paying anything.

It won't help with a blocked file (use the steps above, which are free), an old-style .doc, or a password-protected document.

When nothing can help

If the file is 0 KB or all zeros, your writing never made it to the disk, and no tool can get it out of that file. Your best chance is another copy: see Word or Excel file shows 0 KB and recovering an unsaved Word document.

Common questions

Is my document corrupted if Word says it experienced an error trying to open the file?

Not necessarily. Most often Windows has blocked a file that came from email or the internet, or Word can't reach it in a synced folder. If the file opens on another computer, in Word for the web or in LibreOffice, it isn't damaged.

How do I unblock a Word document?

Save it to your computer, right-click it and choose Properties. On the General tab, tick Unblock near the bottom, click OK, then open the file from inside Word with File, Open, Browse.

What is the Text Recovery converter in Word?

It's a built-in option that pulls the plain text out of a damaged document. In Word's Open window, change the file type list to “Recover Text from Any File (*.*)” and open the file. You get the words back without formatting, tables or pictures.

Can a document that is 0 KB be repaired?

No. A 0 KB or all-zero file has nothing left inside it. Look for another copy instead: AutoRecover files, OneDrive version history, Windows Previous Versions or the copy you emailed someone.

Check your file: the preview is free