Running into the "Word Found Unreadable Content" error? Here are a few quick, easy steps to fix it.
Does Word show the "Word Found Unreadable Content" error when you try to open a document? Even though Word is still one of the most popular word processors around, it can run into trouble now and then.
When that happens, start with the basics, such as restarting Word or your system. If those don't work, the methods below should help you fix the "Word Found Unreadable Content" error quickly.
Repair the Document
The truth is that the error message doesn't tell you much about how to fix the problem. Even if you click Yes, Word may still be unable to load the document's contents.
Still, Word can help you get past this error. Here's how:
- Create a blank Word document.
- Go to File > Open.
- Under Other locations, click Browse.
- Find and select the problem document.
- Expand the Open drop-down menu and choose Open & Repair.
- Wait for Word to finish the process, then check whether the problem has been fixed.
Turn Off the Read Only Property
Another possible cause of the unreadable content error is a document that is set to Read-only mode. To fix this, right-click the document and open the Properties menu. There, select the General tab and uncheck Read-only. To save the change, click Apply and then OK.
Repair Microsoft 365
If Word isn't the only Microsoft 365 app having trouble, that may point to a bigger problem. Microsoft 365 could be missing important updates, or some files could be corrupted.
To repair it on your computer, do the following:
- Press Windows + I to open the Settings menu.
- In the left pane, select Apps > Installed apps.
- Click the three-dot icon next to Microsoft 365 > select Modify.
- In the pop-up window, click Repair.
If the unreadable content error is still there, repeat the steps above, but this time choose Online Repair. It may take longer, but it has a better chance of solving the problem.
Turn Off Protected View
Protected View is designed to keep you from opening dangerous files. But it can be a bit overcautious at times, blocking you from safe files and triggering the unreadable content error.
If you can't open one of your own documents or a file from a trusted source, you can temporarily turn off Protected View.
- Open Microsoft Word.
- Go to File > Options.
- Select Trust Center > Trust Center Settings.
- From the menu on the left, open Protected View.
- Uncheck all 3 options.
- Click OK.
Try opening the problem document again. If it works, copy the contents into a new document and turn Protected View back on. That way, you won't accidentally open a file containing malware.
Use Word's Recovery Feature
Whenever you have trouble with a Word document, it's worth trying Recover Text from any file. This lets you recover the document's contents even if the file is corrupted.
- Open Microsoft Word.
- Go to File > Open Browse.
- Select the document that won't open properly.
- Open the Browse menu.
- Select Recover Text from Any File.
Although this can successfully recover content from an older version, it can't restore everything. You'll have to reinsert images, drawings, and other media elements, and you may even need to reformat the whole document.
