5 Ways to Fix “Word Found Unreadable Content” Error
Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.
Fix 1: Repair the Word Document
Microsoft Word offers a repair feature for fixing damaged or corrupted documents. If you experience the “Word found unreadable content” error while opening a particular document, repair it using the steps below.
Step 1:Open Microsoft Word and selectOpenfrom the left sidebar. Then, click theBrowseoption.
Step 2:Locate and select your Word file. Click the downward arrow next to Open to selectOpen and Repair.
Now, wait for Microsoft Word to repair your file and open it.
Fix 2: Remove the Read-Only Attribute
Microsoft Word may fail to read the content of a document if it is in read-only mode. You canremove the read-only attributefrom your Word document to see if that helps.
Step 1:Right-click on the problematic Word file and selectProperties.
Step 2:Under theGeneraltab, clear theRead-onlycheckbox. Then, hitApply, followed byOK.
Fix 3: Restore an Earlier Version of the Word Document
If the Word document you are trying to access was saved to OneDrive, you can attempt torestore an earlier version of the document. This should help revert any changes that may have damaged the document.
Step 1:PressWindows + Sto open the search menu, typeOneDrive, and selectOpen.
Step 2:Locate the Word file you are trying to open. Right-click on it and selectShow more options.
Step 3:SelectVersion historyfrom the list.
Step 4:Hover your mouse over an earlier version of the document on the list. Click thethree-dot iconand selectRestore.
Tip:You can also download the previous version of the file and see if Word can open it.
Fix 4: Disable Protected View in Word
Protected View is a security feature in Word that keeps you from opening malicious files on your PC. If you are confident about the source of your document, you can temporarily disable this feature and see if that fixes the “Word found unreadable content” error.
Step 1:Open Microsoft Word and selectOptionsfrom the left pane.
Step 2:In the Word Options window, switch to theTrust Centertab and click theTrust Center Settingsbutton.
Step 3:Clear all three checkboxes to disable Protected View and clickOKto save changes.
Try to reopen your Word document and check if the error still occurs.
Fix 5: Use Word’s Text Recovery Feature
If Microsoft Word cannot read your document’s content, try using its text recovery feature. It’s important to note that this tool will only help you recover text andremove any formatting. Additionally, Word won’t restore graphics, drawing objects, or any other items that are not text.
Step 1:Open Microsoft Word on your PC. Switch to theOpentab and click onBrowse.
Step 2:Locate and select the file you want to open. Click theAll Filesdrop-down menu and chooseRecover Text from Any File.
Step 3:Click theOpenbutton.
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Last updated on 04 April, 2024
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