I've been troubleshooting a frustrating problem with Microsoft Word freezing and becoming unresponsive for several users over the past month. It seems that this issue primarily affects those with multiple languages set up in Word. I've discovered that when the 'detect language automatically' option is selected for spell checking, it can cause Word to hang. A solution I've found is to disable this feature using a group policy setting. If anyone else is dealing with similar issues, here's how you can fix it:
For Microsoft Word 2016: Go to the review tab, then language, and set the proofing tools. Make sure to disable the 'detect language automatically' option. This should help resolve the problem.
3 Answers
I’ve been struggling with this same issue for weeks! Thanks for sharing the group policy fix. Multi-language setups really have been a headache lately.
Could you clarify what the exact group policy setting is? I didn't catch it in your post. I’ve been having this problem with Office 2024 for months now. Thanks!
If you haven't tried it yet, consider switching your Office updates to semi-annual. Might help with stability issues!
Good point! But I think that might not apply to Server 2022 and Office LTSC versions.
Sure! For Microsoft Word 2016, just go to the review tab, click on language, and then set proofing tools. Make sure to disable 'detect language automatically'.