How to Close a Dialog Box in Microsoft Word

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methods

1Using the Keyboard to Find a Dialog Box

2Disabling an Add-in

3Disabling Protected View

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References

This How.com.vn teaches you how to resolve a Microsoft Word error that says Word can't perform a certain action due to an open dialog box. This type of error is usually due to a bad Word add-in or extra-strong security settings.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using the Keyboard to Find a Dialog Box

1. 
   1
   Click OK on the error message. If you see a message that says Word is can't complete an action because a dialog box is open but you don't see a dialog box, you may be able to find it using a keyboard shortcut.
2. 
   2
   Press Alt+Tab ↹. This cycles through the open windows on your computer. You'll now see the next window that's open, which may be the open dialog box.
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3. 
   3
   Press Alt+Tab ↹ again until you find the dialog box. If the dialog box was just hiding behind another open window, you should be able to find it this way.
4. 
   4
   Click Close or OK. You may have to click a different button to close certain types of dialog boxes, such as Cancel, No, or Yes.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Disabling an Add-in

1. 
   1
   Start Word in Safe Mode. If you see a message that says Word is can't complete an action because a dialog box is open but you don't see a dialog box, one of your Word add-ins may be causing a problem. Start troubleshooting by opening Word in safe mode like this:

   • Close Word if it's open.
   • Press ⊞ Win+R to open the Run box.
   • Type Winword /safe and press ↵ Enter.
2. 
   2
   Try to reproduce the problem. Try doing the same thing you did that resulted in the error message. If you no longer see an error, the issue is probably due to a problematic add-in.

   • If you still see the error, try another method.
3. 
   3
   Disable an add-in. Here's how:

   • Click the File menu.
   • Click Options.
   • Click Add-ins.
   • Click Go under ″Manage.″
   • Remove the check mark from the first add-in. Only remove the check mark from one add-in, as each must be tested separately.
   • Click OK.
4. 
   4
   Close and re-open Microsoft Word. Restart Word normally (by clicking it in the Start menu) instead of in safe mode. The app will start up with all add-ins running except for the one you disabled.
5. 
   5
   Try to reproduce the problem. Again, try doing whatever action you took that resulted in the error message.

   • If you no longer see an error, the add-in you disabled was likely the culprit.
   • If you still see the error, the add-in you disabled was not the problem.
6. 
   6
   Disable another add-in. Return to the add-ins list and remove the check mark from another add-in. You can also re-add the check mark to the one you disabled earlier so it's usable again.
7. 
   7
   Repeat the testing process until you've found the add-in. Once you've found the add-in that's causing the error, you can choose to remove it or keep it disabled permanently.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Disabling Protected View

1. 
   1
   Open Microsoft Word. If you're trying to open a document you downloaded from the internet (such as in a web browser, email, or messaging app), you may receive an error that says: ″Word can't do this because a dialog box is open. Please close the dialog box to continue.″ This is often due to your security settings. Start by opening Word directly from the Start menu—you should find it in the Microsoft Office folder under All Apps.

   • Don't try this method unless you're sure the document you're trying to open is secure.
   • Disabling Protected View may open your computer up to viruses, so use this method at your own risk.
2. 
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   Click the File menu. It's near the top-left corner of the screen.
3. 
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   Click Options. It's near the bottom of the menu.
4. 
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   Click Trust Center. It's on the left side of the window.
5. 
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   Click Trust Center Settings. It's near the bottom-left corner of the right panel.
6. 
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   Click Protected View. It's on the left side. You'll see three settings with check boxes.
7. 
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   Remove the check mark from the first box. It's the one that says ″Enable Protected View for files originating from the Internet.″
8. 
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   Click OK.
9. 
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   Close Microsoft Word. Now that you've disabled Protected View, you should be able to double-click the document you downloaded (or in your inbox) and open it without issue.

   • Be sure to re-enable Protected View when you're finished.
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