I'm thinking perhaps there is a dialog hiding behind a window (or off screen). If you are seeing the spinning circle, can you press Alt-Tab and see if there are dialogs waiting for a response?

Even better, use the Windows key + Tab to see all the windows at once. It sounds like Word is waiting for something to happen so it could be a dialog waiting for a response.

If it is a dialog in hiding, you might get a clue on what is causing it to appear.

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Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia