I can no longer save new documents or changes to existing documents in MS Word. When I click on 'save' or 'save as' or try to exit MS Word, the usual dialogue box no longer pops up.



The only way to exit Word is to close the document without saving. It will not even save any changes to normal.dot on exiting.

I have run virus checker, malware checker, Windows update, MS Office update, MS Office diagnostics, but no joy. I have even downloaded the MS Office Service Pack, but for some reason, it will not run the .exe file to install the updates.

Can anyone help me out here?

Have you "activated" Office?

Yes, Office has been activated. It is a fully licensed version.

This is where I found the solution

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/921541

Delete the COM add-ins registry keys

You may install COM add-ins in any location. Programs that interact with Word install COM add-ins. To determine whether a COM add-in is causing the problem, temporarily disable the COM add-ins by deleting the registry keys for the COM add-ins.

To delete the COM add-ins registry keys, follow these steps:

1. Exit all Office programs.
2. In Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. (If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search.) Type regedit in the search box, tap or click Apps, and then tap or click Run.
   Or, in Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. Locate the following registry subkey:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office \Word\Addins
   
4. Click Addins, and then click Export on the File menu.
5. Name the file WdaddinHKCU.reg, and then save the file to the desktop.
6. n the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click Yes.
7. Locate the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office\Word\ Addins
   
8. Click Addins, and then on the File menu, click Export.
9. Name the file WdaddinHKLM.reg, and then save the file to the desktop.
10. On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click Yes.
11. Exit Registry Editor.
12. Start Word.

If the problem is resolved, you have determined that a COM add-in program is causing the problem. Next, you must determine which COM add-in program is causing the problem.
Determine which COM add-in program is causing the problem

To determine which COM add-in program is causing the problem, follow these steps:

1. Exit all Office programs.
2. Double-click the Wdaddin.reg icon on your desktop.
3. Click Yes, and then click OK.
4. Start Word in safe mode. About Office safe mode
5. If you are using Word 2003, follow these steps:
   Note If you are using Word 2013, Word 2010 or Word 2007, skip this step.
   1. Start Word, and then click Customize on the Tools menu.
   2. In the Customize dialog box, click Commands.
   3. In the Categories list, click Tools.
   4. In the Commands list, click COM Add-Ins, and then drag the command to one of the toolbars. Close the Customize dialog box.
6. Use one of the following procedures, as appropriate for the version of Word that you are running:
   Word 2013 or Word 2010
   1. On the File menu, click Options.
   2. Click Add-Ins.
   3. In the Manage list, click COM Add-Ins, and then click Go.
   4. If an add-in is listed in the COM Add-Ins dialog box, click to clear the add-in check box. If more than one add-in is listed, click to clear only one add-in check box at a time. This procedure helps determine which add-in is causing the problem.
   5. Click OK to close the COM Add-Ins dialog box.
   6. On the File menu, click Exit.
   Word 2007
   1. Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Word options.
   2. Click Add-ins.
   3. In the Manage list, click COM Add-ins, and then click Go.
   4. If an add-in is listed in the COM Add-Ins dialog box, click to clear the add-in check box. If more than one add-in is listed, click to clear only one add-in check box at a time. This procedure helps determine which add-in is causing the problem.
   5. Click OK to close the COM Add-Ins dialog box.
   6. Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Exit Word.
   Word 2003
   1. Click COM Add-Ins on the toolbar. You added this to the toolbar in step 5.
   2. If an add-in is listed in the COM Add-Ins dialog box, click to clear the add-in check box. If more than one add-in is listed, click to clear only one add-in check box at a time. This procedure helps determine which add-in is causing the problem.
   3. Click OK to close the COM Add-Ins dialog box.
   4. On the File menu, click Exit.
7. Start Word.
8. If the problem is resolved when you start Word, you have determined which COM add-in is causing the problem. If you must have the features that the add-in provides, you must determine which add-in includes those features so that you can contact the vendor for an update.
   
   If the problem is not resolved when you start Word, repeat steps 6 and 7 for each COM add-in that is listed. Repeat this procedure for each add-in, until you determine which add-in is causing the problem.
9. To restore the COM add-ins, repeat step 6, but click to select the check box for each COM add-in that you want to restore.