mDNSResponder High CPU with Microsoft Word

Hello!

I’ve been having this issue for the last few months and, despite upgrading OS’s and uninstalling and reinstalling different versions of the application, nothing has worked.

In short, whenever I have Microsoft Word open, inevitably I will notice high CPU usage from my MacBook Pro. Looking at Activity Monitor, I will see that the CPU usage of Microsoft Word will exceed 100%. But below it I will see concurrently high CPU usage from the process mDNSResponder, around 90-100%. This may take 15 minutes to happen after opening up Word, or a few hours. But it will always happen in the end.

The CPU usage for Microsoft Word is normally below 10% when the mDNSREsponder issue does not emerge.

If left alone, Word will crash and mDNSResponder will go back to below 1% CPU usage. I can also quit Microsoft Word, which will also end the high CPU usage from mDNSResponder.

Either way, the high CPU usage from mDNSResponder is connected with Microsoft Word. It happened once with Microsoft Outlook, but no other apps. This has been occurring for the last few months, while I still had Mac OS Big Sur. Upgrading to Monterrey has not resolved the situation.

Here are things that I have done to try to resolve this issue:

1. I’ve uninstalled Microsoft Word and other Office applications, and reinstalling the upgrade via the Microsoft website. This did not work.
2. I’ve uninstalled Microsoft Word and other Office applications, and installed the same programs from the Mac App store. I had a few hours of peace before the situation started up again.
3. I’ve tried force quitting the mDNSResponder process on Activity Monitor. The process immediately returns and at the same high CPU usage.
4. I’ve installed LittleSnitch to try to look at my network, but I didn’t notice much traffic. Blocking off Microsoft Word from using my network didn’t work either, be it through the app or through the Firewall feature in System Preferences.

As someone who relies heavily on Microsoft for academic writing, this situation is becoming untenable. If you have any suggestions, I’m all ears!

Device: MacBook Pro, 2017, 3.1 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5, 16 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3

Thanks! 🙏