Pages no longer opens Word (.docx) documents

Same issue : all docx files are programmed to be open with viber (the same issue also for xlsx file but not pptx files) : it is an association/file kind issue and the same is also true on iOS 18 when a docx file is sent via email. I spent quite some time on it and even performed a reset of launchd : it worked but messed up "system settings" and the issue came back upon reboot. I had to reinstall the previous version as I relie a lot on quicklook ...

I am using one drive and Sharepoints, not sure if this makes a difference. Quite bothering ...

What worked for me in this end was a clean install... Took forever but worked (made sure to not reinstall skype). Not sure what caused the issue in the first place. Maybe wait until the end of next week for the 18.0.1 update ? Could fix it (or not) ....

Have you tried my solution? Pages no longer opens Word (.docx) docume… - Apple Community

it looks like working for most of the folks

Have you uninstalled the original app? It was Viber for me.

Please post to: Feedback - MacBook Pro - Apple

more we post, bigger the possibility it gets high on their agenda and fix this.

Unfortunately this doesn't work. First of all, you have to switch from "Recommended Applications" to "All Applications" in the "Choose an application to open the document…" window, to even be able to select Pages. But the it will rightly open Pages when I double click on a .docx file in the Finder, but it will not load in the document.

And when you're in Pages, and select "Open…", .docx files are disabled in the file list, so you cannot select them.

If this was an operating system or Pages issue I would have the same problem and do not. Thus, it is something that has touched and corrupted the Word documents that is the source of the problem. Finding that may take some work. People don't seem to believe me that opening and resaving a problematic Word document in LibreOffice won't make a difference… and it may not, but certainly worth the small effort in case it works. It has worked for me in the past when Pages wouldn't open a Word document. It worked even as far back as StarOffice on Solaris.

looks like that beside the below solutions/reset for me it was needed also to disable icloud sync for Viber from the connected iphone on the same Apple ID.

Yup, I found it myself after a while and this solution has few other downsides. I am considering erasing all data and making fresh macOS reinstall, because it is the only solution that works for 100%. It looks like it happens with few people who have been updating their Mac’s for several years.

I had kinda similar issue with one system library after switching to Apple silicon, but I found and replaced the token library. This time it is really strange.

Interesting : I also tried this and it failed (upon reboot). I therefore downgraded. Would quicklook work (space bar once on the docx file is selected) ? Thanks !

https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/s/zG2yLVOYZt :) even this might help for those having iPhone and Mac connected.

I might not have been clear in my follow-up, but:

I can change the default app in "Open with:" to Pages, and apply "Change All…". That's all fine and good. Pages will then launch, but still not open the document.

As I also stated, it will open the document if I rename it to .doc instead of .docx, so there's nothing wrong with the documents (it's all .docx documents, not just a single one).

Numbers is not an Excel clone, and if there is too much Excel-only functionality in that document, Numbers will reject opening and translating it. That Excel file may have been corrupted by Skype or Viber too.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, open the Excel file in the current (24.8.1) LibreOffice Calc and then resave as Excel 2010 - 365.xlsx document. Then try opening that in Numbers. You will need macOS Catalina or later to run that version of LibreOffice.

@VikiingOSX Thank you for trying to help, but the way you are trying - I am wondering if your birth year is after 2000?

Opening new document in numbers, putting one letter or keeping it empty, exporting to xlsx, and can not be opened by numbers. It is not the file or content it is extension and data type/Kind that make troubles here.