Word Viewer

Word Viewer: View DOCX and DOC Files Without Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word Viewer is a free, lightweight tool from Microsoft that lets you open, view, and print Word documents (DOC, DOCX, RTF) even if you don’t have Microsoft Office or Word installed on your computer. It was especially popular in the 2000s and early 2010s when not everyone had a full Office license.

Although Microsoft officially retired Word Viewer in November 2017 and removed it from their download servers, many users and organizations still keep archived copies because it remains one of the fastest and most compatible ways to open old or modern Word files on Windows XP through Windows 10 without installing the entire Office suite.

Key Features

• Completely free (no license required)
• Supports .doc, .docx, .rtf and several other formats
• View, copy text, and print documents
• Small download size (~25–40 MB depending on version)
• Works offline, no internet connection needed
• No editing capability (read-only, which is actually a security advantage)

System Requirements

• Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, or 10 (32-bit & 64-bit)
• Works perfectly on older machines with limited resources

Note: Since Microsoft ended support, we host a clean, virus-free archived copy of the latest official release (WordViewer.exe, version 12.0.6612.1000, digitally signed by Microsoft).

Safe • No installation of toolbars or extra software • Works on Windows 11 with compatibility mode if needed.

If you only need to view Word documents occasionally, Word Viewer is still one of the cleanest and most reliable solutions available.