Word crashes when Add-In attaches a template

This is likely a regression introduced in Word Version 2606 (Build 20131.20154), which was a Current Channel build from July 14, 2026 and included multiple Word security updates. A silent crash when a COM add-in programmatically attaches a macro-enabled template—with no error message and Word later disabling the add-in—strongly points to a Word-side issue rather than your decades-old add-in or template.

The earlier response suggesting “attaching vs. loading” is not the root cause here, although loading the template as a global add-in may serve as a temporary workaround. If your add-in uses AttachedTemplate, the crash likely occurs during that call, not simply because you are loading the template as a global template.

To confirm and resolve:

 1. Check the faulting module
Reproduce the crash, then open Event Viewer → Windows Logs → Application. Look for Event ID 1000 with WINWORD.EXE. Note the Faulting module name (e.g., vbe7.dll, wwlib.dll, mso.dll) and Exception code.

 2. Test with an empty macro-enabled template
Create a brand-new .dotm with no code and attach it via your add-in.

• If it crashes → the problem is the attachment call itself.
• If it works → the existing template’s VBA project is triggering the bug.

 3. Roll back to the last good build
If you have admin rights, close all Office apps, then run this command on a test machine to revert to the previous Current Channel build (20131.20126):

"%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun\OfficeC2RClient.exe" /update user updatetoversion=16.0.20131.20126

This will confirm whether the crash is build-specific.

 4. Report to Microsoft
Use the Word Feedback button (or the Feedback Hub) and include: build number, crash details from Event Viewer, and the exact steps to reproduce. Microsoft does monitor these reports, even if they do not reply directly.

Do not modify your add-in or rebuild the template yet. The evidence points to a Word regression, and changing your working components now could mask the real issue.

If you can provide the Event Viewer entry from one of the crashes, it may be possible to analyze it against likely Word/VBA/COM failure paths. That will be much more informative than doing speculative template repairs.

My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

Hope this will help you.