When I try to delete or rename a file in Word or Excel the screen goes blank then resets.

[Stowmartian]

When I try to delete or rename a file in Word or Excel the screen goes blank then resets. Unable to complete task

[WAWood]

@Stowmartian 

MS Office products save the full pathnames to files that you have created and/or modified.  If that file is on removable media or if you delete, rename, or move the file outside of MS Office, it will not know that and will think the file still exists in its old location.

You should rename and/or delete the file using File Manager and then, when you get back into MS Office, open the new file directly from the File menu instead of clicking on any saved entry.