If Microsoft Word has started acting strangely, such as new documents opening with odd fonts or spacing, toolbars disappearing, crashes at startup, or settings that will not stay changed, resetting Word to its default settings often fixes it. Word does not have a single "factory reset" button, but you can get the same result by resetting its template, options, and customizations. This guide walks through each method, from the least to the most drastic, on Windows and Mac.
Quick Answer
Close Word, press Windows key + R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates, and press Enter. Rename Normal.dotm to Normal.old. When you reopen Word, it creates a fresh default template. If problems continue, run Quick Repair from Settings > Apps, or reset Word's settings in the registry.
What Each Reset Does
| Method | Resets | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Reset ribbon and toolbar | Ribbon tabs and Quick Access Toolbar | Very low |
| Rename Normal.dotm | Default fonts, styles, margins, macros, AutoText stored in the template | Low (keep the old file) |
| Quick or Online Repair | Damaged program files | Low |
| Reset registry settings | Word options, recent files, window positions | Medium (back up first) |
| Reinstall Office | Everything in the app | Medium (time-consuming) |
Method 1: Reset the Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar
- In Word, go to File > Options.
- Click Customize Ribbon.
- Next to Customizations, click Reset > Reset all customizations.
- Click Yes, then OK.
Method 2: Reset the Normal Template
The Normal.dotm template controls the default look of new documents and stores many customizations. A damaged or heavily modified template is a common cause of problems.
- Close Word and Outlook (Outlook can use Word's template).
- Press Windows key + R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates, and press Enter.
- Right-click Normal.dotm, choose Rename, and change it to Normal.old.
- Open Word. It creates a new, default Normal.dotm automatically.
If you had custom styles, macros, or AutoText you want back, you can copy them from Normal.old using Developer > Document Template > Organizer. To undo the reset entirely, delete the new Normal.dotm and rename Normal.old back.
Method 3: Start Word in Safe Mode to Test
Hold Ctrl while opening Word and click Yes, or press Windows key + R and run winword /safe. If Word works in Safe Mode, an add-in is likely the problem. Go to File > Options > Add-ins, choose COM Add-ins from the Manage box, click Go, and uncheck add-ins one at a time.
Method 4: Repair Office
- Close all Office apps.
- Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features (Windows 10) or Installed apps (Windows 11).
- Find Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office, and choose Modify.
- Select Quick Repair and click Repair. If that does not help, try Online Repair, which reinstalls Office and takes longer.
Method 5: Reset Word's Registry Settings (Advanced)
Word stores its options in the Windows registry. Resetting them returns Word to first-run defaults.
- Close Word.
- Press Windows key + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Word (16.0 is used by Microsoft 365 and Office 2016 through 2024; older versions use 15.0 for 2013).
- Right-click the Word key and choose Export to save a backup.
- Rename the Data subkey to Data.old, or rename the whole Word key to Word.old for a full reset.
- Open Word. It recreates the settings with defaults.
Editing the registry incorrectly can cause problems, so always export a backup first. To undo, double-click the exported .reg file.
Reset Word on a Mac
- Quit Word.
- In Finder, press Shift + Command + G and go to ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates.
- Move Normal.dotm to the desktop.
- Go to ~/Library/Preferences and move com.microsoft.Word.plist to the desktop, if present.
- Restart Word.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will resetting Word delete my documents?
No. Your documents are stored separately. Only settings and templates are affected.
How do I change Word's default font without resetting?
Go to Home, click the Font dialog launcher, choose your font, and click Set As Default > All documents based on the Normal template.
Why does Word keep changing my default settings?
The Normal template may be damaged, read-only, or replaced by an add-in. Resetting Normal.dotm usually fixes this.
Summary
- Reset ribbon customizations in File > Options > Customize Ribbon.
- Rename Normal.dotm to reset the default template.
- Test in Safe Mode and disable problem add-ins.
- Run Quick or Online Repair, then reset registry settings if needed.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.