How to fix microsoft word - new documents open with a blank page that is not white

Question

I have recently bought a new macbook and a new microsoft subscription.

When redeeming the microsoft subscription on the laptop, it identifies that I have also bought a previous subscription in 2022 (that I use on a separate tablet). When I go to open microsoft word, it advises me to choose one of the subscriptions, but they are the same subscription, so I have no idea which is the new one and which is the old one, so I pick one and I can see that I have immediate access to documents from my tablet (so I suppose I picked the old one). The problem is that when I open a new blank document, it comes up as truly blank (no white background - see screenshot).

Is this problem because of the two subscriptions and choosing the one that is attached to my tablet? Or is it some other issue?

How do I fix this?

Answer 1

Hi @Lachlan Aquilina

It look like the dark mode is enabled.

Please go to Word > Preferences > General > Personalize and select Turn off Dark Mode. 

For more, please refer to: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dark-mode-in-word-e17b79a3-762f-4280-a81c-a15a859a693a#ID0EDD=Microsoft_365_for_Mac.

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Answer 2

When you open a new document, then it is a copy of the template "Normal.dotm", so I guess your template is mixed up.

See MS Support: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-the-default-settings-for-new-documents-430b4132-e129-46e4-97d2-19c326352c7f

=> Change other default settings in the Normal template