Word not displaying table data with merged cells after updates

Question

Windows 10, Office 2016 Pro Plus both fully patched.  Have a word document that includes multiple tables, in each table there are merged cells.  If the cell is merged you can't click on the cell or see the data in the cell.  If you copy the table out of word and paste it into excel the data shows.  If you un-merge the cells and paste it back into word it shows all of the data.  I tried this on a system that is not patched and the merged tables display properly in word.  Why would an Office update break pasting merged cells into a word document?  Any advise on this will be greatly appreciated, this is impacting over 4600 documents at this time and I am sure we will be finding many more.  Here is a screen shot of a sample table and what word is doing with it.  You can't click in the blank cells once it is in word.  Thanks all

Answer 1

I did the patches that were released and it fixed the problem.  Make sure that you have the patches that are identified above uninstalled, after you run your updates.  If you can't uninstall or run the updates just show your IT folks this page and it will help them fix it.

Answer 2

This is most probably the same issue as described in https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/msoffice_word-mso_win10-mso_2016/issue-merging-word-tables-after-applying-kb3213656/aeae7b7f-3db8-467d-80db-da8d02a8140e .

This time the patch introducing the issue can be uninstalled without security concerns.

But I'm seriously concerned that the next patch containing also security updates for Word 2016 WILL reintroduce the issue if Microsoft does not investigate and fix it in time.

So please keep us updated!

The problem should also be described as a known issue in https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3213656/august-8-2017-update-for-word-2016-kb3213656.

Probably the patch should even be revoked as text in the vertically merged cells becomes invisible and uneditable!

Answer 3

I have the same problem since last week, probably wed. or thursday. The IT person does not care to look into this as he has too much work.

Just great to have an update that brings a new issue! I am better off at home with my word 2010 version which is not updated. So having a monthly or yearly subscription to have the latest version only makes you sure you will get updates that bring new problems, and you need to wait for the next update, a month later, for it to be fixed. Where is the point in that?? Now every time there is an update, you have to be aware that what worked before might not work anymore??

Answer 4

Thank you GBorn for the reply.  I went back through and even after uninstalling KB3213656 it reinstalled.  I did eventually find that KB4011039 did install.  When I went to uninstall the patches they actually showed up 4 times each.  I uninstalled 1 of each and the rest disappeared from the list.  Uninstalling both patches does fix the problem.  I think that with Windows 10 there is a delay with the updates going from the Update History list to the uninstall an update screen.  Not sure if it is reboot related or not.  I know when I looked the other day neither patch was showing on the Uninstall screen.  Thanks for keeping us in the know.  Please let us know if there is any other information from Microsoft about this.  Thanks again!

Answer 5

As a workaround, you can uninstall this update, and your tables will return to normal. We anticipate releasing the fix for these issues in the next monthly update that's tentatively scheduled for October 3, 2017. For more information, see the following Microsoft article:

After installing KB 3213656 or KB 4011039, merged table cells don't work correctly in Word or Outlook