Big formatting problem when collaborating using word online and desktop

Question

I made a document using word online and save it in a shared sharepoint document section.

A colleague opened the document using word desktop for editing. What happened was:

1. all headings dissapeared. The summary got empty,
2. most of the format changed: the font, that was Calibri, turned to Times, even the size and the color of most text changed.
3. Most of the text with link, lost the link

Sombody has had similar problems while collaborating, particularly if using both Word online and desktop? are there any solutions?

Answer 1

Hi, I'll answer the questions:

We are italian, and the apps are set in italian,

1. When the situation happened on your colleague’s side, what if you open the document in the browser or in the Word application on your side, are you in the same situation?

The situation happens when my colleague open the word on his word client (Word for Office 365). He doesen't see the format I made, and after he opened with the client, I does not either.

I see new and different styles applied: example "Titolo 1" (that is "Heading1" in Italian) turn to "Heading 11" (in english, but do not appear in summary). I also see "Heading 21", "Heading 31", "Heading 41".

If you are in the same situation, I would like to suggest you check the Version History of this document, compare it with the previous version, check who and when edited the document, and cause this situation.

In the version history there is nothing. My colleague today only open the docx in the client, did not make any editing, but the shared words modify, probably a sync.

2. Does the situation exist in a specific document or also in other online files?

I started using microsoft 365 recently do not try with others docs.

3. Please provide the Office version on your colleague’s side. If you can reproduce the same situation, please also provide your Office version.

My collegues use Microsoft 365 with a desltop client, Word for Office 365.

I do not use the client, only the browser Chrome and word online, with a Chromebook.

Click File> Account, please take a screenshot including Subscription Product and About Word.

 

Answer 2

Hi Cotroneo Francesco,

Thanks for posting in the community.

According to your description, when another user opened the online document in the Word application, the format, the hyperlinks and the content have been changed. To troubleshoot the situation, I would like to collect more information.

1. When the situation happened on your colleague’s side, what if you open the document in the browser or in the Word application on your side, are you in the same situation?

If you are in the same situation, I would like to suggest you check the Version History of this document, compare it with the previous version, check who and when edited the document, and cause this situation.

2. Does the situation exist in a specific document or also in other online files?
3. Please provide the Office version on your colleague’s side. If you can reproduce the same situation, please also provide your Office version.

Click File> Account, please take a screenshot including Subscription Product and About Word.

Regards,

George