get error when trying to add developer tab to ribbon in Word 365

Question

so I have a user that tried to add the developer tab to her Word 365 ribbon and an error pops up saying "the server drafts location you entered for offline editing is not valid or you do not have permissions to access that location. Specify a location on your local computer"every employee has an office 365 account.I tried a reg edit fix I found online1. Right-click on the start button, choose Run then type regedit to open the registry editor.2. Browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Common\Offline\Options3. Right-click and choose New > String and type Location as the name.4. Right-click on Location, choose Modify, and add the path to your documents folder. (You can put any path there; Word no longer uses that field.)”but she has no "offline" folder under Common (neither do I but I am able to add the tab on my pc)I tried repairing office, no luck. uninstalled and reinstalled office, no luck.currently she is the only one I have found that can't add the developer tab.

Answer 1

Dear Mike P..,

Good day! Thank you for posting to Microsoft Community. We are happy to help you.

We are sorry to hear that you’re having trouble when trying to add developer tab to the ribbon in Word 365. I deeply understand the inconvenience caused and apologize for it.

We appreciate your understanding that sometimes the initial response may not resolve the problem immediately. However, we can work together to narrow down and resolve the situation. So, for further troubleshooting, could you please provide the information below:

1. Could you please let me know if you have tried right-clicking on the Word shortcut, selecting 'Run as administrator,' and then checking if you can now add the Developer tab to the ribbon?
2. Could you please let me know if the issue still persists when you are running the Word app in safe mode? Open Office apps in safe mode on a Windows PC - Microsoft Support
3. Could you please provide me the specific OS version the affected are using?
4. Could you please provide me the specific Office app version the affected are using? About Office: What version of Office am I using? - Microsoft Support

Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. We appreciate your patience and understanding and thank you for your time and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Ralph Chawatama | Microsoft Community Moderator

Answer 2

1. Could you please let me know if you have tried right-clicking on the Word shortcut, selecting 'Run as administrator,' and then checking if you can now add the Developer tab to the ribbon? No she never tried that (see below)
2. Could you please let me know if the issue still persists when you are running the Word app in safe mode? Open Office apps in safe mode on a Windows PC - Microsoft Support never got to try that (see below)
3. Could you please provide me the specific OS version the affected are using? Windows 11 Pro
4. Could you please provide me the specific Office app version the affected are using? Office 365

She came up with a solution,

She opened a word doc from the C drive that was over a yr old and was able to add the developer tab to the Word ribbon. she closed that doc and opened a Word doc she created today and the tab is there. Not sure what prompted her to try that or why it worked but problem solved.

Answer 3

Hi Mike P..,

It's great that the issue got resolved.

Yes, it is a bit unusual that it worked, but since the error was related to permissions to access a specific location, it kinder makes sense. Thank you for your feedback. I will keep this in mind in case this happens to other users in the future.

Sincerely,

Ralph Chawatama | Microsoft Community Moderator