2 problems with Microsoft Word

Question

I'm using a Macbook Air with OS Sonoma, and I have a Microsoft Word app that's under a school account. I have already rebooted my computer, but that did not fix these 2 problems. I've also uninstalled and reinstalled Word, but that did not fix these problems either. And for some reason, I only have these problems with Word, not with Powerpoint.

1. First of all, when I start a new Word document, and I press the return button to drop down to the next line, it automatically skips a line. So every single time, I have to click the format tab, click on paragraph, and select "don't add space between paragraphs of the same style". I have also selected "set as default", but this never becomes the default.
2. Second of all, the autosave toggle in Word can never be turned on. It's always in the off position. When I click on Save As, and then I choose OneDrive, the autosave toggle does not move to the on position.

Answer 1

Dear Ajchu,

Good day! Thank you for contacting the Microsoft Community. We are here to assist you

I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble with Microsoft Word on your MacBook Air. We need some additional information to get exact cause of the issue.  Could you please provide the following details:

1. Can you check what license assigned to your user? You can check the subscription by navigate to "My Account"? Please share the screenshot.
2. Have you tried modifying the Normal.dotm template to see if the changes stick across new documents?
3. Is the document saved directly to OneDrive or SharePoint, and not just locally on your Mac? is OneDrive syncing properly?"

Meanwhile, I am sharing you some general guidelines to tackle these issues one by one.

1. Line Spacing Issue if **** Word is adding extra space between paragraphs by default. You can try to fix this by below three methods:

1. Modify the Normal Template by opening a new Word document. Go to the Format tab, then Paragraph. Set the spacing to "Don't add space between paragraphs of the same style". Click Set As Default at the bottom of the dialog box. Choose "All documents based on the Normal.dotm template" and click OK.
2. Check the Style Settings: by going to the Home tab.Right-click on the Normal style in the Styles gallery and select Modify. Ensure the paragraph spacing is set correctly and click OK.
3. Reset Word Preferences: Close Word. Go to Finder > Go > Go to Folder and type ~/Library/Preferences. Find and delete the file named com.microsoft.Word.plist. Restart Word and see if the issue persists.

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2. AutoSave Toggle Issue the AutoSave feature should work when your document is saved to OneDrive or SharePoint. Here are some steps to troubleshoot this:

1. Check OneDrive Connection: Make sure you are signed in to OneDrive with your school account. Ensure OneDrive is running and syncing properly.
2. Update Office: Go to Help > Check for Updates in Word. Make sure you have the latest updates installed.
3. Reset Word Preferences: Similar to the line spacing issue, resetting Word preferences can sometimes resolve AutoSave issues.

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Please accept my apologies for asking more detailed information, however, as the moderators in this community have limited resources and permission to verify the backend information.

I hope you are staying safe and well! Have a great day and take care! 😊 

Sincerely, 

Naren | Microsoft Community Moderator