A family of Microsoft word processing software products for creating web, email, and print documents.
I am having exactly the same problem (and have been a daily MS Word user for decades. The problem showed up with upgrades and access since the beginning of 2026. It makes editing a long document on a laptop or a desktop an absolute nightmare.
I do not believe this is user error (I have done of course all the checks here recommended) but a glitch in the software related to the overbearing presence of AI assistance in the software, which I have also had to disable repeatedly, since it thinks it knows more about my work than I do and keep introducing errors.
I would love to know how to disable the AI assistant permanently (I do not want this help; I am an experienced writer) and I deeply wish word to be fixed. I do not work online on word because I am often in areas with shaky connections.
PLEASE FIX THIS PROBLEM Microsoft. And stop pretending your users are naive and stupid.