New Word documents have blank text...how to fix

Question

Microsoft Word version 16 for Mac. My text is not showing up in new documents and the cursor is not working. How do I fix this problem that started about a month ago.

Answer 1

Hi @Gordon,

Based on your sharing, if the problem happens on new Word documents, the most likely cause is that your Word template (Normal.dotm) on Mac is damaged. Another factor can be considered is an effect from an add-in.

Therefore, I suggest trying this guidance in order to narrow down the issue step by step:

1/ Check for updates first

• Microsoft provides regular updates about performance and optimization for Office for Mac. Therefore, it's worth first checking if there is any update in Word > Help > Check for Updates.

2/ Reset the Word default templates

• Completely quit Word first by right clicking the Word icon in the taskbar below > Quit
• Go to Finder and move your cursor to Go. Then hold Option to make "Library" show up > click "Library"
• Then go to this path: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates
• Find Normal.dotm file > rename it to a different name like Normal.old or something > save the name > close Finder
• Reopen Word again so Word can recreate a new fresh Normal.dotm. Then try testing to see if Word works properly now.

3/ Disable add-ins

• Open Word and navigate to:
  • Insert > Add-ins > My add-ins
  • Tools > Templates and Add-ins
• Turn off/disable the add-ins in these locations temporarily and try testing with a new blank document to see if the issue persists. If Word works properly now, re-add/enable the add-in one by one to identify which one has caused the issue

Please understand that my initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, you can try these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to find a solution.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.    

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I'm looking forward to your reply.

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