Word Documents

Josh Bauwens 0 Reputation points
2026-07-10T17:04:32.8533333+00:00

I accidentally pressed the control button instead of the shift key for a capital letter while putting information in the file.

I got it back, but it has red lines through everything and won't let me do anything. How do I restore the file like it was before I hit the control R?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For business | Windows
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  1. Charles Kenyon 168.2K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-07-10T22:24:46.8333333+00:00

    If the red lines are showing deletions in Track Changes, you would want to Reject Changes rather than accept them.

    A possible series of keystrokes for this, with Track Changes on would be Ctrl+A followed by just about any keystroke.

    You may want to use Undo rather than rejecting all changes to back out of the error, but that relies on catching it early and not having closed/re-opened the document.

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  2. Stefan Blom 344.8K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-07-10T18:29:15.5566667+00:00

    If this is indeed Track Changes (which seems likely based on your description), go to the Review tab in Word, click the arrow on the Accept button and then click Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking.

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  3. Alexis-NG 17,470 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-07-10T17:29:16.7+00:00

    Hi Josh,

    It sounds like Track Changes may have been turned on accidentally on your side. When Track Changes is enabled, Word can show red lines, strikethrough text, and markup throughout the document.

    Try this in Microsoft Word:

    1. Open the Review tab.
    2. Select Track Changes to turn it off (if it's highlighted). Track changes drop down Off, For Everyone, Just Mine
    3. In the Display for Review or Show Markup area, choose No Markup to hide the red lines and see the document normally.
    4. If you want to permanently remove the red markup, use Review > Accept > Accept All Changes.

    If the text still has a line through it after turning off Track Changes, some text may have been formatted with Strikethrough rather than tracked changes. In that case, select the affected text and press Ctrl + D, then clear the Strikethrough checkbox.

    For more information, please consult Track changes in Word | Microsoft Support

    I hope this provides enough clarity and helps you stay inform with your current situation.

    If this recommendation isn't aligned with your situation, please share the screenshot of the error you're encountering, and I'll be happy to assist you further with a more detailed investigation.

    Thank you for your patience and your understanding. 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.   


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