Microsoft word update issues

McWain, Heidy (OFM) 0 Reputation points
2026-10-16T15:57:42.4533333+00:00

Hello,

We recently completed an update to our Microsoft Office products, and since then I have encountered several issues with my Word documents. Many of the custom styles I had created appear to have been removed, and the Narrow Margins setting would not reapply correctly, requiring me to manually correct inconsistent margins throughout the document.

Additionally, a custom bullet style I created was unexpectedly converted into a picture insert after the update. Unfortunately, this all occurred in a finalized user guide, and I am concerned that the same issue may have affected other Word documents as well.

This is the first time I have experienced document formatting problems following one of the many Microsoft Office updates we regularly receive.

  1. Is this a known issue related to a recent Microsoft Office or Word update?
  2. Is there a method to recover or restore lost custom styles, templates, or formatting settings? Or restore my document without having to manually override the update changes?
  3. Are there recommended settings or best practices to ensure custom styles, bullets, margins, and formatting remain embedded in the document and are not impacted by future updates?

Once I have restored the affected formatting and styles, could you please advise on how to ensure that my custom settings, styles, and document formatting are permanently retained within saved documents and do not change following future updates or when the documents are edited? I do not save in OneDrive as it is not where others are able to access business documents without giving direct permission.

Thank you for your assistance.

Heidy

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For business | Other
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. John Korchok 236.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-10-16T16:38:59.8066667+00:00

    Please choose File>Options>Add-ins and change the Manage dropdown to Templates. Click on the Go button. Verify that Automatically update document styles is unchecked. This option is a common cause of styles spontaneously changing.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. srijana rana 0 Reputation points
    2026-10-16T16:03:42.9566667+00:00

    Hello Heidy,

    I would recommend following this recovery sequence to avoid losing any more formatting.

    Create a backup: Close Word and make a copy of the affected document before making any changes. Keep the original unchanged.

    Recover an earlier version: Check the shared drive, backup system, or File → Info for an earlier version of the document. If a previous version is available, compare it with the affected file and use it to recover the original formatting.

    Restore custom styles: Open the document in Word desktop and check Home → Styles. If the styles are missing, use Word's Organizer to copy them from an older document or template that still contains them. Also check the Normal.dotm template for previously saved custom styles.

    Restore margins: Go to Layout → Margins → Narrow and apply the setting to the whole document. If some pages still have different margins, check the section breaks and correct the affected sections individually.

    Restore the custom bullets: Select the affected list and go to Home → Bullets → Define New Bullet. Recreate the bullet using the original symbol or restore the original graphic from a backup if it was an image-based bullet.

    Save and verify: Save the repaired document under a new filename, close Word, reopen the file and check the styles, bullets, and margins. Compare it with the original layout to ensure the changes have been retained.

    Prevent future issues: Once the document is restored, save a clean master copy and create a reusable Word template (.dotx) containing the approved styles and formatting. Store it on the business shared drive and maintain a separate backup.

    Finally, check File → Account → About Word to record the installed Microsoft 365 version and build. Compare the update history with the date the issue first appeared and consult Microsoft's known-issues documentation. This will help determine whether the update is connected to the problem.

    These steps should help recover the document systematically before making any further changes to Office settings.

    Best regards

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.