Can't remove column on left side of page.

James Argiro 20 Reputation points
2026-10-11T21:15:46.1733333+00:00

Word for Mac: How to remove a lengthwise column/section that is suddenly appearing on the left side in all my Word documents.

It's narrow and separated by a bold line down the page. The word "normal" is also imbedded in the column.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | MacOS
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  1. Bob Jones AKA CyberTaz MVP 437.9K Reputation points
    2026-10-12T01:15:37.14+00:00
    1. The Style Area is displayed & the program is in either Draft or Outline View. If you switch to Print Layout View the Style Area will not be displayed.
    2. A value for Style Area Width has been set in Word> Preferences> View - Show Window Elements. To turn the Style Area off altogether go to that preference & set the value to 0.

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  2. John Jefferson Doyon 89,550 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-11T21:56:36.0633333+00:00

    Hi, @James Argiro

    Does this narrow column with the word "Normal" appear when Word is in "Draft" or "Outline" view, or does it also appear in "Print Layout"?

    If it only appears in Draft or Outline view, it is most likely the "Style Area" pane.

    Try going to "View" > "Print Layout". That should remove the column.

    If you prefer to stay in Draft view, go to "Word" > "Preferences" or "Settings" > "View", then set "Style area width" to 0.

    Click "Add comment" to let me know.

    Thanks!

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