Updating cross-references changes text to initial caps

The quickest discriminator is to update one affected NOTEREF through its context menu rather than with F9; if only F9 changes the surrounding words to title case, reset the F9 keyboard assignment or disable the macro/add-in intercepting it.

1. Compare F9 with Update Field

Work on a copy of the document.

1. Press Alt+F9 to return to field results.
2. Right-click one footnote cross-reference—the displayed note number itself.
3. Select Update Field.
4. Check whether the adjacent literal text remains see note X, supra.

Word documents F9 as “Update the selected fields,” while right-clicking a cross-reference and choosing Update Field performs the corresponding update through the UI.^1^^2^

• If right-click Update Field preserves the case: the likely issue is an altered F9 assignment or automation triggered by F9. Continue with step 2.
• If it also applies title case: skip to step 3.

2. Reset the F9 assignment

Word permits keyboard shortcuts to be assigned to commands, macros, fonts, and styles, and those assignments can be stored in the document or a template.^3^

1. Go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon.
2. At the bottom, next to Keyboard shortcuts, select Customize.
3. Click inside Press new shortcut key, then press F9.
4. Inspect Currently assigned to:
   • The normal assignment should be the field-update command.
   • If it shows a macro, case-changing command, or style, select that assignment under Current keys and choose Remove.
5. If other shortcuts may also have been altered, select Reset All.
   Caution: this removes all custom keyboard assignments in the selected customization context.
6. Close the dialogs, restart Word, and test F9 again on one field.

Also check Save changes in carefully: an assignment can reside in the current document/template or in Normal.dotm.

3. Inspect the full field and its formatting

A standard field such as:

{ NOTEREF bookmark \h }

contains only the generated note reference. It cannot itself rewrite adjacent literal words unless those words are actually inside a larger or nested field, or automation is modifying them.

With field codes displayed:

1. Click immediately before see and use the arrow keys to inspect the complete field boundaries.
2. Confirm that only the note number is inside the braces.
3. Look for a capitalization switch such as:

{ NOTEREF bookmark \h \* Caps }

The \* Caps switch capitalizes the first letter of each word in a field result. \* FirstCap, \* Upper, and \* Lower provide other capitalization behaviors.^4^

If \* Caps appears, remove it and update the field. However, because the code you reported lacks that switch—and see note and supra appear to be outside the field—this does not by itself explain the whole phrase changing.

4. Isolate templates and add-ins

If both F9 and Update Field change the surrounding text:

1. Close Word.
2. Press Windows+R.
3. Enter:

winword /safe

4. Open a copy of the document and test one cross-reference.

Office Safe Mode prevents additional features and programs from loading automatically and does not load toolbar customizations, making it suitable for identifying an add-in or template customization.^5^

If the problem disappears in Safe Mode:

1. Restart Word normally.
2. Go to File > Options > Add-ins.
3. At the bottom, select COM Add-ins > Go.
4. Disable add-ins, restart Word, and re-enable them one at a time until the behavior returns.
5. Also inspect the document’s attached template and global templates for macros that respond to field updates or replace the built-in update command.

5. Update the Microsoft 365 build

Version 2609 build 16.0.20430.20032 is a Current Channel (Preview) build, and later builds are available in the Microsoft 365 Apps update history.^6^ No matching title-casing symptom is listed on Microsoft’s public Word known-issues page.^7^

After preserving a test copy, use File > Account > Update Options > Update Now, then repeat the single-field test. If organizational policy controls updates, ask the Microsoft 365 administrator to move the device to a newer supported build or non-preview channel for comparison.

References

1. Keyboard shortcuts in Word
2. Update fields | Microsoft Support
3. Customize keyboard shortcuts | Microsoft Support
4. Format switch(*)
5. Open Office apps in safe mode on a Windows PC | Microsoft Support
6. Update history for Microsoft 365 Apps (listed by date)
7. Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Word for Windows