Windows 11 · Windows

Reset Microsoft Word to Default Settings on Windows

Source-checked 5 August 2026About 10 minutes

Answer

Rename Word's Normal.dotm template so Word creates a fresh default template, then repair Microsoft 365 only if the problem remains. Renaming preserves a reversible copy of custom styles, macros, and AutoText.

Close every Office app

Save open documents and quit Word, Outlook, and other Office apps that may load Word's template.

Open the Templates folder

Press Windows+R, enter %AppData%\Microsoft\Templates, and choose OK. This opens the current user's template folder without editing the registry.

Rename Normal.dotm

Rename Normal.dotm to OldNormal.dotm. Do not delete it because it can contain custom styles, macros, and AutoText.

Read Microsoft's Normal template guidance

Let Word create a fresh template

Open Word and create a blank document. Word creates a new Normal.dotm when the original is unavailable.

Test the original symptom

Repeat the broken action and check the default font, margins, styles, or startup behavior before restoring any old customization.

Repair Microsoft 365 if needed

If the issue remains, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select Microsoft 365 or Office, choose Modify, and start with Quick Repair before Online Repair.

Open Microsoft's full Word reset options

If it does not work

If Normal.dotm is not visible, enable file name extensions and confirm you opened the current user's AppData Templates folder.
If the problem returns after restoring OldNormal.dotm, the old template or one of its customizations is the likely cause.

Sources and verification

Checked against official documentation on 5 August 2026. Scope: Windows.

Follow the linked first-party guidance if labels differ after a platform or app update.