Does anyone know how I can change the default of Word opening up all my documents in the Markup mode? This is very annoying. Using OfficeMac 2011. Thanks.

What do you mean by "markup"? If you are seeing nonprinting marks such as paragraph marks (¶), just click the ¶ button on the Home tab.

If you are referring to Track Changes, note that you must accept all changes and then turn off the tracking.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Stefan:

When any MS Word document is opened, it is automatically in Markup mode. That is, "Markup" is checked in the View drop-down menu. And all the documents are highlighted with tracking changes, comments, and history. I never used such tracking, and it is very irritating that I have to "un-check" Markup every time just to see the document in plain Draft or Print Layout.

Is this literally with all documents, both new and existing ones?

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Good question, Stefan! Answering this led me back to all my Word documents through 2005. Sometime in 2007, all the documents start looking like marked-up copy, with all the red highlights, and arrows, etc. HOWEVER, ALL my Word documents have the Markup option checked in the View menu, though they do not all display the markups. ?????

You need to open your Normal template, accept changes, and turn off Track Changes in that template. Erase any text. Then save. That should handle it.
Normal Template in Microsoft Word - How to Open

An alternative, if you do not have other customizations saved in the Normal template, would be to find and rename that template with Word closed. Then reopen Word.

If that does not solve the problem, chances are you have a really strange Add-In.