When I click on any heading style (e.g. Heading 2) it does not apply the style. Looking in the dropdown list I can see that it creates another heading style called Heading,2 - this then is applied everywhere I want to make a heading no matter what level I want the heading to be. And anyway, not even Heading 2 is applied. In documents I created when Styles was working properly, same problem. If i create a new file and write text and try to apply styles, same problem. If I try and apply heading style via the "Level" in the Paragraph dialogue box, the heading style is not applied. The documents as such are not corrupted, the Style file or whatever is corrupted, it seems to me. I am using Microsoft 365 and Windows 10. I have tried reinstalling Microsoft 365 but same problem. I have searched online but can find no trace of this problem, so I am hoping someone here can help me. Thank you for your expertise.
I can post a screenshot.

Can you post a sample document with the problem? How to attach a file in this forum.

Try renaming your Normal.dotm template with Word closed and then creating a new document. Same problem?

• Where is the Normal Template / How to Find the Normal Template

Thank you Charles, I appreciate you attention. I have followed your suggestion and renamed the Normal.dotm template, but same problem. I will now post a screen shot, and a file example.

2020-12-04 (2).png

And.docx

I have now been reading back through the pages on this forum, and I have come across what sounds like the same problem! https://www.msofficeforums.com/word/...-selected.html

Jamesh said that the only way the problem was solved was to delete the user profile. How is a user profile relevant, and how does it become affected in the first place?
I am worried about deleting my user profile because losing all my files and and settings etc. Is there not another way of addressing this problem? I hope so, phew.

Do NOT go creating a new user profile based on what you've read. I don not know that it was necessary in the other thread and certainly do not know it is in your thread.

Another thing to try would be renaming your list gallery with Word closed.
If no one else has done so by then, I will look at your document tomorrow. Now it is my bedtime.

Thank you Charles, I will follow your advice and not create a new user profile.


When you say "rename" the normal.dotm and my list gallery, is it necessary then to delete the old files? I did not do so with the normal.dotm. I will not proceed in renaming the list gallery until I hear from you in this regard, thank you.

Renaming them means Word recreates them both when it opens (in the event it can't find a file with that name in that location). You could delete them both but if you later discover that there was something in either of those files that you want to recover, it is a simpler task because the files are still there (just with a different name).

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Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia

Hello Andrew, thank you. Help me understand please: I renamed normal.dotm as normal-old.dotm. They both now appear in the template folder. (1) Are you saying that if I delete normal.dotm, it will just recreate that file when I open Word again? (2) If both files are in the template folder, which one is functional - which one does Word draw from? (2) if they are both still viable, as it were, what is the point of renaming the original file, and if there is a problem in that file, will it not still then recur?
Thank you for taking the time to assist me.
Richard

Charles, I opened the folder you directed to me and found the ListGal.dat file. I was astonished to find that all the files I have opened since this problem began appear in that folder! For example: 1%20Kendall%20Wilke%20Thesis%20clean30853917126204 3585
Is this usual?

I have renamed the ListGal.dat file, same problem

When I say "rename" I mean change the name. I do not mean "delete."

Try renaming the entire folder. Again, with Word closed.

1. Yes, if you rename (or delete) Normal.dotm then Word recreates a new, unadulterated version in the same location. The fresh one is not a copy of the one you renamed - it is a new starting point as if you just installed Word. This means it doesn't carry any of the content or corruptions that your previous version may have had. The reason we rename it instead of deleting it is it gives you an opportunity to access it if you later discover that you wanted to copy something out of it into your new version.

2. If both files are in the folder, only the Normal.dotm is available when Word is open UNLESS you also open the other one either by File New; attaching to a document; loading as an addin; or choosing to Open it directly. If you do any of these, both Normal.dotm and Normal-old.dotm will be 'active'.

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Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia

Thanks for your explanation Andrew.