After going to an entry in a table of contents and using the Quick Access Toolbar back button or Alt and left arrow key to return, the table of contents goes into update mode. How can I prevent this? I have Microsoft Office Home and Student 2016.



Thanks,
Cliff Tussey

When you say it "goes into update mode," could you describe in more detail what you are seeing? What I see is that the TOC becomes shaded. That is the behavior on my settings when I am in a field, and the TOC is a field.

However, it is not updating.

If it is updating on your computer, try starting Word in safe mode and see if you get the same behavior.
Open Office apps in safe mode on a Windows PC - Microsoft Office


I assume you added a Back button to the QAT because that is not part of the default.

I'm seeing the table of contents with a line boundary around the table of contents with 2 tabs on the top. Both have icons and the second says Update. I tried to bring a picture of the table of contents on return into the thread without much luck so far. I have not tried safe mode yet.

Those safe mode start options don't seem to work for me. Yes, I did add the back button that way. I tried the CTRL and double click on my desktop shortcut, and I tried WINWORD /safe in DOS in the root/Office16 directory.

To start in safe mode with your document

1. Close Word.
2. Find the icon for the document giving you problems.
3. Hold down your Ctrl key.
4. Double-click on the icon for your document to open it with the Ctrl key down.
5. Release the Ctrl key
6. Word should ask you if you want to start in safe mode
7. Answer yes

What you are seeing does not mean that it is updating, it means that the Content Control around the TOC is there.

I generally avoid using either of the building blocks which add that Content Control. I use the Custom TOC which just inserts the field without the Content Control. The Content Control adds no value and slows things down.

With one of the Automatic Tables of Contents I see something like the following essentially on a mouse over.

By the way, here's How to attach a screenshot or file in this forum.

Thanks Mr. Kenyon. That fixed that behavior. And thanks for the forum tips. There are still some strange TOC highlighting behaviors going on, like part of the table remaining highlighted when I click off the table to turn the highlighting off. But I guess I can live with that. Thanks again. Cliff Tussey