Whenever I format one paragraph, or less, the formatting affects the whole document. Is there a way to stop this happening please. I'm sick of pushing the back space button every time to undo it.
Metta

That will be because whatever paragraph you're modifying uses a Style with the 'automatic update' attribute set. The solution is to either:
• use a different Style; or
• remove the 'automatic update' attribute for the one you're using.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

For more see Whole Document Reformatted by Suzanne Barnhill, MVP

Thank you Charles.
I have looked up YouTube to see how I can turn off the automatic updating in styles, Word. Hopefully that will fix my problem. The article by Suzanne was interesting and might be useful. I saved a copy of that article onto my laptop for further study.
Metta

If the Normal style has been set to "Automatically update," you'll need a macro to clear the option. The macro code can be copied from Suzanne's article. For other styles, the option is in the Modify Style dialog box.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Thank you Macropod, Charles Kenyon, and Stefan for your advice and help. I've tried to turn off the automatic update in Word styles. That option isn't available in Windows 11. I read Suzanne's article and copied the macro into Word. It shows up under normal style. It's a pity my print screen button won't work in Windows 11, or I'd send a snap shot of what that looks like on my laptop. I still have the problem. Even when I fix the formatting the way it should look and save my document before closing down, it comes back with everything changed again, formatting and colours, when I turn my laptop back on and get into my word document.
Metta

The automatic update in Word styles is available in Windows 11. It is a per style setting. For example:
Screenshot 2025-07-12 094758.png

In addition to the automatic updating of styles there is another setting you need to turn off. You get to it from the Document Template button on the Developer tab. This setting updates the styles in the document from the template each time the document is opened.
Screenshot 2025-07-12 095749.png

These options should work the same no matter which version of Windows you have.

If you can't get it sorted, consider sharing a representative sample document with the forum, and one of us will take a closer look.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Word works the same in Windows 11 as in Windows 10. The option is available as noted by Stefan.
See also: What happens when I send my document to someone else? Will Word mess up my formatting? by Shauna Kelly, MVP which is about the option to update styles from the template.

How to attach a screenshot in this forum.

Hi Charles Kenyon
I've just looked at the instructions your link took me too about sending a snapshot of my computer screen. I'm not good enough at computers to manage that. I used to be able to press the print screen button and a snapshot would be saved into my laptop. I then went into Word and pasted it onto a blank document and saved the snapshot as a jpeg. I do have a camera. If I take a photo of my screen that way, would I be able to paste it into a message on this website?
Metta

As far as I know, you can't paste screen shots into this forum. You will have to save it as an image file and then upload the image as an attachment, using the Reply to Thread interface. If you click Reply to Thread you should see the Manage Attachments button at the bottom which lets you add a file attachment.

That said, a sample document in Word format would be more helpful. You can upload that in the same way, using Manage Attachments.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Hi Stefan Blom
Thank you for your tip about sending a Word document showing my issue. I'll try that this afternoon if I have more trouble. My friend came last night and discovered the print screen button definitely doesn't function the way it used to.
Metta

Thank you everyone for trying to help me with my computer problems. Sometimes, but rarely a drop down menu appears in style with an option to go into modify, but it never gives me an option for automatic update with a check box like the photos some of you have sent. I used to get that in Windows 10. I've downloaded all the macros you people have sent me, read the articles you suggested, and tried all the suggestions. I don't know very much about using laptops and do struggle to see, even using a huge screen. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Metta

When you see "Modify a Style," click on that. It brings up the dialog box that Stefan shows. On that dialog box you need to uncheck anything about automatically updating.


If when you do uncheck that but it gets undone when you close and then reopen the document, you need to adjust the update styles from template setting described in the article by Shauna Kelly I linked. If that is checked in all new documents, you would need another macro.

Hi Charles Kenyon
Thank you for your last reply. I'll have another go at getting the box up for modifying a style and I'll follow your instructions. What is the macro, if I manage to uncheck all the automatically updating boxes, and still have the same issue when I reopen my manuscript? It is highly likely I might need it. I'll read through Shauna Kelly's article again and try to follow it.
Metta