Has this ever happened to you – you’re happily typing away in a Word document when suddenly a section of text mysteriously vanishes right before your eyes? You’re left bewildered, frantically hitting Ctrl+Z to try and undo the deletion. But the text is gone.
This strange phenomenon of Word automatically deleting text is an annoying glitch that many users have experienced. In this blog post, we’ll explore what causes Word to delete text by itself and guide you through 6 steps to fix the issue once and for all.
What Causes Word to Automatically Delete Text?
There are a few potential culprits behind Word randomly erasing parts of your document:
- Software conflicts – If you recently installed a new program, it could be clashing with Word.
- Virus or malware infection – Malicious software can lead to unexpected behavior like deleting text.
- Faulty keyboard or touchpad – Oversensitive or damaged input devices register unintended key presses.
- Overtype mode enabled – With overtype mode on, text is replaced instead of inserted when typing.
- Weird formatting – Invisible, tiny or hidden text formatting could make words disappear.
- Application crashes – A Word crash can cause data loss.
- Driver issues – Outdated keyboard drivers may be generating errors.
So in a nutshell – the problem stems from either external factors interfering with Word or incorrect settings within the app itself.
6 Steps to Stop Microsoft Word From Erasing Text
Follow these troubleshooting steps to get to the bottom of why Word keeps erasing your lovingly typed text:
1. Undo Changes and Save Frequently
Get into the habit of pressing Ctrl+S every few minutes to save your work. When text vanishes unexpectedly, quickly hit Ctrl+Z before doing anything else – this will undo the deletion if you catch it fast enough.
2. Toggle Overtype Mode Off
Overtype mode replaces text instead of inserting it. Press the Insert key to toggle this off, ensuring text does not get overwritten.
3. Disable Overtype Mode Completely
You can fully disable overtype functionality so it never accidentally gets switched on:
- Go to File > Options > Advanced
- Uncheck “Use the Insert key to control overtype mode”
- Uncheck “Use overtype mode”
- Click OK
4. Inspect and Remove Strange Formatting
Carefully check your document’s text and paragraph formatting. If anything looks out of the ordinary, remove it. Pay attention to extremely small font sizes and text color (like white font on a white background).
5. Uninstall Conflicting Apps
If the text deletion started happening after installing new software, try removing it. Reboot your PC afterwards and test if Word still exhibits the problem.
6. Run an Antivirus Scan
Malware could be behind Word acting up. Perform a full virus scan with Windows Defender or third-party antivirus software. Quarantine or delete any threats found.
When to Try More Advanced Troubleshooting
If you’ve tried all the above steps and Word keeps erasing text, it’s time to dig deeper:
- Update your keyboard/mouse drivers
- Test Word on another Windows user account
- Repair your Office installation
- Perform a system restore
As a last resort, you may need to backup your files and reset your PC to factory settings.
Summing Up
Dealing with a Word document that randomly deletes entered text is irritating to say the least. But in most cases, the issue can be resolved through methodical troubleshooting.
Arm yourself with the knowledge of what causes this glitch and try out the 6 recommended fixes. Also remember to save early and often so you never lose too much work.
We hope these tips will help you permanently stop Microsoft Word from erasing text while typing so you can write uninterrupted. Let us know in the comments if the solutions worked or if you discovered another trick to fix the auto text deletion problem!
