When I open Word, I don't see the cursor, I have to go to the margins to take normal and then I can see the cursor and start writing.

Bell Susannah 0 Reputation points
2026-08-26T12:47:11.8633333+00:00

When I open Word I don't see the cursor, I have to go to the margins to take normal and then I can see the cursor and start writing.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For education | Windows
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  1. Michelle Nguyen 770 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-26T13:25:33.0533333+00:00

    Hi @Bell Susannah

    Based on your description, it sounds like Word opens with the insertion cursor hidden or positioned outside the visible document area. Selecting Layout > Margins > Normal forces Word to refresh the page layout, which makes the cursor visible again.

    Please try the following:

    1. In Word, select the View tab and make sure Print Layout is selected.
    2. Move the pointer to the top edge of the page. If it changes to a double-pointed arrow, double-select that area to restore the hidden top and bottom margins. Microsoft notes that when white space between pages is hidden, the top and bottom margins may appear cut off.
    3. Close Word, reopen it, and create a new blank document to check whether the cursor appears normally.
    4. If the issue occurs only in existing documents, save a copy of one affected document and test the copied file.
    5. If the cursor is present but difficult to see, change the Office theme to a higher-contrast option. I recommends Dark Gray for the highest contrast among the listed Office themes. Please note that changing the Office theme affects all Microsoft 365 applications.

    If selecting Normal margins resolves the issue only temporarily, please let us know whether the problem occurs in every new blank document or only in specific files.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-26T12:47:24.41+00:00

    This usually happens because the white space at the top and bottom of the page is hidden in Print Layout view. When that setting is off, the insertion point can appear at the very top of the page and it may seem like the cursor is missing.

    Try this:

    1. In Word, move the pointer to the top edge of a page or between pages.
    2. When the pointer becomes a double-pointed arrow, double-click.
    3. The top and bottom margins should reappear, and the cursor should return to the normal writing position.

    If needed, margins themselves can also be checked here:

    1. Select Layout > Margins.
    2. Choose a preset margin, or select Custom Margins.

    If Word is still behaving oddly after that, install the latest Windows and Office updates, then restart the computer and open Word again.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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