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Hapgood1984's avatar
Hapgood1984
Copper Contributor
Mar 14, 2025

Ruler-less in Word

After an hour of typing back-and-forth with the chat person, I was told that I should post my concern here because this fellow couldn't figure it out. I'm working with Microsoft Word on a MacBook Air and all of a sudden today the ruler stopped showing up. The tech guy had me uninstall office and then reinstall it and it's still a problem. It's in print layout view and both new documents as well as old documents display without the ruler I'm hoping someone can help me with this soon. I can't believe this is the way Microsoft actually provides tech-support to its customers. other companies when the first resource person can't solve the problem they bump you up and they let you actually talk to someone.

2 Replies

  • Kidd_Ip's avatar
    Kidd_Ip
    MVP
    Mar 16, 2025

    Take this:

     

    • Enable the Ruler:
      • Open your Word document.
      • Go to the View tab in the ribbon at the top.
      • Check the box for Ruler under the "Show" group.
    • Check Your Layout:
      • Ensure you're in Print Layout view. You can switch to this view by going to the View tab and selecting Print Layout.
    • Update Word:
      • Make sure your Microsoft Word is up to date. Go to Help > Check for Updates in the Word menu.
    • Reset Preferences:
      • Sometimes, resetting Word's preferences can resolve display issues. Be cautious, as this will reset all your Word settings to default.
    • MacOS Compatibility:
      • If you're using MacOS Sonoma, there have been reports of compatibility issues affecting Word's ruler display. Updating to the latest version of MacOS or Word might help.
  • PorterPhoenix's avatar
    PorterPhoenix
    Iron Contributor
    Mar 15, 2025

    1. Enable Ruler: Open Word, click the “View” tab, check the “Ruler”.
    Switch to Page View: The ruler is only displayed in Page View, click View > Select Page View.
    2. Check the zoom settings:
    Adjust Zoom: Use the zoom slider in the bottom right corner or press Ctrl + mouse wheel.
    3. Reset Word settings:
    Close Word, press Win + R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates, enter.
    Rename the Normal.dotm file (e.g. to Normal_old.dotm) and restart Word.
    4. Check Add-Ins: Open Word, click File > Options > Add-Ins.
    Select “COM Add-ons” in the “Manage” drop-down menu, click “Go” to disable all add-ons, and restart Word.
    5. Update Word:
    Click “File” > “Account” > “Update Options” > “Update Now”.
    6. Repair Office: Open “Control Panel” > “Programs and Features”, find Microsoft Office, right-click and select “Change” > “Repair”, restart Word. “Repair” and restart your computer.

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