File Corruption & Recovery

How to Fix Word Document Characters Replaced by Boxes

Elise Williams Sep 28, 2026 870 views

Question details

Text in a Word document is displaying as unreadable square boxes instead of normal characters.

How to Fix Word Document Characters Replaced by Boxes

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Opening or trying to copy text from an existing Word document.
Observed behavior: The document text appears as box-like characters. Copying the text produces unreadable content or blank spaces, despite the File Explorer preview displaying the content correctly.

Before you start

Before troubleshooting, open a few other Word documents to see if the issue is isolated to a single file or affects all files, which will help determine if it is a corruption issue or a system-wide font problem.

Solution 1Recommended

Restore the Document from a Reliable Backup

Use this method if the issue is isolated to a single document, which strongly indicates severe file corruption.

When a single document suddenly displays text as boxes and copying the content fails to extract readable text, the file's internal data structure has likely become corrupted.

Locate a previous version

Check your cloud storage (like OneDrive or Google Drive), external hard drive, or Windows File History for the most recent uncorrupted backup of the affected document.

Open the backup file

Open the backup document to verify that the text renders correctly and is fully readable.

Save as a new copy

Click 'File' > 'Save As' and give the document a new name to ensure you do not accidentally overwrite it with the corrupted version.

Restore the Document from a Reliable Backup

Avoid Copy-Pasting: Copying sections of the corrupted document into a new file, even when excluding the final paragraph mark, usually transfers the corruption. Paste options will likely just produce boxes with slightly different shapes.

Solution 2

Change the Document Font

Apply this fix if the problem affects multiple documents, which points to a missing or damaged font on your operating system.

Seamless Word Document Processing

Open and Recover Documents Safely with WPS Office

If your current word processor is struggling with corrupted fonts or display errors, WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible environment to open your files. Its accurate font rendering and robust document handling can help you access and recover content that appears corrupted elsewhere.

1. Install WPS Office: Download and install the free WPS Office suite from the official website.
2. Open the problematic file: Launch WPS Writer, click on 'Menu' > 'Open', and select the Word document that displays box characters.
3. Save a fresh copy: If WPS Writer successfully renders the text, immediately click 'Menu' > 'Save As' to save a fresh, uncorrupted .docx file.
4. Enable Auto Backup: To protect your future work, go to 'Menu' > 'Settings' > 'Backup Setting' and ensure local Auto Backup is enabled.

100% compatible with Microsoft Word formats (.docx, .doc)Highly accurate font rendering that mitigates standard display errorsBuilt-in document auto-backup features to prevent future data lossLightweight application with a familiar, easy-to-use interface

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Word text look like squares or boxes?

Text appears as boxes when the font used in the document is not installed on your computer, when the system font file is damaged, or if the document itself has suffered internal data corruption.

Can I fix the box characters by copying the text to a new document?

Usually, no. If the file is actually corrupted, copying the text—even when excluding the final paragraph mark—typically carries over the corruption. Using different Paste Options will usually result in unreadable content with slightly different box shapes.

How do I know if it is a font issue or document corruption?

If only one specific document displays the box characters while others open perfectly, it is highly likely to be file corruption. If all or most of your Word documents exhibit this issue, it points towards a missing or damaged system font.

Document & File Issues