Office Settings & Configuration

Fix Blank Space in Word Outline View for Hebrew Text

Emma Brown Sep 25, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user experiences a display issue where Microsoft Word Outline View leaves a large blank area on the screen when viewing Hebrew right-to-left (RTL) text.

Fix Blank Space in Word Outline View for Hebrew Text

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Viewing a document containing Hebrew or other right-to-left (RTL) text using the Outline View mode.
Observed behavior: A large blank space appears on the right side of the screen in Outline View, although other document views display the text normally.

Before you start

Before modifying any settings or templates, ensure you have saved your current document and completely closed all running instances of Microsoft Word.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable COM Add-ins

Third-party add-ins can sometimes interfere with Word's rendering of right-to-left text in specialized views.

Open Word Options

Launch Microsoft Word and navigate to File > Options. From the left sidebar, click on Add-ins.

Manage COM Add-ins

At the bottom of the Add-ins window, locate the Manage drop-down list. Select COM Add-ins and click the Go button.

Disable and Restart

Uncheck all listed add-ins to disable them temporarily, then click OK. Close and reopen Microsoft Word to see if the Outline View displays the Hebrew text properly.

Solution 2

Reset the Normal.dotm Template

A corrupted default document template can cause persistent layout and viewing bugs in Microsoft Word.

Solution 3

Reset the Office Registry Key

Resetting Word's registry settings clears deep-rooted configuration issues affecting text rendering.

Edit RTL Documents Easily

Edit Hebrew Text in Outline View Using WPS Writer

WPS Writer handles right-to-left languages seamlessly across all document views. Avoid complex registry edits and rendering glitches by using WPS Office for your multilingual document needs.

1. Launch WPS Writer: Open WPS Office and click on 'Docs' to launch the Writer application.
2. Open Your Document: Click 'Menu' > 'Open' and browse your computer to select your Hebrew .docx document.
3. Switch to Outline View: Navigate to the 'View' tab on the top ribbon and select the 'Outline' button to change your document layout.
4. Edit Without Glitches: View and edit your document structure safely; WPS Writer automatically optimizes the layout for right-to-left text without leaving blank spaces.

Flawless rendering of right-to-left languages like Hebrew and Arabic.Fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats (.docx, .doc, .dotm).Clean, bug-free Outline View for organizing complex documents.Free, lightweight, and fast-loading alternative to Microsoft Office.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word Outline view break right-to-left text formatting?

Microsoft Word can sometimes experience rendering glitches in specialized views like Outline mode when processing right-to-left languages (RTL). This is often caused by conflicting COM add-ins, outdated graphics settings, or a corrupted default document template.

Can I fix the Word blank space issue without editing the registry?

Yes, registry editing should only be used as a last resort. You should first try disabling all third-party COM add-ins from File > Options > Add-ins, and then try renaming your Normal.dotm template to refresh Word's default layout settings.

Will renaming Normal.dotm delete my documents?

No, renaming or deleting the Normal.dotm template will not affect your saved documents. Word simply uses this file to store default formatting, styles, and macros. It will automatically recreate a fresh version of the template the next time you open the application.

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