How to Fix a Microsoft Forms Quiz That Refreshes Instead of Submitting

Experiencing a sudden page reload right when you are ready to submit your work is highly frustrating. When you click the final button, the page clears your inputs and reloads the blank questionnaire instead of sending your data. This troubleshooting guide explains fixing a Microsoft Forms Quiz That Refreshes Instead of Submitting by addressing the browser, session, and network conflicts responsible for the reload.

Diagnostic Checks for Form Reloads

Before modifying browser settings, you must identify what triggers the refresh. The reload behavior is not an official error state; it is the browser's fallback response when the submission payload fails to authenticate with Microsoft's servers. Look for these three observable triggers:

Observable Symptom	Diagnostic Check	Probable Cause
Form refreshes instantly upon clicking Submit	Check if you left the tab open for more than 60 minutes before clicking submit.	Session token expiration. The server rejects the outdated token and reloads.
Refresh occurs only on specific Wi-Fi networks	Switch to a mobile hotspot and attempt submission on a test form.	Network firewall blocking Microsoft telemetry or routing endpoints.
Refresh happens after a long loading delay	Check if the quiz contains a file upload question and note the file size.	Upload timeout. The file exceeds limits or the connection dropped during transfer.

Resolving Browser and Authentication Conflicts

Most submission failures stem from corrupted browser cookies or aggressive tracking prevention that blocks Microsoft's cross-site authentication scripts. Follow these sequential actions to restore proper submission functionality.

Step 1: Bypass Corrupted Cache via Private Browsing

Opening a fresh session forces the browser to fetch a new authentication token from Microsoft.

• In Google Chrome, press Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + N (Mac) to open an Incognito Window. If using Microsoft Edge, press Ctrl + Shift + N for an InPrivate window.
• Paste the exact quiz URL into the address bar and press Enter.
• Log in with your organizational or school Microsoft credentials.
• Fill out a few questions and click Submit. If it succeeds, your primary browser profile has a corrupted cookie cache.

Step 2: Clear Site-Specific Cookies

If the private window works, clear the specific cookies causing the conflict in your main browser.

• In Chrome, click the three-dot menu, select Settings, and navigate to Privacy and security.
• Click Third-party cookies, then select See all site data and permissions.
• In the search bar, type office.com.
• Click the trash can icon next to all entries for office.com and microsoft.com.
• Restart your browser and reload the quiz.

Step 3: Adjust Tracking Prevention in Microsoft Edge

Edge's strict privacy settings frequently block the necessary background scripts required for Forms to validate your identity upon submission.

• Type edge://settings/privacy in the Edge address bar and press Enter.
• Under the Tracking prevention section, verify that the toggle is turned On.
• Select the Balanced option instead of Strict. Strict mode blocks the cross-site trackers that Microsoft 365 uses to maintain your active directory session across different domains.
• Refresh the quiz page and attempt submission again.

Step 4: Resolve File Upload Constraints

If the quiz requires you to attach a document, a file that violates backend constraints will force the page to crash and reload.

• Check the text directly underneath the Upload file button. It will state a maximum file size (often 10MB or 100MB) and allowed file types (such as Word, Excel, PDF, or Image).
• Right-click your file in your computer's file explorer and select Properties to confirm its exact size and extension.
• If the file is too large, compress it. If it is an unsupported format like .pages or .txt, export it as a standard .pdf before uploading.

Drafting Quiz Responses Offline with WPS Office

WPS Office cannot alter Microsoft 365 server timeouts, fix browser authentication policies, or change web form settings. However, if you are dealing with a recurring page reload issue, you must protect your work from being deleted. Form refreshes permanently erase unsubmitted text fields. If your quiz requires long-form essay answers or complex file attachments, draft your responses locally first.

Open WPS Writer and create a new blank document. Type out your essay answers, utilizing the built-in spell check and formatting tools to finalize your text. Because WPS Writer runs locally on your machine, your progress is saved securely even if your internet connection drops. Once your answers are complete, copy the text from WPS Writer and paste it directly into the web browser fields. Click submit immediately to minimize the chance of a session timeout.

Additionally, if the quiz requires a file upload but your original document exceeds Microsoft's strict size limits, open the document in WPS Office. Navigate to the Tools tab and select Compress PDF or use the export tools to reduce the file size. Shrinking the document ensures the upload completes quickly, preventing the network timeout that triggers the form to refresh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the submit button act exactly like a page refresh button?

When you leave a form open for an extended period, the security token authenticating your Microsoft account silently expires in the background. When you finally click the submit button, the server rejects the unauthorized data payload. Instead of displaying an error message, the system redirects you to the default state, which simply reloads the blank page.

Can I recover the answers I typed before the page reloaded?

No. Unless the form creator specifically enabled the "Save my response" feature and you were actively logged into your Microsoft account, the web browser clears all unsubmitted input fields upon reload. To prevent data loss on subsequent attempts, copy your longer text answers to your computer's clipboard before clicking the final button.

Do browser extensions interfere with the submission process?

Yes. Ad blockers and privacy extensions, such as uBlock Origin or Privacy Badger, frequently block Microsoft's telemetry and active directory scripts. If these scripts cannot execute, the form cannot package your answers for submission, resulting in a continuous reload loop. Whitelisting forms.office.com within your extension settings usually resolves this script conflict.

Does changing my internet connection stop the form from reloading?

It can. If your current router drops network packets during the critical submission handshake, the form fails to transmit the data and defaults to a page reload. Switching your computer to a stable mobile hotspot bypasses local router firewalls and isolates whether the interruption is happening at the network level rather than the browser level.