Office Settings & Configuration

Fix Non-English Characters Displaying as Boxes in Word Navigation Pane

Tauseeq Magsi Oct 16, 2026 870 views

Question details

Non-English text appears correctly in the main document but renders as square boxes in the Navigation pane.

How to Fix Non-English Characters Displaying as Boxes in Word Navigation Pane

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Navigating a multi-lingual or non-English document using the Word Navigation pane.
Observed behavior: Characters in the Navigation pane are replaced by unreadable square box symbols, despite rendering correctly on the actual document pages.

Before you start

Ensure that your Windows operating system is fully updated and that you have a stable internet connection to download any missing language packs or system fonts.

Solution 1Recommended

Install Required Office Language Packs and Windows Fonts

Missing language resources or system fonts can cause the Navigation pane to fail when rendering specific non-English characters.

Check Office Language Settings

Open Microsoft Word, click on 'File' in the top-left corner, and select 'Options' at the bottom. Choose 'Language' from the left sidebar.

Add the Missing Language

Under 'Office display language' or 'Office authoring languages and proofing', check if your non-English language is listed. If not, click 'Add a Language...', select your desired language, and install the associated language pack.

Verify Windows Fonts

Open your Windows 'Settings' > 'Time & Language' > 'Language'. Ensure the preferred language is installed on the OS level, which also installs the required regional fonts.

Restart Microsoft Word

Close all instances of Microsoft Word and reopen your document to see if the characters in the Navigation pane now render correctly.

System Restart: If the fonts still do not appear correctly after restarting Word, try restarting your computer to ensure Windows fully registers the newly installed fonts.

Solution 2

Report the Navigation Pane Rendering Defect

If the language packs and fonts are correctly installed but the issue persists, this is likely a hardcoded limitation in Word's Navigation pane rendering engine.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Seamless Multilingual Document Support

If you are frustrated by rendering bugs and UI limitations in Microsoft Word's Navigation pane, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides robust multilingual support, renders complex non-English characters accurately across all interface panels, and serves as a highly compatible replacement for Microsoft Office.

1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the 'Download WPS Office Free' button.
2. Install WPS Office: Run the lightweight installer file and follow the quick on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
3. Open Your Document: Right-click your existing .docx files and choose 'Open with WPS Writer' to enjoy flawless multilingual document navigation.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), and PowerPoint (.pptx) file formats.Reliable and accurate rendering of multilingual and non-English characters in both document and navigation views.Lightweight application that runs smoothly without consuming excessive system resources.Familiar user interface that requires zero learning curve to transition from Microsoft Office.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do non-English characters show correctly in the document but not in the Navigation pane?

The Navigation pane in Microsoft Word operates on a different UI rendering engine than the main document canvas. It often defaults to a specific system font that may not contain the extended Unicode glyphs required for certain non-English languages, causing those unsupported characters to default to square boxes.

Will changing my default Windows font fix the Navigation pane boxes?

Sometimes updating your Windows system locale or adding the specific language pack via Windows Settings (Time & Language) can resolve the issue by providing the OS-level fonts Word needs. However, if this is a hardcoded limitation within Word's UI, changing standard font settings may not work.

Does this rendering issue affect the printed version of my document?

No. The square boxes in the Navigation pane are strictly a user interface display issue. As long as the non-English characters render correctly in the main document editing view, they will print perfectly or export to PDF without any issues.

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