Office Performance Issues

Fix Word Document Content Turning Blank While Scrolling

Maira Mehtab Oct 1, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users experience parts or all of their Microsoft Word document turning blank when scrolling through the pages.

How to Fix Word Document Content Turning Blank While Scrolling

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Scrolling through a document during reading or editing.
Observed behavior: The document content disappears or displays as blank areas during scrolling, often due to rendering, display driver, or document-specific issues.

Before you start

Save your current work and ensure you have administrative privileges on your computer, as you may need to update system drivers or modify Office settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable Hardware Graphics Acceleration and Update Drivers

Turning off hardware acceleration and updating graphics drivers often resolves rendering glitches in Word.

In many cases, the communication between Word and your computer's graphics card causes display lag or blank patches. Disabling hardware acceleration forces Word to use software rendering.

Access Word Options

Open Microsoft Word, go to 'File' in the top-left corner, and select 'Options' at the bottom of the menu.

Disable acceleration

Navigate to the 'Advanced' tab on the left panel. Scroll down to the 'Display' section and check the box for 'Disable hardware graphics acceleration'.

Apply and restart

Click 'OK' to save the changes and restart Word. Check Windows Update or your device manager to install the latest graphics drivers for optimal performance.

Disable Hardware Graphics Acceleration and Update Drivers

Missing Option: If you do not see the 'Disable hardware graphics acceleration' option, your version of Office (especially newer Microsoft 365 builds) may manage this automatically. In this case, focus on updating your Windows graphics drivers.

Solution 2

Run Word in Safe Mode

Starting Word in Safe Mode helps determine if a third-party add-in is causing the scrolling issue.

Solution 3

Use the Open and Repair Feature

If the issue only happens in a specific file, the document itself might be corrupted and requires repairing.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Experience Smooth Document Editing with WPS Office

If rendering issues persist in Microsoft Word, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, lightweight, and free alternative that ensures smooth performance even on older hardware without display glitches.

1. Download the installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installation package.
2. Install the software: Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts to set up WPS Office on your device.
3. Open your files smoothly: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing documents to experience glitch-free scrolling.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats.Lightweight architecture ensures smooth scrolling without heavy graphics rendering demands.Familiar user interface allows for seamless migration and zero learning curve.Free to download and use with comprehensive document and PDF tools.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Word document go blank when I scroll?

This is typically caused by conflicts with your computer's graphics drivers, hardware acceleration settings, or memory limitations struggling to render complex document formatting as you scroll.

Does reinstalling Office fix the blank scrolling issue?

Not necessarily. Reinstalling Office does not update your Windows graphics drivers or fix individual document corruption. It is generally better to update your system drivers and test the software in Safe Mode first.

Can a corrupted document cause rendering issues while scrolling?

Yes. If only a single specific file turns blank while scrolling, the file may have corrupted XML data or broken elements. Using Word's built-in 'Open and Repair' function often fixes this problem.

Where did the 'Disable hardware graphics acceleration' option go in Word?

Microsoft has removed this setting from the user interface in recent Microsoft 365 updates because Office now automatically manages rendering. If you encounter scrolling issues and lack this option, updating your graphics drivers is the best course of action.

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