Office Apps Not Opening

How to Fix Strange Graphics and Arrow Artifacts in Microsoft Office Apps

Guest Writer Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is experiencing strange graphics and arrow-shaped artifacts while using Microsoft Office applications.

How to Fix Strange Graphics and Arrow Artifacts in Office Apps

Product: Microsoft Office
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Working within Microsoft Office applications like OneNote or Word.
Observed behavior: Unexpected arrow-shaped artifacts and strange graphical glitches are appearing on the screen within the application interface.

Before you start

Save your current documents and close any open Microsoft Office applications to prepare for system updates and repairs.

Solution 1Recommended

Update Microsoft Office and Display Drivers

Outdated software builds or display drivers are common causes for graphical glitches. Updating them often resolves these artifacts.

Software updates frequently contain patches for known visual bugs and hardware compatibility issues. Keeping both your Office suite and graphics drivers updated ensures the most stable performance.

Update Microsoft Office

Open any Office application such as Word. Go to 'File', select 'Account', click the 'Update Options' button, and choose 'Update Now'.

Open Device Manager

Right-click the Windows Start button on your taskbar and select 'Device Manager' from the context menu.

Update Display Drivers

Expand the 'Display adapters' section, right-click your graphics card, select 'Update driver', and choose 'Search automatically for drivers'.

Restart Your Computer

Once the updates are completely installed, restart your computer to apply the changes and verify if the artifacts have disappeared.

Update Microsoft Office and Display Drivers

Keep Automatic Updates Enabled: Enabling automatic updates for Windows will periodically update your display drivers and Microsoft Office apps, preventing future graphical bugs.

Solution 2

Disable Hardware Graphics Acceleration

Hardware acceleration can sometimes conflict with your computer's display drivers, leading to visual artifacts in Office interfaces.

Solution 3

Repair the Office Installation via Windows Settings

If updating and tweaking settings doesn't work, running a repair on the Office installation can fix corrupted files causing the visual glitches.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Switch to WPS Office for a Bug-Free, Lightweight Experience

If Microsoft Office continues to suffer from graphical artifacts or display driver conflicts, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a highly compatible, lightweight alternative with a familiar interface that runs smoothly even on systems with older display drivers.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the free download button.
2. Install the Software: Run the downloaded installation file and follow the quick setup wizard.
3. Open Your Files: Launch WPS Office and directly open your existing Microsoft Office files with zero formatting loss.

Free to use with a familiar, easy-to-navigate interface.Fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats including DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX.Lightweight architecture reduces the likelihood of display artifacts and hardware acceleration issues.Includes Writer, Spreadsheet, Presentation, and PDF tools in one single unified application.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why am I seeing strange arrows and graphical blocks in my Office documents?

These visual artifacts are typically caused by outdated graphics drivers, a conflict with Microsoft Office's hardware acceleration feature, or a corrupted software update failing to render the user interface correctly.

Will disabling hardware graphics acceleration slow down my computer?

No, disabling hardware graphics acceleration in Microsoft Office only forces the specific application to rely on software rendering instead of your GPU. It usually resolves visual glitches without a noticeable impact on your overall computer performance.

Does performing an Online Repair delete my Word documents or Excel files?

No, performing an Online Repair through Windows Settings only fixes or replaces the corrupted Microsoft Office installation files. Your personal documents, spreadsheets, and Windows files will remain completely safe.

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