How to Fix Word Navigation Pane and Blank Screen Problems on Mac
Question details
Users experience a completely blank document screen and a frozen cursor trapped in the Navigation pane or ruler when trying to navigate a document in Word for Mac.
- Product
- Microsoft Word for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Navigating through long documents using the Navigation Pane, headings, bookmarks, or hyperlinks.
- Observed behavior
- The cursor becomes unresponsive and trapped in the Navigation pane or ruler, and the main document editing area turns entirely blank after several successful clicks.
Save your current document and note that you will need to adjust your macOS system preferences rather than Microsoft Word's internal settings to resolve this conflict.
Adjust macOS Scrolling Preferences
Changing the system's scroll bar behavior can resolve conflicts that cause Word's document area to go blank during hyperlink or heading navigation.
This issue is often caused by a conflict between Microsoft Word's internal navigation mechanics and macOS's 'Jump to the next page' scroll setting.
Click the Apple menu in the top left corner of your screen and select 'System Preferences' (or 'System Settings' on newer macOS versions).
Click on 'General' (or 'Appearance' depending on your specific macOS version) to view window and scrolling behaviors.
Locate the 'Show scroll bars' setting and change it to 'Always'.
Find the 'Click in the scroll bar to' setting and change it to 'Jump to the spot that is clicked'. Close the settings window and restart Word for Mac.
Update Microsoft Word for Mac
Specific display glitches and unresponsiveness can be tied to a particular application build, such as version 16.58.
Experience Flawless Document Navigation with WPS Office for Mac
If Microsoft Word continues to freeze or display a blank screen on your Mac, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and stable environment for handling large documents with complex bookmarks and headings effortlessly.
- 1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office for Mac from the official website and install the application.
- 2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer, click 'Open', and select your existing .docx file to pick up right where you left off.
- 3. Navigate Smoothly: Use the built-in Navigation Pane in WPS Office to jump between headings and bookmarks without freezing or blank screens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Word document go blank when using the Navigation Pane on Mac?
This blank screen issue is typically caused by a system-level conflict between macOS scroll bar preferences and Word's rendering engine. When jumping to headings or hyperlinks, the 'Jump to the next page' macOS setting interrupts Word, causing the display to fail.
Does removing the Normal.dotm file fix the blank screen issue in Word for Mac?
In this specific scenario, resetting or removing the Normal.dotm template usually does not resolve the issue. The unresponsiveness stems from macOS system scrolling preferences rather than a corrupted Microsoft Word document template.
How do I temporarily restore my screen if Word goes blank?
If your document area unexpectedly goes blank, manually scrolling all the way back to the top of the document usually forces Word to re-render the pages, temporarily restoring your visibility and access.
Is there a way to prevent the cursor from getting trapped in the Word ruler?
Yes. Changing your Mac's General System Preferences to always show scroll bars and setting scroll clicks to 'Jump to the spot that is clicked' resolves the conflict that freezes the cursor in the ruler or Navigation pane.
