Office Settings & Configuration

How to Stop Microsoft Access from Restoring Quick Access Toolbar Buttons

Algirdas Jasaitis Oct 8, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to permanently remove the Save, Undo, and Redo buttons from the Quick Access Toolbar in Microsoft Access, but the buttons keep reappearing after the application restarts.

How to Stop Access from Restoring Buttons to the Quick Access Toolbar

Product: Microsoft Access
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Customizing the application workspace by removing unused default buttons from the Quick Access Toolbar.
Observed behavior: The deleted buttons (Save, Undo, Redo) are automatically restored to the Quick Access Toolbar every time Microsoft Access is closed and reopened.

Before you start

Verify if your computer is managed by your workplace or school, as IT department group policies often restrict changes to the Office user interface.

Solution 1Recommended

Remove Toolbar Buttons and Verify IT Policies

Use the interface to remove the buttons and determine if a corporate group policy is forcing the default layout to return on startup.

Microsoft Office allows users to customize the Quick Access Toolbar, but organizational policies will override local user changes. If your settings reset after following these steps, an administrator policy is likely the cause.

Open the QAT Drop-down

Launch Microsoft Access. Click the small drop-down arrow located at the right end of the Quick Access Toolbar (usually in the top-left corner of the window).

Deselect Unwanted Buttons

In the drop-down menu, click on 'Save', 'Undo', and 'Redo' to clear their check marks. This will instantly remove them from the toolbar.

Alternative Removal Method

You can also right-click any specific button on the Quick Access Toolbar that you wish to delete and select 'Remove from Quick Access Toolbar' from the context menu.

Restart and Verify

Close Microsoft Access completely and reopen it. If the buttons have reappeared, your customization is being blocked by a damaged user configuration or an IT policy. Contact your IT administrator to check for Group Policy restrictions.

Remove Toolbar Buttons and Verify IT Policies

Organizational Management: In many enterprise environments, IT administrators deploy standardized Office templates and UI configurations that are set to refresh and overwrite local settings every time the application is launched.

Solution 2

Repair Corrupted Office Configuration

If you are on a personal computer not managed by an organization, your Office settings files may be corrupted and unable to save your changes.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Switch to WPS Office for Easy and Permanent Customization

If persistent Microsoft Office configuration issues are slowing down your workflow, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly customizable alternative that remembers your interface preferences without complex enterprise policy conflicts.

Highly customizable Quick Access Toolbar that permanently saves your preferred layout.Fully compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint document formats.Lightweight software suite that installs quickly and runs smoothly on older devices.Familiar tabbed interface making migration from Microsoft Office seamless.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Quick Access Toolbar keep resetting in Office applications?

This is most commonly caused by enterprise Group Policy Objects (GPOs) pushed by an IT department to standardize software interfaces across the company. It can also happen if the specific Office configuration file on your local hard drive is corrupted or marked as read-only.

Can I backup and restore my customized Quick Access Toolbar?

Yes. Go to File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar. At the bottom right of the window, click the 'Import/Export' button to export your layout to a file. You can import this file later if your customized buttons disappear.

Does resetting the Quick Access Toolbar fix the saving glitch?

Resetting the toolbar via the Options menu (File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar > Reset > Reset only Quick Access Toolbar) forces the software to rewrite the configuration. While it restores all default buttons, applying this reset and then removing the buttons again can sometimes fix a localized saving glitch.

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