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Fix SharePoint List Status Reverts to New When Editing Items

Steve K Oct 12, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users need to prevent an existing SharePoint list item from automatically changing its status back to 'New' when it is opened or edited.

Fix SharePoint List Status Reverts to New When Editing Items

Product: SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Editing existing items in a SharePoint list, particularly when the list relies on a customized Power Apps form or was imported from Excel.
Observed behavior: The item's status column incorrectly resets to 'New' instead of retaining its previously saved status.

Before you start

Ensure you have the appropriate site owner or list administrator permissions in SharePoint to access List Settings and modify Form Settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Revert to the Default SharePoint Form

Isolate the issue by testing the list with the default SharePoint form to determine if a Power Apps customization is causing the error.

Often, customized Power Apps forms contain hardcoded default values for dropdowns. By reverting to the default SharePoint form, you can determine if the SharePoint list itself is functioning correctly.

Open List Settings

Navigate to your SharePoint list, click the gear icon in the top right corner, and select 'List settings'.

Access Form Settings

Under the 'General Settings' column, click on 'Form settings'.

Change the Form Option

Select the radio button for 'Use the default SharePoint form' and click 'OK' at the bottom of the page.

Test the Item

Go back to your list and try editing an existing item. Check if the status still incorrectly reverts to 'New'.

Diagnostic Outcome: If the default form works correctly, you will need to inspect your Power Apps form's 'Default' property for the Status dropdown, ensuring it points to ThisItem.Status rather than a static 'New' value.

Solution 2

Inspect and Remove Duplicate Status Columns

Conflicts between multiple status columns can cause data to save incorrectly, especially if the list was imported from Excel.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Manage Your List Data Efficiently with WPS Office

While SharePoint handles complex web lists, if you prefer managing data, trackers, and lists in traditional spreadsheets, WPS Office offers a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office. Seamlessly handle your Excel list exports without unexpected form behavior.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free office suite.
2. Export SharePoint List: Use the 'Export to Excel' feature in your SharePoint list to download your data.
3. Manage Offline: Open the downloaded .xlsx file in WPS Spreadsheet to manage your status columns and data reliably.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formatsLightweight software with fast loading times and offline accessFamiliar user interface requiring no learning curveEasily manage, filter, and track status columns without complex web configurations

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my SharePoint Choice column default to 'New' on existing items?

This typically happens due to a misconfiguration in a customized Power Apps form where the Default property of the dropdown or combo box is mistakenly hardcoded to 'New' instead of pointing to the current record's existing value (e.g., ThisItem.Status).

Can importing an Excel list to SharePoint cause column conflicts?

Yes. When importing from Excel, SharePoint might create single-line text columns instead of Choice columns. If you later create a new Choice column for 'Status' but keep the old one hidden, your forms or automated flows may target the wrong column.

How do I contact Microsoft support if the default form is also broken?

If the default SharePoint form exhibits the same issue, your Microsoft 365 administrator can open a support ticket by navigating to the Microsoft 365 admin center, clicking on 'Support', and selecting 'Help & support' to request assistance with backend list corruption.

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