Resetting Ribbons

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 12, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021

Word 2010 and later versions allow you to customize the appearance of the ribbons that appear at the top of the program window. If you run across a system in which the ribbons have been modified, you can change them back easily by following these steps:

Right-click the mouse anywhere on the ribbon. Word displays a Context menu.
From the Context menu choose Customize the Ribbon. Word displays the Word Options dialog box with the Customize Ribbon option selected at the left. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Customize Ribbon options of the Word Options dialog box.

If you want to reset a single ribbon tab, use the controls at the right side of the dialog box to select the tab.
Click the Reset drop-down list. Word presents you with two options: Reset Only Selected Ribbon Tab is used to reset whatever tab you selected in step 3 and Reset All Customizations is used to set everything back to its default.
Select the option that represents what you want to reset.
Click OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10391) applies to Microsoft Word 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Ignoring Case in a Comparison

Do you want Excel to take the case of your text into account when it does comparisons in a formula? The IF statement ...

Discover More

Understanding Outlining

Outlining, a feature built into Excel, can be a great way to help organize large amounts of data. This tip provides an ...

Discover More

Counting Lists

Word makes it easy to add both numbered lists and bulleted lists to your document. If you are working with longer ...

Discover More

Discover the Power of Microsoft Office This beginner-friendly guide reveals the expert tips and strategies you need to skyrocket your productivity and use Office 365 like a pro. Mastering software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is essential to be more efficient and advance your career. Simple lessons guide you through every step, providing the knowledge you need to get started. Check out Microsoft Office 365 For Beginners today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Understanding Default Insert Date Formatting

Insert a date into Word, and you are presented with a variety of formats you can choose from for that date. The default ...

Discover More

Weird Document Numbers

By default, Word numbers any new documents you create. If you notice that the numbers used by Word are rather strange, ...

Discover More

Generating a Shortcut Key List

Do you need a list of shortcut keys available in Word? There are several different ways you can get the list you want, as ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is one more than 8?

2021-08-16 11:08:56

Cynthia Heimann

i have a situation I'd like to resolve that I do not know how to describe, but here's a try. The ruler at the top of a document does not show the 'top half' of the ruler with the arrow one would use, with the lower arrow, to set a hanging indent. See attached (see Figure 1 below) - how can this be fixed?
Thanks!

Figure 1.

2021-08-16 09:54:01

Cynthia Heimann

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.