Picasso-type image problem on Word 2013

Opening Word 2013 on my Windows 8 desktop today, I found that every file with pictures had somehow wrought an overnight "Picasso" effect on those images. This applies to .jpg photos, .png screenshots and also to text boxes. I now have documents with pictures splatted all over the place - some of them almost off the screen - and the text boxes that are supposed to be superimposed on other images are instead placed randomly over the document. There's also been a dramatic leftward shift of the entire content. This applies to all Word documents with pictures. Those without images are also not loading correctly, but they are still legible and usable. The others are a complete mess. This happened after I had installed an HP printer update (now uninstalled), although I cannot see how this would affect Word. I have no other Office programs installed and, after starting Word in safe mode to check, I have no add-ins. I have read that Normal.dotm corruption may be the problem but, as a complete techno-twerp, I'm afraid I have no idea what this refers to or how to fix it. MS Support had no solutions to offer, but suggested that I turn over control of my PC to them and pay £65 to have my almost-brand-new installation of Word 2013 sorted out. Does anyone have any other suggestions or ideas? I would be most grateful for any pointers.

Hi Eleanor, sorry to hear of the problems with your MS Word application.

Take a look here for the repair instructions:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/word-hel…A010357402.aspx

If you follow the directions, let us know how you get on.

Regards

paws

I was really hoping that nobody would reply to my first post, so saving me the embarrassment of having to admit what really happened. I finally figured out at the end of a lost day's labour that the View setting on my Word 2013 had somehow changed from Print to Draft. Since I always work in Print View, I guess that one of my fingers must have hit the other key by mistake, leaving me staring at Picasso's Lament instead of a neatly-laid-out document with inset pictures. As I said, I'm a techno-twerp - and you could also call it a blonde moment . . .

Thanks very much for your post, Paws, and at least I will know where to go if ever I have a genuine problem.

Hi Eleanor, Glad you got it fixed. well done! Thanks for posting back with your "fix"…. we have all done some the same sort of thing…. and some of us have done it more than once! Regards paws