Who is this article for?

Users editing and checking in Word documents.

Document module access is required.

After checking in a Word document or releasing it for review and approval, you may notice that formatting has changed unexpectedly - tables disappearing, fonts shifting throughout the document, or hyperlinks reverting to a different font.

This article explains why the issue occures and how to resolve it.

Issue

When a Word document is checked into Ideagen Quality Management, the system processes and stores it for the next Document Control stage. However, theme-based or custom styles not based on Word's built-in Normal style can cause issues like disappearing tables, font changes, and altered hyperlink formatting.

This issue is unrelated to font embedding settings. Even documents with standard fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri can be affected if their styles depend on themes.

Example

A form template has multiple tables for staff input and uses a custom Word theme with heading fonts set by theme styles. After check-in, the tables disappear in the unpublished revision, and hyperlink fonts change. Both issues stem from theme-based styles, not the content.

Solution

To resolve the issue, work through the steps below in order. Most cases are resolved after the first set of instructions.

Reset the document theme and remove custom styles

To reset the document theme and remove custom styles:

1. Open the document in Word.
2. Go to the Design tab.
3. Click Themes.
4. Select Reset to Default Theme.
5. Review the document's styles.
6. Remove or modify any custom styles that are not based on Word's built-in Normal style.
7. Save the document.
8. Check the document back in to Ideagen Quality Management.
9. Release it for approval.
10. Confirm that tables and fonts are displaying correctly in the unpublished revision.

Tip

To see which styles are used, open the Styles pane in Word and check for custom or theme-based styles. Styles based on Normal are best for Ideagen Quality Management documents.

Convert to .docx format

If the document was originally created in the older .doc format, converting it to .docx can resolve compatibility issues that contribute to formatting loss.

To convert the file format:

1. Open the document in Word.
2. Go to File.
3. Select Info.
4. Click Convert to upgrade the file to .docx format.
5. Save the file.
6. Re-upload the file.

Clear the Word add-in cache

If you are using the Ideagen Quality Management Core Word Add-in to check documents in and out, a corrupted cache can occasionally cause unexpected behaviour.

To clear the add-in cache:

1. Close Word completely.
2. Clear the Add-in cache.
3. Reopen Word.
4. Attempt the check-in again.

Note

If you are unsure how to clear the Add-in cache for your version of Word, contact your system administrator or reach out to Ideagen Support.

Test with a new blank document

If the issue persists after the steps above, testing with a new blank document helps confirm whether the problem is isolated to the existing file or affects the system more broadly.

To test with a new document:

1. Create a simple new Word document containing a table and a line of text using Times New Roman or Arial.
2. Check it in to Ideagen Quality Management.
3. Release it for approval.
4. Review the unpublished revision to see whether the formatting is preserved.

If the formatting is preserved in the new document, the issue is specific to the original file and its styles. If the formatting changes in the new document too, contact Ideagen Support as the issue may be at a system level.