Word not opening docx files for editing, but blank docs are fine

if I open Word and then open a new, blank document, the whole ribbon and menu bar is available. If I open any existing docx file, it is un-editable and there is no editing menu. See here:


See how the Document1 in the foreground has all the editing menu & ribbon? The .docx behind it only shows "File Tools View." I can select all from the one and paste it into the blank doc, but that is a PITA to have to do every time I need to modify a document.

I've now uninstalled Office 2019 and then reinstalled it - and all the settings were as before - and Outlook was fully set up as it was before. If I move these existing .docx files to another PC, they open up normally.

So I'm confused!! What setting has been changed for this behavior?

HELP!!

Are they opening in protected view?

Looks like they're opening in Read Mode. When you change the view, Word remembers that and opens subsequent files in the same view. Close all but one Word window, and on the last one, change the view. Close that last Word window, and see if opening a file is normal again.

View attachment 143478

It is not opening in Protected Mode. And the Layout doesn't change how THIS copy of Word opens existing Word docs; moving any of these files to a different computer allows them to be opened normally in Word.

Appreciate the feedback so far, but I'm still looking for the right setting to fix this - and what's more bizarre, I uninstalled Office and restarted the laptop, then reinstalled Office - and all the settings were maintained, the four Outlook email accounts were still there and the layout for Outlook was the same. Is there some way to force a FRESH INSTALL? Maybe that will fix this.

So what was the result when you did what I said?

pseymour, you were correct - but you left out how to get out of Read Mode. On the laptop with Word 2019, I couldn't see the option to Edit Document because it was greyed out. When I get a chance, I'll take a screenshot of that dropdown to share.

I reached out to Microsoft and was connected to Leo D. in a Help Chat window. Leo remoted into that laptop and eventually fixed it and showed me what was needed to get back into Edit Mode.

In the meantime, here is the explanation I shared with others:





In my Word 365 version, Edit Document is clearly available. Not so in Word 2019. Even in the current version, what you showed me isn't the same when clicking on View while in Read Mode.

In any case, thank you for your contribution.