Word 2011 "save as" screen too large

After upgrading to El Capitán my word documents get hidden behind the Dock when I try to "save as." I have to "save as" and then click an arrow on the new screen that comes up to change the location, click it again, and then I can actually save the document because the page moves to be in front of the dock.

The open document also has no red, yellow, green dots on the upper left corner. The top tool bar (to minimize or close the page) is not available on new documents and the page ATTACHES ITSELF TO THE TOP TOOLBAR so I cannot even move it around. After clicking on Windows/Zoom and it fixes itself. I should not have to do this!

Help!!!!!!!

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012), OS X El Capitan (10.11.2)

Posted on Jan 27, 2016 10:31 AM

22 replies

rswc90 Author

Level 1

40 points

Sep 8, 2016 7:22 AM in response to glmck2115

This works ONLY for that one time. When I close out of Word and then open a new document or an existing one again, the screen goes back to being too large. All this started with El Capitan upgrade. I now have a new desktop and it is still that way - so the upgrade itself does not appear to be the problem -- El Capitan combined with Word 2011 may be ;-(

Thanks for the idea!

Sep 8, 2016 2:43 PM in response to rswc90

Yes, you are correct - one time fix only! But I have to say this was happening to me in Yosemite too. I think it is more a MS problem than an El Capitaine problem. We are being forced to upgrade to Office 2016 for Mac, which I just did since I had a free subscription to Office 365 from work. That did it. Sigh.

rswc90 Author

Level 1

40 points

Sep 8, 2016 5:26 PM in response to glmck2115

Thanks. I hate being forced into anything :-( but I believe you. I may have to succumb too! Thanks for that info. It forces me into a new place.

Sep 14, 2016 9:52 AM in response to Eau Rouge

The "Shift" solution worked like a charm, thank you!

Nov 19, 2016 5:52 PM in response to rswc90

Temporary (one instance) "fix":

Just to the right of the "Save as:" field where you see "Short_stories_3.doc" you see a small up

arrow button. Click that button. It'll make the dialog smaller and the arrow will point down.

Click the now down-facing arrow a second time.

Better (fixes the problem for good):

Move cursor to the very right of the dialog box's edge such that the cursor becomes a left-right

arrow. Hold down the shift key and move the mouse toward the center of the dialog box to

make it smaller.

Dec 23, 2016 10:52 AM in response to glmck2115

I also have this issue in el Capitan. Please tell me what you mean by "turn on and off" the display settings. Which setting are you talking about in the Preferences Display settings? Turning on and off the mirroring did nothing for me.

Dec 23, 2016 11:03 AM in response to SFSailLady

Also - the shift key solution does not work for me. However, the down arrow does work next to the filename. But, if you downarrow and then uparrow next to the filename text box, then the top of the Word window goes under the top menu and you can no longer move around the window at all. Really bad. Return does work. It does save. So, I would love to know what the person with the display settings fix did. Also, did you do it with the MacBook Air connected to the display at work or when it was disconnected from the display. I am no longer connected to the big display I have and there is no way to turn anything on or off that I see in the Display Settings in Preferences. Thanks for any help. This is really annoying.

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Word 2011 "save as" screen too large