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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteTo edit a drop-down list in desktop Word, click the drop-down control, choose Developer > Properties, and use the Drop-Down List Properties dialog to add, rename, remove or reorder choices. If the Developer tab isn’t visible, turn it on first. If the list won’t respond, a lock or document restriction is usually the cause.
Steps to change the choices
- Open the document and click the drop-down control itself, so the control is selected and not just the text near it.
- On the Developer tab, choose Properties.
- Under Drop-Down List Properties, edit the list:
- Add a choice by selecting Add and entering its display name.
- Rename a choice by selecting it and changing its display name.
- Remove a choice by selecting it and using the remove button.
- Reorder choices with the up and down arrows.
- Confirm the dialog, then save the document.
Microsoft documents this workflow for Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016, with Mac editions covered in its form guidance. The ribbon layout can differ slightly between versions (Microsoft Support: Create a form in Word).
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If the Developer tab is missing
Go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon, tick the Developer checkbox and click OK. Then select the existing control and choose Developer > Properties (Microsoft Support: About content controls).
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A drop-down list lets people pick only from the choices you supply. A combo box also lets them type their own entry. If respondents need an “other” answer, use a combo box. Otherwise a drop-down list keeps answers consistent.
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Troubleshooting
You can pick items but can’t change the list
Changing the choices is a control-properties task. Select the control and open Properties instead of editing inside the document text.
Nobody can select a choice
Check whether Contents cannot be edited is ticked in the control’s properties. Microsoft says this setting prevents users from selecting a choice (Microsoft Support: Edit templates).
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Editing commands are greyed out
Check document protection, the access mode and whether the owner or your organization restricted editing. Some restrictions can’t be changed locally. You may need edit permission, or you may need to open the file in desktop Word (Microsoft Support: Enable editing in your document).
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Content controls are missing in an old file
Files created in an earlier Word format may lack content controls. Microsoft recommends converting them to a newer format (Edit templates).
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Word for the web
Microsoft’s guidance doesn’t establish that Word for the web can change the choices of an existing drop-down control. If the Properties option isn’t available there, open the file in desktop Word.
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