If LibreOffice behaves strangely, a temporary-profile test can help narrow the problem before you reset custom settings. It is especially useful when the same repeatable action fails in an ordinary session but you need to preserve your working configuration.

Save open work and record a short reproduction, such as opening a particular test file and scrolling to a page. Keep the original document intact. Use a non-sensitive sample when possible so any later troubleshooting evidence is easy to share safely.

Run a comparison session

Current LibreOffice Help calls the feature Troubleshoot Mode; older releases label it Safe Mode. Use the corresponding restart command under Help, then choose the option to continue in that mode.

LibreOffice temporarily uses a fresh user profile and disables hardware acceleration. Configuration changes made in the temporary profile are discarded after restart. This makes the session useful for comparison, but a successful test does not identify one specific setting as the cause because more than one condition changed.

Repeat the same action with the same test document. Note whether the failure occurs, whether the display changes and whether another simple document behaves similarly.

Use the result to choose a limited next step

Return to normal mode and confirm the comparison. If the problem changes, inspect recent configuration or extension changes before selecting a broad reset. The troubleshooting dialog offers restoration and configuration options, with increasingly substantial changes farther down the list.

A full profile reset affects more than a temporary test. Read the selected option carefully and preserve any custom material you need before applying it. Do not erase the profile manually as a substitute for understanding the choice.

Keep a concise record of the application version, test file and results for further help. LibreOffice warns that a profile archive can include sensitive settings and personal dictionary content; review what you would share. A useful outcome is a reproducible comparison and a justified next step, even when the temporary session does not resolve the fault.

References: LibreOffice: Troubleshoot Mode.