In IBM DOORS, overwrite mode is usually toggled by the Insert key, so pressing it once turns overwrite off and returns you to normal insert typing. If that does not help, check whether your keyboard has an Insert key combination or whether the application is still in overwrite mode only for the current field or editor window.
If you mean the module’s default edit behavior rather than text-entry overwrite mode, IBM has a separate setting for changing the default edit mode of a DOORS module. In that case, the fix is not the keyboard key but the module or client edit setting.
What to try
- Press Insert once.
- If nothing changes, try Fn + Insert on compact keyboards.
- Click back into the text area and press Insert again.
- Save, close, and reopen the module if the mode seems stuck.
- If the problem is module-wide, review the module’s edit mode settings instead of the text editor state.
Why it happens
Overwrite mode replaces the character under the cursor instead of inserting new text. That behavior is normally a typing-state toggle, not a permanent IBM DOORS setting. The same Insert key behavior is documented in IBM-related software and is commonly the cause of the issue in DOORS-like editors.
If it keeps coming back
A stuck Insert key, keyboard shortcut conflict, or remote desktop key mapping can make overwrite mode seem persistent. If the key works elsewhere but not in DOORS, the client session or editor focus is usually the place to look next.