Comments on: MS Word help wanted

Question: MS Word help wanted

wordwhiz — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 15:15:30 -0800

MSWord formatting filter: Is my PC possessed? Suddenly, when I select a line of text and make it bold, italic or bulleted, the ENTIRE DOCUMENT assumes that formatting. What gives?

FWIW, I've been using Word for well over ten years, Mac & PC. I'm rated Expert (MOUS). I even used to be a full-time desktop apps trainer (Intro through Advanced). I only say that to emphasize this is not a rookie goof. I've even uninstalled and reinstalled Word, but no luck.

Details: I'm running XP on a PC. This weirdness only happens when I select an entire line of text, with either the mouse or keyboard. (When I format a single word, everything's jake.)

A clue, perhaps: When I hit "undo," the REST of the document corrects itself, but the original line I selected remains bold (or italic or bulleted, whatever), just as I wanted. I suspect that means somehow TWO commands are being executed at the same time. Otherwise, when I hit undo, EVERYTHING would be undid. Wouldn't it?

Has this formatting forkup happened to others in the hive? How did you fix it? Suggestions would be mucho appreciated.

PS: Please spare the rants about switching to a different app. My clients all use MS Word, so I'm stuck with it. ;-)

By: paulsc

paulsc — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 15:21:28 -0800

Are you perhaps a victim of style inheritance? Is something you are doing causing your Normal style to be updated, because if that is happening, every other style in the document that is based on Normal will update immediately.

By: special-k

special-k — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 15:38:26 -0800

Your styles are automatically updating. So click Format -> Styles and formatting. Click the arrow next to Normal and choose modify. Then uncheck automatically update.

By: special-k

special-k — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 15:39:47 -0800

PS: Do the same thing for any other styles that are misbehaving.

By: wordwhiz

wordwhiz — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 15:49:29 -0800

special-k -- you nailed it! Thanks!

By: iconjack

iconjack — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 18:51:47 -0800

Not that it's a contest, but didn't paulsc nail it first?

By: squidlarkin

squidlarkin — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 13:00:45 -0800

Yeah, but he didn't say how to fix it.

By: wordwhiz

wordwhiz — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 18:04:13 -0800

Here's an add-on for those having the same problem. Not only should you uncheck "Automatically update" but DO check "Add to template" so all subsequent documents behave.

Thanks again to all. The bruises on my forehead (from banging my head on the keyboard) are starting to fade...