Word Error - what have I pressed?

[Gothique]

I`m using Microsoft Word, and when cutting and pasting a few days ago, must have pressed something that has put dots in between each word, and "backwards P" type, "degree" and arrow symbols all throughout the page ... what on earth have I done, as it`s now formatted EVERY word document with the same!?

Anyone?

Blooming technology ... :(

[ChuckFickens]

Click on the tools menu and select options, make sure you are on the view tab and take all the ticks out of everything under the "formatting marks" section.

There must be a hot key to turn it on and off, but I don't know it ;)

[Pigletion]

Don't worry it's just a tool to view your formatting. It won't print out.

In Word 2007, on the Home menu, go to Paragraph menu and you'll see the backwards P thing button to switch it off. I think ctrl and shift and 8 held together toggles it on and off.

[dr b]

Note that this option (show formatting marks) allows you to see all the marks, but these marks will not print, so there's no harm being done here (look at print preview to confirm this).

I actually prefer to leave the formatting marks on, as it allows me to see tabs, paragraph marks, word spacing, page breaks, etc. You may, on your toolbars, have a "show/hide" button that looks like a backwards "P" (paragraph mark). This allows you to toggle back and forth between seeing and not seeing the formatting marks. (If you don't have that button it's easy to add.)

[Gothique]

Thankyou all for your answers, and now please forgive me for being a bit thick ... I still can`t get rid of them ... waaaa!

Step by step help would be great.

SORRY!

[ChuckFickens]

what version of word???

if earlier than 2007 then loook at the pic below, I have highlighted the button in red at the top, it looks like a backward P click that to remove the marks

http://i40.tinypic.com/2dt3tiu.png

[Gothique]

Oh bloody hell - how stupid do I feel now .... hahahaa!!! *blush*

Thankyou for your time and patience - done it! :)

THANKYOU!

[ChuckFickens]

a picture does indeed speak a thousand words ;)

[Gothique]

Yes - very helpful it was too ... thankyou very much for your time and patience again!

I usually battle it out on the PC till I can find what I`ve done wrong, but this time I just couldn`t figure it out ... doh! :)

[mrs.chappie]

Open the document in question.

Have a look at the toolbar that runs across the top of the computer screen. You should see a button that looks like a letter 'P' - but the wrong way round. Look thoroughly because it is easy to miss - there are a lot of buttons up there.

This strange-looking backwards 'P' is a toggle button - you click on it to show the formatting characters in your document, and click it again to hide the formatting characters (toggle = one button to switch facility on and off).

Click on said button. Look at your screen. Hopefully all the formatting characters will now be hidden. Click on it again, hopefully they will all come back. (As another poster mentioned - the symbols don't print out, they just show up on your screen, and can sometimes be very handy to see).

If you didn't accidentally activate the show/hide formatting - then sorry but I have no other idea of how to put things right.

Good luck! xx

PS - If you don't have the backwards 'P' button on your toolbar, please post again and I (or another computer peep on here) will tell you how to get it onto your toolbar.

PPS - I am not a computer peep, just happen to know about that button.

[:o)

[mrs.chappie]

Well bless my cotton socks - that'll teach me to press the refresh button before I plough in with an answer!

Didn't see Chuck's reply until I had submitted mine.

(Damn and blast - was feeling so pleased with meself - it's not often I can answer a Q in Computers!)

[Gothique]

Aww - thankyou ALL very much for your time.

L.x