Word being 'helpful'...

endacl

Hi tech-savvies.

OK, probably a minor issue, and a straightforward one, but my tech-patience is at a historically low ebb.

Following the implosion of my own long suffering laptop, I'm using a borrowed machine to complete a thesis. On my own steam-powered machine I used a nothing fancy, nuts 'n' bolts copy of OpenOffice Write. It did the job, and we got along famously.

On the borrowed computer (thanks kind housemate) I'm stuck with Word 2010. My question: How the FUNK do I stop Word being 'helpful' as regards formatting, introducing bullet points I don't want and didn't ask for, skipping to the end of a doc when I press the TAB key, etc......... etc ........ etc......

How do I get it to stop melting my brain, how do I get it to act as a basic nothing-fancy-just-type-it-and-the-program-will-do-what-you-tell-it-and-nothing-else word processor, so I can finish this piece of work and get back to having a life?!? :mad:

Thanks in advance. The safety of my housemate's shiny bells 'n' whistles laptop may depend on your response!







If I could get my hands round the throat of Bill Poxy Gates right now.....

maki

Hop into Options > Proofing > Autocorrect Options > Autoformat as you type

From there you can disable all the autoformatting you don't want.

endacl

maki wrote: »

Hop into Options > Proofing > Autocorrect Options > Autoformat as you type

From there you can disable all the autoformatting you don't want.

Thanks maki. I was expecting 'turn it off and on again'!

I'll give that a go...

maki

You could give Wordpad a try. It's pretty basic, but if you don't need anything special it might do the job. Plus it doesn't have any of the "smart" formatting features that its bigger brother has.

shleedance

Could just install openoffice, or run a portable version if you can't install stuff.

endacl

Thanks folks. Suggestion one seems to have done the job.



Now..... Any suggestions on improving two-finger speed typing?!?

Overheal

Im both amused that someone should complain that Word tries to improve the document with bulletpoints etc. and also that you wouldn't just install the free program you were accustomed to.

old_aussie

For those people using MS Office 2007....

Open word

Click on the Office Button in top left hand corner

Down on the bottom right, click on Word Options tab

Click on Proofing and then make your selections/options

endacl

Overheal wrote: »

Im both amused that someone should complain that Word tries to improve the document with bulletpoints etc. and also that you wouldn't just install the free program you were accustomed to.

Just manners really. It's not my computer to go installing stuff the owner doesnt want. I'll respect their wish to have their property treated as they like. Happy your amused though.

shleedance

Only a matter of asking, though.

Frank Lee Midere

Overheal wrote: »

Im both amused that someone should complain that Word tries to improve the document with bulletpoints etc. and also that you wouldn't just install the free program you were accustomed to.

It's not his computer to install stuff on. And why wouldn't people complain about bullet points. I never see them get it right. Any word processor. The numbering is a nightmare too.

endacl

shleedance wrote: »

Only a matter of asking, though.

The owner is hiking through Costa Rica. Lucky sod.

shleedance

If you had the portable version, you would not be installing anything. Plop it onto a USB stick and run it from there.

endacl

Doesn't really matter at this point. Maki's suggestion worked.