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Question

Word 2007 over correcting while typing

Jun 27, 2011 10:29PM PDT

When using Word 2007 the autocorrect or autoformat feature is over-correcting, as in it seems to be guessing what I want to type and fixing it before I finish.

For example when using the word 'including' in the middle of a sentence I normally end up with 'Includeing'.

Here we have two separate but related problems. It added the 'e' before I finished typing 'ing' which is the over-correcting portion, yet it also capitalized the word. I use this example as it very often capitalized the first 'i' of every word no matter location in the sentence.

This is just one example, it happens often to many words as if Word guesses what I plan to type and finishes it for me. In this example I tested by typing slowly and it does add the 'e' as I type the 'd' in 'including' yet does not remove it when I type the next 'i', then I get the red squiggle.
I like that Word capitalizes 'I' for me, but not at the beginning of all words.

Thank you in advance for any assistance or suggestions. Is there maybe a way to slow down how quickly Word decides to 'help'? I do not want to turn this feature off, just make it work correctly.

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
Edit
Jun 27, 2011 10:36PM PDT

I forgot to add another example. Word also often changes "your" to "you're" while I am typing even though the former is situationally the correct usage.

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Can you turn it off?
Jun 28, 2011 8:10AM PDT

I had to turn Autocorrect off with my Word 2002.

I'm guessing that this is a feature more useful to touch typists who don't have to look at the keyboard whilst typing. They can watch the screen and take the proper action before autocorrect makes a mess. I don't touch type and by the time I have looked at the screen it has changed a word which I have then changed again by over-typing the correction.

There will be an option to turn that feature off.

Mark

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That is not the solution
Jun 29, 2011 12:32AM PDT

I can turn it off but that is not the solution. I also can 'touch type' which does not help either.

I should not have to correct 'Is' to 'is' even if I catch it as it is happening. And the solution should not be having to correct 'i' to 'I' by turning it off completely...

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I was about to say
Jun 29, 2011 6:06AM PDT

that I had no other options to offer you as Auto-correct was doing it's job, but I have found a link that may help;
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-use-and-customize-autocorrect-in-word-2007.html

(Disregard the "Dummies" name of the web site. There are a lot of "Guides for Dummies" around and I have used them myself often! Happy ).

It offers ways to customize what Auto-correct does. I hope you can find some things there to help you with this problem.

Good luck.

Mark

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Already been through options...
Jun 30, 2011 3:44AM PDT

Thanks for the tip but I have played with the options menu. The problem is Word is not doing what it is supposed to. It should not be capitalizing the first letter of a word in the middle of a sentence. It should also not be guessing that I am writing 'include' when I am typing 'including'.
I will try playing with the options again, I may be able to correct the latter issue but it would be on a per case basis which seems wrong to me.

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One final thought
Jun 30, 2011 9:20PM PDT

If this worked before then it is possible something has become corrupt in Word.

My first thought when that happens is the "Normal.dot" template file. In Word 2007 and 2010 this is called "Normal.dotm".

With Word closed down, find that file and delete it. When you next open Word it will be created anew. If any problems were caused by a Normal.dotm corruption that should fix it.

If that doesn't work, then I believe you have found a bug in Word 2007.

Mark