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General discussion

WORD: autoformatting settings keep changing...

Jan 26, 2009 12:06PM PST

Suddenly, for some unexplained reason, the settings I have in Word (under Format ? Autoformat ? Options) keep disappearing. (For example I have unchecked pretty much any ?automatic? features such as ?Apply Headings, Bulleted lists, etc.? But then the next time I use Word these items have been checked/selected?and I have to go back and uncheck them each time for every document I work on.

It seems that these selections used to stay as I wanted them, that is they did not go back to being checked/selected on their own.

(1) Would anyone know what might be causing this?
(2) Is there a way that I can keep my selections selected for good?

(Note: I have Word 2000 and Windows XP.)

Discussion is locked

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Re: Word autoformatting options
Jan 26, 2009 6:38PM PST
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Still need HELP, please
Jan 31, 2009 8:41AM PST

Thank you for the link.
The link provides information about making changes in the Registry, and urges caution. I don't know enough about computers to attempt Registry changes.

Even though I uncheck all options for Autoformatting, and click OK (and/or click Autoformat Now) the next time I start up my computer everything is checked again.

Any other ideas on why this could be happening - and any other way to stop this from occurring (besides making Registry changes)?

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I followed the instructions...
Feb 6, 2009 8:39AM PST

...and went from HKEY_CURRENT_USER...through "OFFICE...9.0...Word...then "Data".

Do I now delete the "Data" Folder (this in on the left side of this window...or do I click on the "Data" Folder (which now opens up three items contained within that folder: "Default (Reg_SZ)"; Settings (Reg_BINARY)"; and Toolbars (Reg_BINARY) and delete one or all of these?

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STILL A PROBLEM...
Feb 6, 2009 11:44PM PST

I went ahead and deleted the DATA folder (with its three subfolders)...and as the instructions stated Word recreated a new [what I thought would now be, and what should now be, a clean, error-free folder]...however this is not the case. Although a new DATA folder was created on startup of Word, my problem has returned: all of the Autformatting options have reselected/checked themselves...

Any ideas on what I could now try...?

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What exactly is your problem?
Feb 7, 2009 12:03AM PST

Originally it was that your additions were lost each time. Now it seems to be that there are entries not lost.

Not clear to me.

Kees

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Autoformatting preferences/selections keep getting changed
Feb 7, 2009 12:53AM PST

The settings I have in Word (under Format ? Autoformat ? Options) keep changing. (Each time I uncheck virtually all the features such as ?Apply Headings, Bulleted lists, etc.? But then the next time I use Word these items have been checked/selected?and I have to go back and uncheck them each time for every document I work on. And then they come back again (i.e., every item gets selected/checked - which is not what I want).

Up until a week or so ago my selections would stay as I wanted them, but now something is automatically checking/selecting every feature/option possible ("bulleted lists", etc.).


The Microsoft page to which you referred me had me delete the DATA folder (which then on re-starting Word was re-created by Word as a supposedly new, clean DATA folder). I followed their instructions - and a new DATA folder has been created...however the problem described above continues.

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Experiments.
Feb 7, 2009 3:10AM PST

1. Run Word in Safe mode (winword -safe from command prompt or start>run box). Does it still happen?
2. Make a new Windows account and try there (both regular and Safe mode).

Kees

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autoformatting settings keep changing... me, too
Nov 23, 2010 12:01AM PST

I have Word 2003 and Windows 7. The same thing happens to me, and it's a pain where I sit.

Word 2003 has "Tools - Save my Settings". I save them the way I want and a few days later have to restore them. Again and again.

I suspect that some other program is changing the settings - maybe a Word document that was created under a different version - or maybe some other program altogether.

I'd love a solution.