How to stop automatic lines in Word 2007

[dasadler]

Often when I am creating a new document I will copy/paste text from several older documents with the intention of merging the best parts and discarding what I don't need. When I do this, I usually try to separate the documents by inserting a few dashes (like below) between text from these douments. Problem is, Word will automatically replace my few dashes with a solid horizontal line that I do not want. I can't find where to turn this feature off (I know... again with the new office interface). Anyone know how to do it?



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vel ullamcorper urna. Nulla facilisi. Morbi auctor volutpat lectus ut ullamcorper. Fusce nec urna leo. Sed vitae sollicitudin
neque.
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vel ullamcorper urna. Nulla facilisi. Morbi auctor volutpat lectus ut ullamcorper. Fusce nec urna leo. Sed vitae sollicitudin
neque. Phasellus lorem nisi, pellentesque ac convallis ac, molestie sed justo.

[HansV]

Click the Office button and click Word Options.
Activate Proofing in the left hand pane.
Click AutoCorrect Options...
Activate the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
Clear the check box "Border lines".
OK your way out.

[DaveA]

This is part of the default "Auto correct" built in to Word, and it has been around for some time. At times I sill want the line, so I have learned to do is use the - and the = and this will not change to any thing and can be done quickly.
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[dasadler]

Thanks to both of you.

I noticed the same thing happens in Outlook. Gotta figure than out now.

[IanWilson]

Thanks to both of you.

I noticed the same thing happens in Outlook. Gotta figure than out now.

If you are using Word as your email editor (an option you can set in Outlook) it would presumably do the same as Word.

Ian

[dasadler]

Thanks Ian, in fact I am not using Word as my editor (not sure Outlook 2007 offers that as an option but I think it uses the same 'engine'). In any case, I fixed it exactly the same way as in Word as there is a provision for editor options in Outlook. Thanks to your suggestion, I poked around and found it.

[Rebel]

Thanks Ian, in fact I am not using Word as my editor (not sure Outlook 2007 offers that as an option but I think it uses the same 'engine').

Actually, Outlook 2007 DOES use Word as its editor (see this article).

[dasadler]

Thanks John. I certainly like the way it works more than previous versions.

[Dave Davison]

Don't know about Windows 7 but using [XP Office 2003] I stumbled on this remedy ages ago, after hitting the "-" character key 3 or more times followed by the "Enter" key it resulted in a continuous line right across the page but by trial and error I discovered that by simply hitting the "Backspace key" once the line reverts back to the 3 plus characters leaving the cursor a line below. May just work with W7 !!! If not, at least it may help users of XP. Cheers DD

[HansV]

Dave, this thread is about Word; it has nothing to do with the Windows version.

Your remedy will work in any version of Word; Undo or Ctrl+Z will work too. But you'd have to do this each time you enter three or more dashes, plus signs etc. The replies higher up in this thread explain how to turn off this "feature" altogether in Word 2007; in Word 2003 or before you can do the same by selecting Tools | AutoCorrect Options..., activating the AutoFormat As You Type tab, and clearing the 'Border lines' check box.

[Dave Davison]

.......beg your pardon...wrong wave length again as usual. Dave.

[John Gray]

There's an article Getting rid of unwanted lines in Word [2007] tables, which might be worth a read?