Troubleshoot automatic formatting

First, make sure that you've turned off the options on the correct tab. When you click AutoCorrect Options on the Tools menu, you can turn off two types of automatic formatting:

• The AutoFormat As You Type tab contains the automatic changes Microsoft Word makes as you type.
• The AutoFormat tab contains the automatic changes Word makes when you format the document in a separate pass.

If neither of the above addresses your problem, try one of the following:

• Unwanted symbols keep reappearing

  If you've cleared the Hyphens ( -- ) with dash ( —  ) check box on the AutoFormat As You Type tab, and Word continues to insert symbols, one or more symbols may be set up as AutoCorrect entries.

  On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect Options, click the AutoCorrect tab, and then see if the Replace box contains the symbol Word is automatically replacing. You can either delete the entry by selecting it from the list, and then clicking Delete, or turn off AutoCorrect completely by clearing the Replace text as you type check box.

• Text style changes unexpectedly

  If Word keeps applying unwanted styles to text, you can have Word prompt you before updating styles. On the Tools menu, click Options, click the Edit tab, and then select the Prompt to update style check box.

• Word keeps formatting text as headings

  If Word continues to format text as headings even after you've cleared the Built-in Heading styles check box on the AutoFormat As You Type tab (Tools menu, AutoCorrect Options command), clear the Define styles based on your formatting check box under Automatically as you type.

• Make sure that the *Bold* and _italic_ with real formatting check box is selected on both the AutoFormat As You Type and the AutoFormat tabs (Tools menu, AutoCorrect Options command).
• Make sure that you don't insert spaces between the asterisk (*) or underline (_) and the text. There must be a space before the * and _ characters. For example, "see *Paul* jump" will appear as "see Paul jump", but "see * Paul* jump" or "see*Paul* jump" won't be formatted.
• Make sure that you've selected the Format beginning of list item like the one before it check box on the AutoFormat As You Type tab (Tools menu, AutoCorrect Options command).

If the text you typed includes the at sign (@), Microsoft Word might interpret the text as an e-mail address and automatically apply hyperlink formatting. You can turn off the automatic replacement of Internet and network paths with hyperlinks.

1. On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect Options, and then click the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
2. Under Replace as you type, clear the Internet and network paths with hyperlinks check box.

Microsoft Word formats an e-mail message automatically only if all of the following are true:

• The incoming messages are in plain text format.
• You're using Word as your e-mail editor.
• You're using the Microsoft Outlook rich text message format.

You can set the second and third options in Microsoft Outlook. For details, see Microsoft Outlook Help.

The AutoCorrect button no longer displays when text is formatted.