Windows 7 - Word 2010:errors highlighting, indents, margins, flagging &c

Word 2010

In the middle of a paragraph, it will suddenly indent every line except the first, for no reason, since it does it without my accidentally pressing the wrong key. Drives me nuts.

It also arbitrarily resets one or both margins for part or all of the document. For *******’s sake!

And it suddenly changes the colour of corrections to a uniform red for no reason. ********* it!

It brings up Research (which I never, and would never, use) for no reason that I can think of except perhaps inadvertently touching the space bar – how can I turn this off ? (When you press F1 and type Research, it does not even tell you how to turn it on, so I have no idea how to avoid it)

When I highlight something and underline / italicise / bold it, Word applies the instruction to the whole document; and I have to press the Undo button to get rid of it (curiously one press undoes the rest of the document but not the highlighted section which stays underlined, etc.)

When Word flags something as wrong (green underline) and I click Ignore, it usually doesn’t ignore it but keeps on flagging it. Same for saying a word or phrase is in another language – it keeps coming back about it.

Dictionary:
1. I want to be able to open the dictionary then and there, and remove the appalling suggestions that Microsoft gives.
2. Add to dictionary – why not a choice of which dictionary to add to ? you only get the current one (for instance, I would like to have a dictionary of names, separate from ordinary words; and I would like to keep languages separate.)

3. Also the dictionary does not appear to accept two-word terms

Incidentally you really have to wonder about who compiled their version of a ‘correct’ English grammar and why they were allowed anywhere near a keyboard.

And just in case anyone knows the answer

Excel 2010

I have not yet managed to understand the reason for having a background screen, and have no use for one, is it possible to dispense with it because it just gets in the way ?


Grateful for any help, adj

Sounds like you need MS OFFICE – DIAGNOSTICS AND REPAIR

Windows Support Center – MS Office ‘Fix It’ – solutions + support from Microsoft
Office 2010 - Perform Repairs
Repair or remove Office 2010 - Project - Microsoft Office

Open Word, press the Office button, Word Options, Resources + click on "Run Microsoft Office Diagnostics."

Then, go to Control Panel, Programs + Features, scroll down to MS Office, click Change, then select Repair from there.

Thank you for taking the time to try to help. I tried your 'Repair' recommendation,after unsusccesfully searching for help on the site you listed; and on about the third attempt, it seemed to go through whatever it does (a progress bar filled up). However, I have no idea what it thought it was doing or what it did; and I still have unexpected indents occurring in the middle of typing a paragraph, and 'Ignore' does not make Word ignore things - it continues to flag them.

Please, has anyone got any better ideas ?

(I do use another word processor, but for this task I am constrained to use Word, which is what my students have to use).

Again thanks to you all for reading this tedious complaint.

Adj

Now (post-repair) Word has come up with a new trick: as I type, when it should have a carriage return and line feed (shows you where I come from), it starts a new line - but in the middle or more often at the right-hand side of the page: and I have to click the icon for left margin (which I sensibly put into the (ha-ha) Quick Access Toolbar, to make it start on the left. Interestingly neither the icon for 'Centre' nor for 'Print on the right' (or whatever it is called) is highlighted when this happens.

Happy days, adj

Do these problems occur with a specific document or all , including new, documents?

All documents, Irene - all the ruddy time, even opening them up years later ... If it was only one ...

My guess is that you have a specific 'Style' applied as your default. Here is an Article which explains - in great depth (sorry) - about the use of Styles:
Style basics in Word - Word - Office.com

I would first check which style you are using - the one which is 'highlighted', is it the one called Normal?:

I would check a keyboard for hardware failure. Have you ever spilled anything on it?
Or it could be just weared out or/and poor quality.

Hello again

Irene - thaks for this (yes my basic style is normal, but of course I ought to check what each student's file is), I will follow up the reference and let you know.

Neutron 16: 2-year old Logitech keyboard in good nick: in spite of the fact that my wife said I touch-type as if I were playing one of the noisier bits of the Brahms first piano concerto, I don't think it's worn out yet; and so far I have avoided tea /coffe / beer / absinthe disasters, but a fair point, thanks

Hello again

Irene - thanks for this (yes my basic style is normal, but of course I ought to check what each student's file is), I will follow up the reference and let you know.

Neutron 16: 2-year old Logitech keyboard in good nick: in spite of the fact that my wife said I touch-type as if I were playing one of the noisier bits of the Brahms first piano concerto, I don't think it's worn out yet; and so far I have avoided tea /coffee / beer / absinthe disasters, but a fair point, thanks