Help: I need an MS Word expert

[Hathor]

Here's a challenge.
I am stuck with a Word 2003 document where there are lots of odd hyphen characters appearing randomly all over the place in the middle of words. These are only seen when the "Show/Hide" button is selected, like this: reha¬bi¬litation

What is this and how do I get rid of them
(apart from by spending hours deleting them one by one)?
Am desperate - all help gratefully received!!

Use the Find tool. In the Find window click on format, and then check hidden. Choose 'Find in Main Document'. Then you can 'find' all hidden text. (It might be that you must have hidden text viewable first). Once it is found it will be highlighted and you can delete in a single operation.

I'm not an expert, but I thought that happened when you opened a document in Word that was actually created in something else?

I would try closing document (do not save changes obv), then reopening in Notebook (go to programs > accessories should be in there if not immediately spotted). If it comes out clear there, cut and paste into Word. Doing it this was will mean you lose formatting, but at least the symbols are gone, and it will take less time to restore the formatting.

threadworm - tried your idea, but cannot find the button for "hidden characters" in that dialogue box - where is this (remember am on Word 2003)

wingandprayer - thanks for suggestion but opening it in Notebook creates too many other formatting problems to make it worthwhile. Good idea though!

All further help appreciated!

Bother. I've got Word 2007. Perhaps it's not available in 2003.

Hmm, with further investigatinon I think these strange characters are "soft" hyphens - they occur where the line-breaks are, but also in lots of other places.
How do I get rid of them?

But just to be sure: click on Find, then (at the bottom of the window) Format, then Font, then look for 'hidden' in the long list of checkboxes.

Threadworm - yes you are right - there is a check-box for hidden there. BUT - it doesn't "find" these soft hyphen characters, so am scuppered!
Thanks for suggestion though.

OR!!!

...In Find, click 'special' at bottom of window, and choose 'optional hyphen'. Then click 'find in main doc' to highlight all ... and delete!!

Threadworm, you are a GENIUS!
Have a gold star.

Hooray!!

can you do a search and replace on ¬ - keep a copy first before you start messing with it.

With find you can usually click on further options (or something similar) to set format options for the search.

darn - can't type fast enough !

Never mind throckenholt - I will probably have another problem before too long

• I shall look forward to it.