I use Word 2007 with Win7.



In Review > Show Markup, I don't want to see "Formatting" in the bubbles.

When I deselect "Formatting", all the formatting bubbles disappear. However, after some further editing, the formatting bubbles re-appear.

When I open Review > Show Markup, "Formatting" is again selected.

I would be grateful for any advice.

Dear OldGrantonian,

Unless you have some bug, I would guess that during the course of your editing you are inadvertently triggering the balloons. I assume that this is happening in all documents. How you might be doing this may take a little sleuthing to discover. However, you might make a copy of your document, for convenience, and then change the view so that you can see at least two pages. If you don't have formatting balloons already, change some formatting, then remove the balloon display as you have been. Then, begin making edits slowly and carefully until the balloons reappear. You may be able to determine exactly what you have just done that may have triggered the event. See if it is repeatable. It could be a particular combination of characters, especially if your Alt key is pressed by mistake.

Best,
Ulodesk

To prevent Word from tracking formatting changes, deselect "Track formatting" in the Track Changes Options dialog box (Review tab | Track Changes | Change Tracking Options). Then accept or reject the formatting changes that have already been tracked.

To hide formatting changes from view, you will have to deselect the "Make hidden markup visible when opening or saving" option at Office button | Word Options | Trust Center | Trust Center Settings | Privacy Options. Then you can select the option you mentioned on the Review tab.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Many thanks to Ulodesk and Stefan Blom for their responses.

After "sleuthing", I've found out what triggers the re-appearance of the formatting bubbles.

I constantly use the On/Off for "Track Changes" in the status bar. One reason: Word leaves no space between a deleted word and a substituted word. I believe this makes it more difficult for reviewers to read the text. There are other reasons related to legibility.

(Note that I don't blindly accept all changes. I accept/reject one at a time, so I can see any extra spaces - or do a global search for multiple spaces.)

Here's the sequence.

- Select Off in status bar.
- Deselect "Formatting" in "Show Markup". Formatting bubbles disappear.
- Change Off to On in status bar.

This always causes (a) the formatting bubbles to re-appear, and (b) Formatting changes to selected in Show Markup.