Word keeps indenting the second line

[ep2002]

Hi everyone,



So more issues with Word <sigh>.

For the last month Word has decided to indent every line from the second on.

No matter what I do I can't get the parags. to come out left justified, only the first line is okay.

I've since rebooted Word & the computer, so that's not the issue.

Any ideas?

Thanks


Michelle

[Charles Kenyon]

Hi Michelle,

It sounds like you have "hanging indents."

Under the View tab, turn on display of Rulers.

Click in one of the paragraphs and then right-click and choose Paragraph. You should be able to see the indent settings that are reflected on the horizontal ruler. Do not change these here.

Instead close that dialog and press Ctrl+Shift+Alt+S to view the Styles Pane and see what Style you are using. Right-click on that and choose modify. Then in the bottom left of the dialog is a Format button, click on that and choose Paragraph. You should be back at the same spot as before, except through the style modification dialog.

Get rid of the hanging indent in that dialog. Click OK to go back to the Style Modification dialog. There check the box for all documents based on this template. Then click on OK. If your paragraphs look the way you want, close Word. If asked if you want to save changes to the template, answer Yes.

Understanding Styles in Microsoft Word
Basic Formatting in Microsoft Word

[ep2002]

Hi Charles,

First I want to thank you for helping me. I wish you could train me on bullets which I know with my note taking & seeing how to do it & practicing a few times I'd get in about 20-30 minutes.

I know you want me to read those pages & I have tried reading pages (not sure if they are the same), but unless I'm given exact instructions on how to fix/do something, I need to learn by someone actually showing me via Teamviewer & Skype.

I tried reading instructions a few times & I never got it b/c I can't ask questions.

Anyway, I tried to fix it based on what you gave me, but it turns it out was more than just moving it from 0.25 back to 0. After trying several times, I finally figured out that the word "hanging" was in a drop down menu off to the right. After choosing "none", that fixed it.

I know who did this to me. It was some woman I hired on Fiverr to train me when it came to styles as I wanted to learn how to go back & forth with different bullets within the same page. She said she knew what she was doing & then I could see she didn't. She must have changed something in that area b/c I sure didn't. I wouldn't even know how to go back there & change it.

The only other issue is that there's no way to change all the docs that got affected

That checkbox is only for new docs.

Any suggestions?

Thanks again


Michelle

[Charles Kenyon]

I didn't know you were talking about bullets. That is a different ballgame.

Here are two articles that should help.
How to control bullets in Ribbon Versions of Word by Shauna Kelly
How to create numbered headings or outline numbering in Ribbon Versions of Word by Shauna Kelly

I believe they give step-by-step instructions. You do have to do all of the steps.

As for existing documents, there is no quick fix.

[ep2002]

No I'm saying I had issues with bullets before which is why I tried to hire someone to teach me. I know how to do basic bullets of course, I'm talking about being able to use different bullets throughout a page of text & switch back & forth.

I tried using styles, but that didn't work.

Then I had issues with a doc that a client sent me as the bullets were either not showing up at all, or becoming right justified.

So what do I do with all the files that have this hanging indent issue? I have to copy the text to a new file? Will it copy the indent issue along with it?

Thanks


Michelle

[eNGiNe]

Originally Posted by ep2002

Then I had issues with a doc that a client sent me as the bullets were either not showing up at all, or becoming right justified.

Used to be that quite a lot of the settings for bullets depended on the PC, and even the user of that PC – so you could never guarantee that what you'd spent a week preparing would be what someone else would see when you sent them the document. Someone more knowledgeable will be able to tell us if this is still the case.

[Charles Kenyon]

Originally Posted by ep2002

No I'm saying I had issues with bullets before which is why I tried to hire someone to teach me. I know how to do basic bullets of course, I'm talking about being able to use different bullets throughout a page of text & switch back & forth.

I tried using styles, but that didn't work.

Then I had issues with a doc that a client sent me as the bullets were either not showing up at all, or becoming right justified.

So what do I do with all the files that have this hanging indent issue? I have to copy the text to a new file? Will it copy the indent issue along with it?

Thanks


Michelle

Read the Shauna Kelly articles.

Copying text to a new file as plain text will eliminate the hanging indents. You will have to reformat.

Learn Styles. This is important. Styles are at the heart of Word.
Understanding Styles in Microsoft Word
At least read the introduction.

[Charles Kenyon]

If you spend much time working in Word (and it sounds like you do), the time you spend learning about how Styles work should be recouped at least five-fold very quickly. If you work in Word 10 hours a week and spend 4 hours studying styles, you will have your time back within a month and keep saving that much time every month.