When I copy and paste text, Word inserts [ ] around source text that I can't
remove! This is apparently a formatting code and causes all sorts of
problems with subsequent manipulation of document text.

What is it?
How can I get rid of it?
Does it have any useful purpose??

What you are seeing are most likely bookmarks, which could come from a
variety of sources and probably are not needed. However, where they come
from is not critically important to removing them. The process for removing
these bookmarks (assuming that's what they are) varies depending on the
version of Word you are using. In Word 2003 and most older versions, click
Insert | Bookmarks... and look for any bookmarks that you have not inserted
yourself, and simply delete them. The process is similar in Word 2007.

If they are not bookmarks then perhaps they are fields - possibly
cross-references. You can determine if this is the case by right-clicking
between the brackets and looking for "Toggle Field Codes" in the context
menu. If they are fields then post back and I'll tell you how to fix the
problem.
--
Cheers!

Gordon Bentley-Mix
Word MVP

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<(E-Mail Removed)_(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:76DDD15F-8845-4632-A792-(E-Mail Removed)...
> When I copy and paste text, Word inserts [ ] around source text that I
> can't
> remove! This is apparently a formatting code and causes all sorts of
> problems with subsequent manipulation of document text.
>
> What is it?
> How can I get rid of it?
> Does it have any useful purpose??