How do I turn off field codes in an MS Word document?

[Guest]

I'm having a recurring problem with (1) field codes just appearing in a Word
document and (2) not being able to turn them off.

The field codes are mostly attached to headings, although they sometimes are
attached to other text.

I cannot find anything in the help files that tells me how to turn off or
remove these. They show up on the screen only - they don't show up when the
document is printed.

My questions:
1. How did these field codes get into my document?
2. Could they be related to sharing files among users with different
versions of Word (I have 2003, but some of my colleagues are using an earlier
version).
3. Most important: how do I turn the wretched things off?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If they're TC or XE fields, they're formatted as Hidden text, so the usual
Alt+F9 toggle doesn't work for them; you have to hide Hidden text instead.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

Here is an example of what I'm seeing. This is a section heading in a manual:
3.1.1 Dispatcher Changing Voice Request to Pending Request Procedure
{ XE "Changing Voice Request to Pending Request Procedure" } { XE "How Do
I?: Voice Request to Pending Request Procedure" }

The first part is the heading, which I want - the text in the brackets is
what I don't want.

I followed the help instructions for hiding text (Format menu, click Font,
click the Font tab, select the Hidden check box), but it hasn't changed
anything. I found that I could physically delete the text in the brackets,
but that's time-intensive - I will need to do it several hundred times.

And I still don't understand why these codes are there or how they got
there. Please continue to diagnose or enlighten.

 

[garfield-n-odie]

In Word, click on Tools | Options | View | uncheck the "Hidden text" box
| OK.

 

[Guest]

That worked! Thanks very much.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

And don't for heaven's sake delete them or you won't be able to generate an
index.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

This is driving me nuts, too. Why does Word automatically insert them? I
have them mostly in numbered lists, and I'm tired of people calling me and
asking what they are. I actually had someone reject a document in a
conformance review because these were in there. How do I just simply tell
Word to stop generating them? When I need a field, I'll ask for it (for
crying out loud!)!!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

What you describe is likely not field codes, which are not something Word
inserts without action on your part. They might be bookmarks or smart tags.
If they can be toggled with Alt+F9 (or by showing/hiding Hidden text, in the
case of XE and TC fields), then they are field codes. In which case, please
provide an example of the code you are seeing.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[dok6247903]

I am having this problem also....but the version of Word that I use does
not allow for the Tools/Options/View/uncheck 'Hidden Text' box...in the
version of Word I'm using the 'Hidden Text' box is already unchecked.
So now what?
Thanks!