"Char" bug

[Guest]

All,
Despite everything I do, I can't seem to eliminate the "char" bug. I looked
through the posts. None has answered my question. Please help! I have Word
2002, SP2. I created a template, meticulously following every instruction in
Shauna Kelly's article at
www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html. I created a new doc
from this template. I opened a separate doc that contains the text that I
want to apply my styles to. I cut and paste that text into my
brand-new-from-the-template doc. In my new doc, which now contained the text
I want to apply styles to, I started to apply the styles that I defined in my
template, using the Styles and Formatting pane. All goes well until I save.
When I save, give my new doc a name, highlight the next para, and go to click
a style, then before my eyes, as my pointer moves down the list of styles, I
watch the styles turn into character styles (they were defined as paragraph
styles) and I watch the mouse-over text suddenly start listing "char" in the
style definition. My styles move from indented to left justified on the style
list. HORRIFYING! Note that I have NOT selected PART of a paragraph. I am
selecting whole paras. When I back out and try again, the same thing
happens.
From what I have seen in all of the posts on this topic, the two things that
have been recommended are: make sure you have SP2 if you are using Word 2002,
and make sure that you don't select PART of a para. I have done both. Neither
helps.

Does anyone know, is there any more info somewhere on the web about this bug
aside from the 2 tips that I mentioned above? Does anyone know whether
Microsoft has any plans to fix this bug? Does anyone know if there's a
workaround? I need my styles to work!

 

[Guest]

One possibility - Under Tools, Options, Edit, uncheck "Keep track of
formatting". If this works, I've had success removing all of the styles with
"char" attached to them can be deleted without affecting any formatting.

 

[Guest]

I forgot to mention that. Tools>Options, Edit, "Keep track of formatting" was
already clear. Thanks for the suggestion, though.
In the meantime, I noticed something else and I have found a workaround that
appears to be working. I noticed that my second style (which was based on the
first) was the first one to have the char bug. The first style didn't have
the char bug, but DID magically have hypertext formatting ("Followed Link").
The workaround I tried was Undo. It shouldn't have made a difference, seeing
as how I had already saved (I'm almost certain), but it did.
Going forward, my plan is simply to watch the Styles and Fomatting pane each
and every time I apply a style, and if after applynig a style my styles turn
into character styles, acquire the "char" definition, etc., I'll just do
"Undo."
Thanks again for your help. You won't see another post from me on this topic
until/unless my workaround stops working.
Susan