Reset Microsoft Word Page Layout Paragraph Spacing to No Added Space

This has annoyed me for quite a while and I finally got ticked off enough to track down the solution.

Dear Microsoft.

Please Stop Helping.  Word is a very strong program.  I have used it for years but being a touch typist, I don't need your help with adding an extra space between paragraphs.   If I want one there, I will put it there.  I like the little squiggles, red for when I misspell, green for questionable grammar, but this "Feature" just irked me.

Thank you very much.

RamblingMoose

You see they thought they'd help you type away with saving one key stroke each time you put in a paragraph.  When I was taught by "Miss Mommy" back in High School (Yes, they really called her Miss Mommy), she had some rules to remember as we all struggled to learn how to type.   Two spaces after a period.  Two Lines after a paragraph.

See, real simple.   Business Writing 101.

Microsoft in their wisdom thought they'd automate that two lines.  It irks me.  I know what I'm doing, Microsoft, Let Go Of My... Hands.

Ok the link to their instructions are at this link, if you can't follow mine, maybe having the pictures will help.  I did it and now I'm back to typing my documents the way they should be.   Why is it a problem?  Well because if you edit in Word, the paste it into a web form you get extra spacing.  Some web pages really have a hard time with it and it messes up the formatting.

Hey if you loved this "feature" you wouldn't have searched for this blog posting would you?

1. Open Word 2007.
2. Click the Home tab if you aren't already there, it is where you go by default.
3. Toward the right of the control ribbon you will see "Change Styles".
4. Click "Change Styles".
5. Select "Style Set"
6. In the pop-up, select "Word 2003".
7. To save, click "Change Styles".
8. Select "Set as Default".

Remember that you have to save, Step 7 and 8 will make this permanent, Steps 1-6 will only set it for this document.

Done.  Now you won't have that pesky "extra line feed".  Can you tell I think "Focus Groups" should die a painful death in modern Western Business?

WHEW!  Thanks Microsoft but you're trying TOO hard on this one.  There will be many folks out there that want to do this on their own or are trained to do it on their own.

Plus there's always Libre Office for the rest of the world which I use on the other laptops and it doesn't have this annoying "Feature".  Oh and it's free and you can get it Here!