I'm using Word 2002 on Windows XP. I was adding an em
dash to a document, using the Insert/Symbol/Special
Characters menu. I noticed that you could also add an em
dash by typing (I think) Control + Alt + - [hyphen]. So I
tried that, and my little pointer turned into a fat black
dash. When I clicked the appropriate spot in the text to
add the em dash, nothing happened. So I moved the
dash/pointer up to the Insert drop down menu and clicked
on Symbol--which then disappeared from the menu entirely.
The dash has become a pointer again (somehow), but I
cannot resurrect the Symbol entry on the Insert menu. I
reinstalled Word from the CD, and that didn't work, so I
uninstalled Word entirely and reinstalled it again, and
that still didn't work. No matter what file I open, the
Insert menu simply doesn't show the Symbol entry any
longer. Any suggestions?

Re: Lost Insert menu items by Suzanne

Suzanne
Sun Jan 25 14:46:55 CST 2004

This is a common error. The shortcut for an em dash is Alt+Ctrl+Num - (which
means the minus sign on the numeric keypad). Alt+Ctrl+Hyphen is the command
some people call the Terminator, also known as
ToolsCustomizeRemoveMenuShortcut. When you get the big minus sign and click
on any menu item, it is gone! This can be very handy, for example, for
removing dead files from the MRU list, but obviously it can also be
dangerous. Restore the Symbol command by opening Tools | Customize,
selecting Symbol in the Insert category, and dragging it back to the menu
(see http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/RestoreMenuCmd.htm).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"J. Hynes" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:39d101c3e380$082c0ed0$a301280a@phx.gbl...
> I'm using Word 2002 on Windows XP. I was adding an em
> dash to a document, using the Insert/Symbol/Special
> Characters menu. I noticed that you could also add an em
> dash by typing (I think) Control + Alt + - [hyphen]. So I
> tried that, and my little pointer turned into a fat black
> dash. When I clicked the appropriate spot in the text to
> add the em dash, nothing happened. So I moved the
> dash/pointer up to the Insert drop down menu and clicked
> on Symbol--which then disappeared from the menu entirely.
> The dash has become a pointer again (somehow), but I
> cannot resurrect the Symbol entry on the Insert menu. I
> reinstalled Word from the CD, and that didn't work, so I
> uninstalled Word entirely and reinstalled it again, and
> that still didn't work. No matter what file I open, the
> Insert menu simply doesn't show the Symbol entry any
> longer. Any suggestions?


Re: Lost Insert menu items by J

J
Sun Jan 25 18:53:09 CST 2004


Thank you very much!

>-----Original Message-----
>This is a common error. The shortcut for an em dash is
Alt+Ctrl+Num - (which
>means the minus sign on the numeric keypad).
Alt+Ctrl+Hyphen is the command
>some people call the Terminator, also known as
>ToolsCustomizeRemoveMenuShortcut. When you get the big
minus sign and click
>on any menu item, it is gone! This can be very handy,
for example, for
>removing dead files from the MRU list, but obviously it
can also be
>dangerous. Restore the Symbol command by opening Tools |
Customize,
>selecting Symbol in the Insert category, and dragging it
back to the menu
>(see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/RestoreMenuCmd.htm
).
>
>--
>Suzanne S. Barnhill
>Microsoft MVP (Word)
>Words into Type
>Fairhope, Alabama USA
>Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.word.mvps.org
>Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups
to the newsgroup so
>all may benefit.
>
>"J. Hynes" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
in message
>news:39d101c3e380$082c0ed0$a301280a@phx.gbl...
>> I'm using Word 2002 on Windows XP. I was adding an em
>> dash to a document, using the Insert/Symbol/Special
>> Characters menu. I noticed that you could also add an
em
>> dash by typing (I think) Control + Alt + - [hyphen].
So I
>> tried that, and my little pointer turned into a fat
black
>> dash. When I clicked the appropriate spot in the text
to
>> add the em dash, nothing happened. So I moved the
>> dash/pointer up to the Insert drop down menu and
clicked
>> on Symbol--which then disappeared from the menu
entirely.
>> The dash has become a pointer again (somehow), but I
>> cannot resurrect the Symbol entry on the Insert menu. I
>> reinstalled Word from the CD, and that didn't work, so
I
>> uninstalled Word entirely and reinstalled it again, and
>> that still didn't work. No matter what file I open, the
>> Insert menu simply doesn't show the Symbol entry any
>> longer. Any suggestions?
>
>.
>