Cannot Delete Selected Space Following Punctuation
  
PSS ID Number: Q106478
Article last modified on 11-15-1994
 
6.00     |6.00
 
WINDOWS  |Macintosh
 

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The information in this article applies to:
 
 - Microsoft Word for Windows, version 6.0
 - Microsoft Word for the Macintosh version 6.0
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SYMPTOMS
========
 
If you select a space following punctuation (such as a comma [,],
period [.], question mark [?], or colon [:]), Word for Windows may not
delete the space when you press DELETE or BACKSPACE or if you choose
Clear from the Edit menu.
 
The same thing happens if you try to delete a nonbreaking space that
follows punctuation.
 
For example, if you select the space following "cats," in the
following text and press DELETE, Word may not remove the space:
 
   cats, dogs and birds
 
CAUSE
=====
 
Word does not delete a selected space following punctuation if the
"Use Smart Cut and Paste" option is selected in the Edit options
dialog box. By contrast, if this space is not selected, you can delete
it. (To locate the "Use Smart Cut and Paste" option, choose Options
from the Tools menu and select the Edit tab.)
 
STATUS
======
 
We are researching this problem and will post new information here in
the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.
 
WORKAROUNDS
===========
 
When the "Use Smart Cut and Paste" option is selected, use one of the
following procedures to delete the space that follows punctuation:
 
 - Do not select a space following punctuation if you want to delete
   it. Instead, position the insertion point before the space and
   press DELETE or choose Clear from the Edit menu.
 
   -or-
 
 - Position the insertion point after the space and press BACKSPACE.
 
   -or-
 
 - Select the punctuation and the space, delete both, and then retype
   the punctuation.
 
REFERENCES
==========
 
"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, Chapter 2, "Typing and
Revising," "'Smart' Cutting and Pasting" section
 
KBCategory: kbusage kbprg
KBSubCategory:
Additional reference words: winword macword
 
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Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1994.
