I get "W" with a line through when I type "\"

[mogwai]

Word 2003, XP (SP2)

Hi,

Everytime I type "\" I get a struck-through capital "w".

I don't have "strike-through" enabled in the "Font" box (Format > Font) or
the "Formatting" toolbar.

I don't have "Track Changes" enabled (Tools > Track Changes; or the
"Reviewing" toolbar)

What do I have to do to disable whatever I've inadvertently enabled?

Thanks.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Have you checked Tools | AutoCorrect Options to see if there is an entry for
\?

 

[mogwai]

Hi,
Thanks.
Yes, I have checked it and there isn't a "\" entry. Sorry, I should have
mentioned it.

I've tried the AutoCorrect option (Tools > AutoCorrect Optons) but the
problem doesn't seem to be an auto-correct feature. I can't use
"AutoCorrect"'s "Replace"/"With" feature to set Word to change the "W" back
to a \, as, in the "AutoCorrect" window, I no longer have the \W problem.
The \ key works perfectly well in the AutoCorrect pane.

When I use the \ key, in the main Word window in any document, I don't get a
\ at all - even if it's almost instantaneously changed to a "W" with a line
through it and I'm too slow to see the change.

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

Immediately after it happens, click Edit in the menu, and see what it says
for Undo... Does it say Undo AutoCorrect, or something else? This is for
informational/diagnostic purposes.

When it happens, are you able to undo it by pressing Ctrl+Z?

 

[mogwai]

Hi,

Under "Edit", it says "Undo Typing". Selecting it deletes what was written.
Pressing Ctrl+Z also deletes it.
Neither solve the problem.

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

It's beginning to sound like you're using a non-standard keyboard layout. In
the Windows Taskbar, is the language toolbar displayed? If so, right-click
it and choose settings, and see what keyboard is installed.

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
Author of the Word 2007 Bible
Blog: http://word2007bible.herbtyson.com
Web: http://www.herbtyson.com

 

[mogwai]

I right-clicked the "EN" on the taskbar and it appears, as far as I can tell,
I'm using "English [United Kingdom]" with a U.K. keyboard layout.

I'm beginning to think this may be due to my installation of anti-rootkit
software as, to be honest, when I initially installed the two anti-rootkit
programs, my boot-up splash-screens changed and my keyboard ceased working
entirely. Unistalling them, re-booting and re-installing them rectified the
problems. For the past few weeks I've also had another problem with Word: I
continually have to re-set my page-setup defaults. This may also have the
same cause.

I'll uninstall the programs and re-install them and see if both Word
problems disappear.

 

[Brian Bradley]

Look deeper in the configuration settings. I saw a setting for "Insert Yen
sign when pressing \." I know the Yen sign is a Y with a little half-bar,
but maybe the font you're using is translating it a little differently. So
maybe that setting has been checked.

I'm awful sorry, I'm new to Word 2007, and I only saw it in passing while
trying to look at the monstrous number of settings available, so I'm not
sure exactly where this setting is, and I am not at my office, but I really
think it is in the compatability settings.

Be sure to let us konw what you find out.

 

[mogwai]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the suggestions, but I've managed to solve the problem; in the
nick of time, also. I was contemplating throwing the computer out of the
window.

Although this relates to a different question, I followed the advice here:
http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/DrIntl/columns/019/default.mspx.

The Reverse Solidus (a.k.a. back-slash) was being replaced with the Korean
Won (currency) symbol. In the "Supplemental language support" box (Control
Panel > "...Regional Options" > "Regional and Language Options" >
"Languages") I removed Word's support for right-to-left languages and East
Asian languages, re-booted and the problem was no more.

I don't know what the consequences of this will be - if any - and I'm sure
there was an easier solution to the problem, but not one I could find.

Thanks to everyone who offered help.