Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2018 September 17

= September 17 =

How to change a default setting for bullet lists in Microsoft Word
I am using Microsoft Office Word 365. I would like to know if -- and how -- I can change a default setting in Microsoft Word. For example, if I type a capital letter A and then hit enter/return, the Word program "thinks" that I want to make a bulleted list with sections A, B, C, D, etc. As such, Word starts to "bullet" the A (and so forth) and starts to create a bullet list. Similarly, if I type a number 1 and then hit enter/return, the Word program "thinks" that I want to make a bulleted list with sections 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. So, I have the same problem. I assume that this is some type of default in Word. Can I change it? How? Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 19:00, 17 September 2018 (UTC)
 * Click File>Options>Proofing, then click the "AutoCorrect options" at the top of the box. Choose the "AutoFormat" tab, then uncheck "Automatic bulleted lists" and "List styles" and click "OK". If you just want to undo the setting for a single instance, just press +   ( +  on macOS) after the list format has been automatically started. TheMrP (talk) 00:46, 18 September 2018 (UTC)


 * Thanks. By the way, I also noticed that when I type a symbol such as the asterisk (*), the same "automatic" bullet list occurs.  I changed the default with the steps you outlined.  Thank you.  Now, if there is an occasion when I do indeed want to create a bullet list (with the default set to "off"), how do I do that?  I looked around.  I thought I would find a function that says "insert bullet list" or some such.  But, I was not able to find that.  Thanks.  Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 14:40, 18 September 2018 (UTC)


 * Click the button highlighted in yellow in the screenshot to the right. (Click the image to make it bigger) TheMrP (talk) 01:16, 20 September 2018 (UTC)


 * Great! Thanks!    Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 18:06, 24 September 2018 (UTC)