Another one-hit-wonder just for the search engines and people who happen to have the same problem as I did.
Somehow I’d managed to turn on “reveal codes” or “show paragraph marks” or whatever it’s called in Outlook 2007 (it’s hard to describe a feature that you turned on accidentally, but see the image above). Word calls it “Show Hide P” (“P” being the backwards “P” paragraph symbol that I can’t copy/paste from anything, nor can I find it in the symbols font), and it can be toggled off/on by using CNTRL+*….at least that’s what Word 2007 says, yet that keyboard shortcut didn’t work for me in Outlook 2007.
I couldn’t figure out how to turn this feature off – I’d searched online, the bundled help, and every single menu and options screen I could possibly think of. I should add that I toggled it off/on Word 2007 but that has no impact in Outlook 2007, so the two settings aren’t linked.
I was pulling out my hair, but Sue Mosher (who’s been an MVP for even longer than I have I think) responded to my posting in the Outlook newsgroup with this single line:
Try Ctrl+Shift+8 (which is what Ctrl+* really means).
And that did it. I really have no idea why Ctrl+* doesn’t really mean press the control key and the asterisk key (*) at the same time, but the solution works.
Thanks for this tip, Jason! It works with Ctrl+Shift+8 in Word 2007, Ctrl+* does not on Finnish/Swedish keyboard. (Shift+8 means “(” on my keyboard)
Thank you! I've been living with those annoying formatting symbols for a few months now!!
Good man, thanks!!
Had the same problem, very frustrating. Until I found your post. Thank you!
Thanks, exactly what I needed.
More thanks… ;’))
I found that if you create a new email, then click on Office Button (top left corner of email), then go to the very bottom of popup, click on Editor Options, a new window will open.
Just select “Display” and you will be able to Hide or Show various formating marks.
Hope this helps.
Awesome thanks for the help
Thank you so much!!!! Fortunately your blog was the second place I looked after the Microsoft solution that you mentioned first. Problem solved!!!
you’re a lifesaver. Thank you!!!!
Thank you. THANK YOU. THANK YOU!!!!!
Fab u lous !!!! Couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to get rid of them! Thank you thank you thank you.
Thanks, it worked just fine.
CalTexRoss
I did THE SAME THING! Thank you SOOO muchfor posting this solution!
OMG. Thank you. I was going CRAAAAZZZYYY!
U ROCK!
wow – thank you. I was going crazy, and like you, turned it on accidentally. Had no idea what to call the paragraph icons or space icons…now I know. THANK YOU!
Holy ****
I was going crazy and this is the only thing that helped. I can not tell you how much this was a life saver!!!!
Bless you!
Thank you! I too managed to turn this on accidentally and had no idea how to turn it off. I appreciate your post.
Karen
Sacramento, CA
Bless your soul for this…I think i was about to go BLIND!!!!
The Control+Shift+8 didn’t work for me. But Gil’s suggestion–Office Button, Editor Options–worked perfectly. Thanks. (BTW: Mine got turned on when I copied and pasted some info from a website to put into an e-mail.)
Gill, thank you very much it really works!
This solution was a life saver — thank you!!!! I could have never figured it out on my own.
Thanks!
Disqus generic email templateThanks!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I too do not know how I did it but your solution worked!
Thanks! I was pulling my hair out (if I had any).
THANK YOU! I finally find a source that answers my question.
awesome thanks – you rock
Thank you! And bless you…
thank you!!
OMG I spent all morning going through everything trying to get this off of my BOSS email. Thanks a bunch, I can enjoy the other half of my Saturday 🙂
Wow! That was easy.