MS Equation Editor Problem

Factual Questions
1

I’m using MS Word 2003 and MS Equation Editor 3.0 under Windows XP. My problem is that at least two symbols, the minus sign and the ‘thin’ multiplication point, are not displayed when I enter them into a formula; the cursor moves, but it’s as if I’d added a space.

Additional observations:

  • Changing font type or size, or increasing the zoom of the display, does not seem to help

  • It’s not just the Word screen display that does not show these symbols; if I print out the document or turn it into an Adobe pdf, the symbols are still not there.

  • Changing the background color into something other than white does not make the symbols visible. However, the minus sign at least can be made visible by selecting it with the mouse (it’s shown black on white, and this only works if the selection does not include anything but the minus sign)

  • Perhaps most oddly, the symbols are displayed normally if I load an older document from my Word 2000 days that has a formula in it. But the second I open that formula to edit it, any minus signs and multiplication points become invisible.

Is there a fix for this problem?

2

I’ve had some weird issues with the equation editor, but not the same you’re describing. They’ve usually been solved by restarting either the software or the computer. Sometimes I’ve had to play around with the style settings within the editor.

3

Thanks, but the problem always occurs, right after startup or not, and I’ve played around with the settings quite a bit.

Is there no bugfix? Or perhaps a good freeware equations and formula utility that works with Word 2003?