# MS Word, getting rid of bulleted lists **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 27, 2012, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-getting-rid-of-bulleted-lists/616932 "2012-03-27T06:06:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-getting-rid-of-bulleted-lists/616932/1 "2012-03-27T06:06:06Z")
Friend sends me a Word .doc file (I’m using Office 2007) all nicely decorated with - Bulleted - Lists And I want to get rid of the bullets, and just have the text, without the magical active indented paragraph formats. I searched, and Googled, and read through the MS Office help sites, and can’t find anything. They tell how to turn the feature off, as far as entering new text, but not how to strip out the formatting from existing text. I’m forced to copy the whole document to Notepad, then back to Word. This, of course, removes ALL formatting. Is there a way to highlight the whole document, and turn all the bulleted paragraphs to ordinary paragraphs? ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-getting-rid-of-bulleted-lists/616932/2 "2012-03-27T06:11:06Z")
I thought there was a button that removed formatting for selected text? If not, bullets can be manually deleted like any other character, which could be a pain in the ass if there’s several lists with a lot of bulleted points each. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-getting-rid-of-bulleted-lists/616932/3 "2012-03-27T06:28:52Z")
Highlight the list, right-click, and select “bullets and numbers.” Select “None” from the list shown. Or, easier still, highlight the list, and click the little “bullets” icon in the toolbar or ribbon. Bullets should disappear. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-getting-rid-of-bulleted-lists/616932/4 "2012-03-27T06:29:57Z")
Try this: Select the text. Go to Find/Replace. Under Replace, click “More \>\>” Click in top box next to “Find what:” At the bottom, click “Format” then “Style.” You’ll have to mess with the settings. The one called “1 / 1.1 / 1.1.1” worked for me. Click “OK” till you’re back in Replace Click in the box next to “Replace with:” Go into the Format menu as before and pick a style, e.g. “Normal.” Go back out and click “Replace All.” If it doesn’t work, try other Style options. Or the easier options above. :smack: Do I get style points? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-getting-rid-of-bulleted-lists/616932/5 "2012-03-27T07:46:43Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > . . . bullets can be manually deleted like any other character, which could be a pain in the ass . . . Worse, they’re “smart” and kind of magical, and so if you delete them, they sometimes come back. I can’t quite seem to replace them with ordinary paragraphs or carriage returns. The list function is persistent! > [@Nametag](#): > > Highlight the list, right-click, and select “bullets and numbers.” Select “None” from the list shown. > > Or, easier still, highlight the list, and click the little “bullets” icon in the toolbar or ribbon. Bullets should disappear. ??? Nope. Tried both of these. The blankety-blank-blank things are still there. > [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Try this: . . . Wah! That didn’t work either! I tried all sorts of styles to search for, and none of 'em did the trick! Sigh… Microsoft: the geniuses we love to hate! I really miss Word Perfect, where you could “Reveal Codes” and search-and-replace with ease. Thank you, all y’all! I may be stuck with .doc \> .txt \> .doc (Ask me about MS Access… Oy Vey!) ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-getting-rid-of-bulleted-lists/616932/6 "2012-03-27T07:51:33Z")
Doesn’t selecting all, click once on bullet (apply bullet to every line), click another time (remove bullet from every line) work? It works on bold, italic etc. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-getting-rid-of-bulleted-lists/616932/7 "2012-03-27T07:56:37Z")
What I find quickest when converting from Word to HTML: Highlight the list. Ctrl-X Go to Notepad. Ctrl-V Highlight a bullet character and its accompanying tab. Ctrl-C Ctrl-H, Ctrl-V Replace All - either with nothing, or your desired replacement. Ctrl-A, Ctrl-X, go back to Word, Ctrl-V. Lots of steps but when you’ve done it a few times it only takes seconds to do. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-getting-rid-of-bulleted-lists/616932/8 "2012-03-27T10:04:36Z")
Another method: In the [style gallery](https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/style-basics-in-word-HA010230882.aspx), right-click on “List Paragraph” and select all instances. Left-click on Normal. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-getting-rid-of-bulleted-lists/616932/9 "2012-03-27T11:36:53Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > I can’t quite seem to replace them with ordinary paragraphs or carriage returns. The list function is persistent! Yes, they do often come back unexpectedly. Here’s an idea to keep in mind: Whenever MS Word gives you an unwanted formatting change, the very next thing you should do is CTRL-Z. That will undo the format and let you keep typing. At home, my Word is set to never format things for me. (That’s in “Tools”, “AutoCorrect Options”, and then uncheck everything on the several tabs.) But it is a pain when I’m at someone else’s desk, such as at work, where there are a lot of shared computers, and I know that many noobs rely on these automatic features. For example, if I am just typing a list of things, Word defaults to capitalizing the first word on the line. So I keep reminding myself, “Don’t simply hit Enter. First hit Enter, then type the first word on the next line, and then, after typing a blank space which causes Word to realize that you’re typing a real word, then watch word change the first letter to upper case, and the press CTRL-Z to undo it.” It’s a real pain, but it works for ALL these format changes, PROVIDED you keep your eye on the screen and do it IMMEDIATELY after MS Word puts the change in. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-getting-rid-of-bulleted-lists/616932/10 "2012-03-27T13:03:54Z")
Highlight the entire bulleted list and hit ctrl-shift-n (hold down control and shift keys while tapping “n.”) This will apply the “normal” style to the paragraph(s). ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-getting-rid-of-bulleted-lists/616932/11 "2012-03-27T14:14:38Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Sigh… Microsoft: the geniuses we love to hate! I really miss Word Perfect, where you could “Reveal Codes” and search-and-replace with ease. Ctrl+\* (or Ctrl-Shift-8) in Office 2010, or click on the paragraph icon on the home menu. This will reveal all the formatting symbols. To turn off auto-formatting: 1.Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Word Options. 2.Click Proofing. 3.Click AutoCorrect Options, and then click the AutoFormat As You Type tab. 4.Under Apply as you type, select or clear the Automatic bulleted lists check box or the Automatic numbered lists check box. The deafults for Word may be different than Word Perfect, but all the functionality is there (and much more). Just need to know how to find it. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-getting-rid-of-bulleted-lists/616932/12 "2012-03-27T14:43:00Z")
Just to cover all the bases: are you sure that the bullets weren’t entered manually from the Symbol font? If so turning off the bullet formatting would do nothing. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-getting-rid-of-bulleted-lists/616932/13 "2012-03-27T16:15:37Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Just to cover all the bases: are you sure that the bullets weren’t entered manually from the Symbol font? If so turning off the bullet formatting would do nothing. That’s what I was wondering. Something’s odd if he can’t simply toggle them with the “bullets” button or apply “none.” ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-getting-rid-of-bulleted-lists/616932/14 "2012-03-28T04:49:46Z")
The quick answer: **Sailboat** got it! Ctrl-Shift-n! Gets rid of 'em like magic! > [@Sailboat](#): > > Highlight the entire bulleted list and hit ctrl-shift-n (hold down control and shift keys while tapping “n.”) This will apply the “normal” style to the paragraph(s). Yes! YES! Thank you! This works! > [@AaronX](#): > > Doesn’t selecting all, click once on bullet (apply bullet to every line), click another time (remove bullet from every line) work? It works on bold, italic etc. Didn’t work! > [@jjimm](#): > > What I find quickest when converting from Word to HTML: > Highlight the list. Ctrl-X > Go to Notepad. Ctrl-V > Highlight a bullet character and its accompanying tab. Ctrl-C . . . Doesn’t work, because these aren’t actual characters, but automated formatting effects associated with a paragraph (carriage return.) > [@Reply](#): > > Another method: In the [style gallery](https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/style-basics-in-word-HA010230882.aspx), right-click on “List Paragraph” and select all instances. Left-click on Normal. I couldn’t get this to work either, but it may be my own fault, as I am finding myself lost in the depths of the style galleries. All I can seem to do is change the “decor” – font stuff, spacing, etc. But the bullets never go away. > [@Keeve](#): > > Yes, they do often come back unexpectedly. Here’s an idea to keep in mind: Whenever MS Word gives you an unwanted formatting change, the very next thing you should do is CTRL-Z. That will undo the format and let you keep typing. . . . True, but it doesn’t help me, as I’m trying to “unformat” a file that someone else sent me. > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Just to cover all the bases: are you sure that the bullets weren’t entered manually from the Symbol font? If so turning off the bullet formatting would do nothing. No, they’re definitely not “symbols” in that sense; if they were, I could simply delete them, or backspace over them, and they would vanish. When I do this, they come back again the next time I hit enter! It’s a “feature” that Word “helpfully” offers, but, for me, it’s just a royal pain in the keester! But my question has been answered! Bless all y’all for your suggestions! I’m happy!