# MS Word Question: Why is it writing in html and how do I stop it?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-why-is-it-writing-in-html-and-how-do-i-stop-it/415588
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 14, 2007, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-why-is-it-writing-in-html-and-how-do-i-stop-it/415588 "2007-08-14T18:54:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2007, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-why-is-it-writing-in-html-and-how-do-i-stop-it/415588/1 "2007-08-14T18:54:39Z")
My MS Word is only writing in html toolbar, by which I mean that rather than Font and 6 to 72 font sizes it gives me the HEADING options and limited font styles. I’ve clicked on STANDARD TOOLBAR and FORMATTING but I can’t get the “regular” basic word processing back. Anyone know what I’ve done and how to undo it?
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2007, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-why-is-it-writing-in-html-and-how-do-i-stop-it/415588/2 "2007-08-14T21:15:42Z")
Not sure what you mean. Do you mean that you have the standard and formatting toolbars visible, but despite that you can’t tell Word that you want to type at a 12-point font size?
What does happen when you type?
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### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-why-is-it-writing-in-html-and-how-do-i-stop-it/415588/3 "2007-08-14T22:53:38Z")
The font types and sizes aren’t visible. Where they would normally be is instead htm sizes (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, etc.). [Here’s a screencap](http://sampiro.myphotoalbum.com/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album02&id=toolbar) of the toolbar with the dropdown.
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### Author:  [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2007, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-why-is-it-writing-in-html-and-how-do-i-stop-it/415588/4 "2007-08-14T23:08:04Z")
That’s your styles dropdown, not your font dropdown. If you put your standard and formatting toolbars on two rows instead of one, you should be able to see everything.
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### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2007, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-why-is-it-writing-in-html-and-how-do-i-stop-it/415588/5 "2007-08-14T23:26:38Z")
Ah- turned out someone who used my computer while I was out had readjusted the settings to format and had disabled Font and Font size. All is well, all is well.
Thanks to all.
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### Author:  [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-why-is-it-writing-in-html-and-how-do-i-stop-it/415588/6 "2007-08-14T23:28:59Z")
I didn’t know it was possible to disable Font and Font size. If you don’t mind my asking, how did they do it?
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### Author:  [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2007, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-why-is-it-writing-in-html-and-how-do-i-stop-it/415588/7 "2007-08-15T00:42:20Z")
[QUOTE=E. Thorp]
I didn’t know it was possible to disable Font and Font size. If you don’t mind my asking, how did they do it?
[/QUOTE]
If you choose Customize from the Tools menu, you can customize all your tool bars, including removing font and font size, should you have some perverted desire to do so.
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### Author:  [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-why-is-it-writing-in-html-and-how-do-i-stop-it/415588/8 "2007-08-15T01:16:33Z")
True enough. So I guess my real question is, _why_ did they do it?
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### Author:  [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2007, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-why-is-it-writing-in-html-and-how-do-i-stop-it/415588/9 "2007-08-15T12:57:07Z")
[QUOTE=E. Thorp]
So I guess my real question is, why did they do it?
[/QUOTE]
I never got the hang of how to use styles in Word, but it sounds like a great way to enforce consistency in a document, or across several documents: All your chapter heads look exactly the same, all your subheadings look exactly the same, all your whatevers look exactly the same, and all you thingamabobs look exactly the same. But having the font boxes visible makes a big temptation to have this one just a little different this way, and that one just a little different another way. So he removed that temptation, leaving only the Styles.
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### Author:  [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2007, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-why-is-it-writing-in-html-and-how-do-i-stop-it/415588/10 "2007-08-15T13:00:42Z")
Yeah, but the person who did this, did it to someone elses computer. Which is weird and rather rude!
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### Author:  [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2007, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-why-is-it-writing-in-html-and-how-do-i-stop-it/415588/11 "2007-08-15T14:14:10Z")
Unfortunately, some rude things are all too common… :mad: