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Nick
 
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Default Equation Editor doesn't consistently allow size/style changes

I too get incredibly frustrated by this bug, but today I found a solution -
albeit not very satisfying.

When the menu items are not working, the keyboard shortcuts DO still work. I
don't know if there is a shortcut to get to the Define Styles window, but you
can set predefined styles (such as Matrix-Vector) with key strokes. I
searched on Google and found this list:
math.arizona.edu/~lacotta/Busmath/MSEqnKeyboard.pdf

Nick

"Math Teacher Lady" wrote:

I'm using the Equation Editor that is part of Office Word 2003. As a math
teacher, I type equations in Word documents nearly every day. I've always
found Equation Editor, as embedded in every version of Word, to be basically
adequate for the job, but have frequently (and intermittently) encountered
mystery problems with the software. The one I'm most puzzled/frustrated by is
why the software occassionally will not allow me to redefine the size or
style of font that I am writing in. Sometimes it works just fine. Other times
when I try to Define the Style or Size, I click on Define from one of those
two drop down menus and ... nothing happens. No dialogue box opens. It's as
if I have done nothing. It's so frustrating, particularly when I'm working up
against a deadline. I've tried closing the program and starting over. I've
tried opening documents in different ways. It's almost like I've lost some
kind of daily lottery, where the computer randomly decides whether or not it
will allow redefinition of Size or Style. Yesterday, I changed my settings
with no problems, in a different document. Tomorrow, having changed nothing,
I will go through the exact same procedure and it will probably work. But
today, it's having none of it. Since I regularly have to write both
overheads with size 18 font and handouts with size 12 font, it is imperative
that I be able to change these settings easily.

This problem makes me crazy with anger. I haven't broken anything yet, but
honestly, I often fantasize about it, and it's really out of character for
me. Please, please, please fix this program!

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