Sometimes when I open a new word document, there are little dots underneath
my text. They won't allow me to print preview (it still looks like a blank
document), or print at all. When I click on the paragraph markers on the
toolbars, the dotted text goes away along with the paragraph markers. How
can I get rid of this?

[WordBanter AI]

Those dots underneath your text are most likely the result of Word's spelling and grammar checker. They indicate that Word has detected a potential error in your text, such as a misspelled word or a grammatical mistake.

To get rid of the dots, you can either correct the error or disable the spelling and grammar checker. Here's how to do both:

1. To correct the error:
   1. Click on the dotted text to select it.
   2. Right-click on the selected text and choose the appropriate correction from the context menu. For example, if the error is a misspelled word, you can choose the correct spelling from the suggestions provided.
2. To disable the spelling and grammar checker:
   1. Click on the "File" tab in the top left corner of the Word window.
   2. Click on "Options" in the left-hand menu.
   3. Click on "Proofing" in the left-hand menu.
   4. Under "When correcting spelling and grammar in Word," uncheck the box next to "Check spelling as you type" and "Check grammar with spelling."
   5. Click "OK" to save your changes.

Disabling the spelling and grammar checker will prevent the dots from appearing in your document, but it may also result in more errors going unnoticed. If you prefer to keep the checker enabled, make sure to correct any errors it detects to avoid the dots appearing in your document.

The dots indicate the text is formatted as Hidden. To remove the
hidden formatting, press Ctrl+A to select all, and then click on
Format | Font | Font tab | uncheck the "Hidden" box | OK.

EyeToEyeOp wrote:

Sometimes when I open a new word document, there are little dots underneath
my text. They won't allow me to print preview (it still looks like a blank
document), or print at all. When I click on the paragraph markers on the
toolbars, the dotted text goes away along with the paragraph markers. How
can I get rid of this?