I was working on an existing Microsoft word document. I had previously saved it and was scrolling down the document when the first half changed into symbols (rectangles, $, 1/4, etc…) The second half of the document is still there unchanged, but thats the part I hadn’t worked on yet… Which is kind of a bummer.
The view had almost changed from “print layout” to “normal layout” and I can’t change it back. There is dotted lines across the page as well that say "column break’ and “page break”
I have already tried to change the font back but that doesn’t seem to be it as when it is highlighted it still says times new roman (which it is clearly not)…
Could be that you have the display formatting selected in Word options. In Word 2007 right-click the office button in the top left of the window, select “Customize Quick Access Toolbar,” select the “Display” Menu in the left of the “Word Options” window that popped up, second portion of the window on the right “Always show these formatting marks…”
Uncheck them all. You’ll be looking for the same thing in older version of word, you’ll just have to go to “Tools>Options” or something to that effect.
It could also be that the document was an Word Pad file and you’ve opened in MS Word, try opening the same file with Word Pad (Under the Accessories Menu in WindowsXP)