If you want to allow Word to automatically insert horizontal lines again, simply turn on the “Border lines” option (a check mark should display in the check box).Īll of those who use MS Word have faced this. The following image displays the different types of horizontal lines Word automatically creates. In addition to creating horizontal lines from dashes, underscores, and equal signs, Word also creates automatic horizontal lines from at least three asterisks (*), tildes ( Now, when you type three or more dashes, underscores, or equal signs in a paragraph by themselves and press “Enter”, the characters remain unchanged. You are returned to the “Word Options” dialog box.
Click “OK” to accept the change and close the “AutoCorrect” dialog box. In the “Apply as you type” section, select the “Border lines” check box so there is NO check mark in the box. In the “AutoCorrect options” section, click the “AutoCorrect Options” button.
On the “Word Options” dialog box, click “Proofing” in the list of items on the left. On the backstage screen, click “Options” in the list of items on the left. If you don’t want to have to undo the creation of an automatic horizontal line every time it happens, you can prevent it from happening by turning off this feature. This removes the line from below the paragraph in which you placed the cursor. In the “Paragraph” section of the “Home” tab, click the down arrow on the right side of the “Borders” button and select “No Border” from the drop-down menu. If not, click the “Home” tab on the ribbon. To remove the line, place the cursor in the paragraph just above where the line was added. When you press “Enter” at the end of the characters that Word replaces with the line, Word removes the characters and adds a bottom border to the paragraph just above the one where you typed the characters. You can remove the line later, but you should understand how Word adds the horizontal line. However, undoing the creation of the line every time may not be practical. The line is removed and your characters remain. The first method is to press “Ctrl + Z” right after typing the characters and pressing “Enter” to undo the automatic creation of the horizontal line. There are a few methods for either undoing or removing the horizontal line or preventing Word from automatically creating it. This feature can be a timesaver, except when you want the actual characters in your document and not have Word convert them into a horizontal line that extends the width of your document.
When you type at least three dashes, underscores, or equal signs in a paragraph by themselves and press “Enter”, the characters are automatically converted to a single, thick single, or double horizontal line, respectively. Word automatically formats items like quotes, bulleted and numbered lists, and horizontal lines.