I use Outlook 2007 and have experienced crazy formatting problems under certain circumstances that are not always reproducible. Here’s what I did to fix the problem:
- Close both Outlook and Word if they are running
- Browse to my C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates directory and rename the normal.dotm and normalemail.dotm files. These files will be automatically recreated the next time you launch Outlook. Note that renaming these files may cause you to lose signatures and other custom settings.
- Launch Outlook, then close Outlook. This will cause your normalemail.dotm file to be recreated.
- Launch Word, then close Word. This will cause your normal.dotm file to be recreated.
- Recreate your signatures if needed.
- Repeat this process for any other user profiles you may have.
I’m sure there is a more elegant way to fix this problem, but I’ve tried modifying everything I could think of inside both Outlook and Word – styles, formatting, stationary, Outlook templates, etc.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Which is exactly why I use thunderbird.
I found that if I cut from Word and paste to Outlook that it will double-space at each place I have keyed “Enter”, which is a paragraph symbol. However, if I use a “Manual Line Break” by Shift + Enter when I paste the text Outlook doesn’t double-space.
Actually this is caused by HTML formatting. Either hit SHIFT+ENTER twice or hit ENTER only once instead of twice. There isn’t a problem with Outlook. HTML is supposed to do that.
Thunderbird has it’s issues too. No software is perfect.
But, in Word, you can change so that, even in HTML mode, it will not insert a line space between paragraphs. I can’t seem to get that to save in Outlook.
This fixed the problem.
Thanks
I have been annoyed by this quirk of Outlook 2007 for some time.
SHIFT+ENTER works fine but is inconvenient.
I like right clicking on the message after I’m done composing and then selecting “Paragraph…” In the popup window select “Single” for Line spacing and click the button for:
“Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style”
Slightly inconvenient but works well.
I found a better and more permanent fix on another website.
This one fixes the problem “permananently” because it
automatically sets “Don’t add space between paragraphs”
Maldevane
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(1 user) More options Aug 28 2008, 10:35 am
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.outlook.general
From: Maldevane
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:35:06 -0700
Local: Thurs, Aug 28 2008 10:35 am
Subject: RE: Any Fix For Font & Spacing Issues in Outlook 2007?
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Follow these steps in order one by one…
Open a new message.
Click ‘Format Text’ in the tabs at the top.
Left click on ‘Quick Styles’ so that it drops down.
Right click on ‘Normal’ and choose modify.
Where it says ‘Style for following paragraph’ choose ‘No Spacing’.
Then select the radio button below that says ‘New documents based on this
template’.
Click the little format button near the bottom of the dialog window and
select ‘Paragraph’ from the drop down.
On that new window, make sure line spacing is set to single.
Make sure the Spacing -> After value is set to 0pt.
Ensure that there is a check in the box that says ‘Don’t ass space
between……’
Say OK to that window.
Say OK to the window under it.
Close that new message.
Start a new message and try some typing …
That works okay for new messages created from Outlook. I seem to have the same problem when I click on an email link on a web page. I tried the same procedure and it does not save the settings.
This is great~!!!
This worked so perfectly for me it’s amazing.
I was close to killing someone with this stupid issue.
I can’t understand why Tiny Soft couldn’t have a solution posted on their own website for such annoying and time consuming issue experienced by so many ppl…
rediculous to the extreme…”Don’t ass space between…” for sure…
Thanks a million Suds!
When I click ‘Format Text’ I do not see ‘Quick Styles’. This problem is driving me nuts! Please help!
Thanks. This has been driving me nuts. No more double spacing!!
Follow these steps in order one by one…
Open a new message.
Click ‘Format Text’ in the tabs at the top.
Left click on ‘Quick Styles’ so that it drops down.
Right click on ‘Normal’ and choose modify.
Where it says ‘Style for following paragraph’ choose ‘No Spacing’.
Then select the radio button below that says ‘New documents based on this
template’.
Click the little format button near the bottom of the dialog window and
select ‘Paragraph’ from the drop down.
On that new window, make sure line spacing is set to single.
Make sure the Spacing -> After value is set to 0pt.
Ensure that there is a check in the box that says ‘Don’t ass space
between……’
Say OK to that window.
Say OK to the window under it.
Close that new message.
Start a new message and try some typing …
Your way works great mate. Thanks for the info.
I followed many suggestions here and the most recent didn’t work for me. So what I did was take MS Word’s Normal Template which is single spaced and formatted as prescribed above and made a copy of it. I renamed Normalemail something else and renamed the the copy Normalemail. I had to fix this for some 50-100 users so I just copied both Normal.dotm and Normalemail.dotm into the appropriate directory. Seems to be working so far.
Many thanks for the instructions on how to do this Julie. This was driving me mad but now it’s fixed!
Here is a better solution:
http://www.fix-outlook-line-breaks.com/
It automatically remaps Enter to Shift+Enter whenever you are composing HTML mail in Outlook. This is the only thing I’ve found which is actually a usable fix to the problem.
What I’m having problems with is getting it formatted for a reply and I’m using a stationary.
I had figured it out before, but got a new computer and now can’t get it to work right.
Julie, that worked GREAT!
Thank you so very much, this was most annoying.
Now it works like it used to.
Thanks Julie.
Awesome…Julie!!!!!!!
It worked!!!!!
> Format Text
> Paragraph
> Check the box that says “Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style”
I was digitally signing all email messages. When I turned off the digital signature the problem went away.
The issue is with stationary. Remove stationary