Why all these dots instead of the spaces that were there & ¶ marks when I Reply to or Forward an email in my new Outlook in Office 2019 Pro+?

Thanks, Hornblower, but haven't you read here that I'm trying to set it so that I NEVER see those formatting marks, not just toggle them OFF on every email? That's been the issue from the very start. It's supposed to be possible (see the "Note:" at the bottom of the image in my June 25th Reply). I won't repeat what I've already posted here, but everywhere I've read, you're supposed to be able to set which ones you want to see in any Microsoft product or set it so that you never see any. I can't seem to get it to never see any.
I am a completely computer literate, competent college grad. A successful lifetime small business owner that did all my own payroll and accounting on computer, that also drove in some NASCAR Winston West and Winston Cup racing, amongst other type national level racing. I know what I'm doing on most aspects. I'm also a computer lover since the way back days before Windows when my grade school taught us on a mainframe in weekly classes (probably MS-DOS).

Please don't give up on me. This is driving me nuts. I don't mean to sound disrespectful in any way.

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Hi Diane. I'm still struggling with my Outlook 2019 showing these ¶ paragraph formatting marks. I turned them OFF by unchecking them all and clicking the bottom one to not Show All Formatting Marks, while I was writing an email at File > Options > Mail >Editor Options by clearing all of the check boxes, and they return on the next email that I write. I've read everywhere that they should stay OFF in all future emails if I do this. Is that not right about Outlook 2019 Pro+?

I'm really struggling with this. I'm almost ready to just reinstall my Outlook 2016, that's how bummed I am. It worked fine.
This is what I see, but when I go to write another email, the ¶s show up again and it's marked again.

Jeff

Please excuse me, but I have a hard time keeping track of the multiple support threads I am involved with and what progress we have made in each one. Please answer just my most recent request and then I'll reply with the next step in the process. Again, this is only to help me keep everything straight. Thank you.

Did Ctrl+Shift+8 toggle the formatting marks on/off?

Yes, but I want them permanently turned OFF, which Microsoft says is automatically done in their Note that's at the bottom of my first image on my June 25 Reply.

Jeff

Thank you for your cooperation. Please read all of these instructions before you start and let me know if there is anything that is not clear.

In this test we will create a new "No email" Outlook Profile and see if the show/hide Formatting Marks options perform as expected.

1. Using the instructions in the first section of this article:
   https://www.companionlink.com/support/kb/How_to_use_Outlook_2016,_2019,_2021,_and_Office_365_without_an_associated_Email_Account

Create a new "No email" Outlook Profile named "TEST_2025-07-03".
{Your command line should be like: Outlook.exe /PIM TEST_2025-07-03}

2. In the new Outlook Profile that opens:

Ctrl+Shift+K

{Create new Task}

Click in the body of the new Task.

Type several spaces and an X.

{You should NOT see any formatting marks}

From the main menu: Format Text -> Paragraph -> {pilcrow}
{You should see Formatting Marks}

From the main menu: Format Text -> Paragraph -> {pilcrow}
{You should NOT see Formatting Marks}

Close the Task with No Save.

Ctrl+Shift+K

{Create new Task}

Click in the body of the new Task.

Type several spaces and an X.

{You should NOT see any formatting marks}

Close and exit the "No email" Outlook Profile session.

When you start Outlook again, it should return to your previous profile.