auto text, why won't it work or only works sporadically ...

Just to confirm that I have the same problem, very annoying, and (it seems) with no solution. Autotext works sometimes, then it stops working, then maybe it will work again.... with no pattern, no reason. I have also tryed everything. I am just wondering why only a few people complain about this, which is a big problem in Word 2010. The don't have the problem or they just don't even know that Autotext is (or was) a fantastic tool? Please, if someone has found the solution, please share it. Thank you.

Has there been any resolution to this problem listed by this other person a few years ago? I am wondering if they were able to figure out how to fix this issue. I got a new laptop and had to download from Microsoft a copy of my Word 2010, because my new laptop does not come equipped with a cd drive. However, I did this Microsoft also upgraded it to a newer format and my autocomplete is not working. I type medical transcription, too, and I have re-created my auto complete entries using each step as mentioned above. My text is highlighted, I use Alt-F3 to open the autotext box, I save it with the first several characters it chooses for me in the "name" box, it is "auto text" and "normal" for gallery and such....but it doesn't come up when I start typing!!!! I have deleted and re-entered too many times to count, each time making sure these fields are all as I read they should be and nothing works. I even made sure multiple times that my "Show AutoComplete options" is selected in the options section. I have closed and re-opened Word multiple times, I have rebooted my computer....what else can I try to make the AutoComplete option work??!! I have wasted hours trying to figure this out. I did not ask for my Word 2010 to be altered like this. It is not very user friendly and I just want to use Word for my business the way that I always have. I don't have time for these kinds of setbacks and it is costing me money to not have this functioning correctly. Please help!

Newer format? Are you still using Word 2010? Word 2013? Word 365?

There is no such thing as an AutoComplete entry. There is AutoText or AutoCorrect. See Automated Boilerplate Using Microsoft Word. AutoText had an AutoComplete feature for any entries through Word 2003. This was broken when they introduced Word 2007. It was partially restored in Word 2010.

AutoComplete means that you start typing and a tooltip comes up telling you that you are typing an AutoText entry that can be completed by pressing Enter (or F3). In Word 2010 and later it is only available for entries that are stored as AutoText in Normal template.

Note, it is not a good idea to use the first several characters of the suggested name for naming. The names have to be unique and having them unique in the first four characters makes it work a lot better. There should be no space in the name.

You may want to use Greg Maxey's Enhanced Building Blocks tools and check on the names you have assigned and where they are. Building Blocks & AutoText Otherwise, the Building Blocks Organizer will also give you information and let you edit it.

The F3 key works for AutoText stored in any active or loaded templates. However both methods require that the entries have unique names without spaces as far as you have typed when you press F3 or Enter. This has always been the case.

You can always go to Insert > Quick Parts > AutoText, but that is extra work. I assume that if you do this, you can see your entries are there.

You can also put AutoText into the custom AutoText gallery and/or custom categories and use buttons on your QAT to call them up.

Has there been any resolution to this problem listed by this other person a few years ago? I am wondering if they were able to figure out how to fix this issue. I got a new laptop and had to download from Microsoft a copy of my Word 2010, because my new laptop does not come equipped with a cd drive. However, I did this Microsoft also upgraded it to a newer format and my autocomplete is not working. I type medical transcription, too, and I have re-created my auto complete entries using each step as mentioned above. My text is highlighted, I use Alt-F3 to open the autotext box, I save it with the first several characters it chooses for me in the "name" box, it is "auto text" and "normal" for gallery and such....but it doesn't come up when I start typing!!!! I have deleted and re-entered too many times to count, each time making sure these fields are all as I read they should be and nothing works. I even made sure multiple times that my "Show AutoComplete options" is selected in the options section. I have closed and re-opened Word multiple times, I have rebooted my computer....what else can I try to make the AutoComplete option work??!! I have wasted hours trying to figure this out. I did not ask for my Word 2010 to be altered like this. It is not very user friendly and I just want to use Word for my business the way that I always have. I don't have time for these kinds of setbacks and it is costing me money to not have this functioning correctly. Please help!

Before typing click on the clear formatting button.

Hi,

Even though your thread's over a year old since this is 10/29/2013, I came looking for the same...auto texts found in my global template, still, but not appearing when i strike the keys and F3 to make it go...and then it .... doesn't. I saw you're legal transcriber and it's great to have quick words or not that that's M Word's ... quick parts, rather, but when these times happen it makes me REALLY MISS WORD PERFECT.

Word Perfect was perfect, so hey....why not get rid of it.

Just my own Op.....F3            oh that's Opinion                         :)      Take care