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

Did you ever use a beta/prerelease version of Word 2007?

I have figured some things out after a lot of experimentation. If you have no other windows maximised (i.e. everything except Word is minimised down), if you have no text in the document after the cursor, if you have recently saved the document and if the whole line is completely visible (i.e. it's not half cut off at the bottom of the screen), then it will work! If your autotext entries aren't suggested, try minimising everything else and save your document. Then it might work - until the next time it mysteriously decides to stop. This IS a bug in Word and it should be fixed by the Microsoft people!

Sorry, I don't concur. The activity you observed may well have to do with where the AutoText is stored on your system. Check for the following behavior.

AutoText must be stored in a template. It can be stored in the normal template; that is the default location for storage.

***

On my system at least, minimizing windows or saving the recipient document have nothing to do with whether Tooltips for AutoText entries appear.

How can you possibly not concur? I am describing my experience of the intermittent appearance of autotext tooltips on my own computer. I use Word for six to eight hours every day and I think I have a little bit of experience now (sarcasm). Sometimes the tooltips will appear, sometimes they won't, and I was merely stating a few of the situations in which it would work more often. I am quite aware of how to use autotext and where they should be stored, etc, etc, etc. I must be doing it right otherwise they would not work at all. My problem is that the tooltips appear only intermittently. But you people just want to argue with me!

I am not "people," I am a single person representing no one. I don't work for Microsoft. I am a volunteer user, who is, like you, actually trying to help others. I am not arguing with you.

You gave a report of what seems to be happening on your system and suggested that other people follow a routine of minimizing windows and saving unsaved Word files to change tooltip behavior. I tested your suggestions because I am curious about Word anomalies. I am saying that on my systems this does not change tooltip behavior, that no one else has reported it, and I can't recommend it as a solution. This is called feedback. Perhaps someone else will report that they have been able to change the behavior by following your methods.

I have described situations known to cause tooltips to appear or not in Word 2010. Again, they will not appear under any circumstances in Word 2007. Those changes will appear to be unexplainable to someone who does not know about the different places to save AutoText. They are predictable and reproducible. That does not mean it isn't a poor design. I preferred the way it operated in Word 2003 and earlier, too.

I have figured some things out after a lot of experimentation. If you have no other windows maximised (i.e. everything except Word is minimised down), if you have no text in the document after the cursor, if you have recently saved the document and if the whole line is completely visible (i.e. it's not half cut off at the bottom of the screen), then it will work! If your autotext entries aren't suggested, try minimising everything else and save your document. Then it might work - until the next time it mysteriously decides to stop. This IS a bug in Word and it should be fixed by the Microsoft people!

Sorry, I don't concur. The activity you observed may well have to do with where the AutoText is stored on your system. Check for the following behavior.

AutoText must be stored in a template. It can be stored in the normal template; that is the default location for storage. It can also be stored in the attached document template. Finally, it can be stored in other loaded global templates including Building Blocks.dotx or Built-In Building Blocks.dotx.

Tooltips display for AutoText in Word 2003 for any available AutoText.

They do not display in Word 2007.

They display in 2010 if the holder of the AutoText is normal.dotm or the attached template.

In all three versions of the program the AutoText is inserted if you type at least 4 characters of the entry name (and those characters are unique) and then press F3.

On my system at least, minimizing windows or saving the recipient document have nothing to do with whether Tooltips for AutoText entries appear.

How can you possibly not concur? I am describing my experience of the intermittent appearance of autotext tooltips on my own computer. I use Word for six to eight hours every day and I think I have a little bit of experience now (sarcasm). Sometimes the tooltips will appear, sometimes they won't, and I was merely stating a few of the situations in which it would work more often. I am quite aware of how to use autotext and where they should be stored, etc, etc, etc. I must be doing it right otherwise they would not work at all. My problem is that the tooltips appear only intermittently. But you people just want to argue with me!

I have figured some things out after a lot of experimentation. If you have no other windows maximised (i.e. everything except Word is minimised down), if you have no text in the document after the cursor, if you have recently saved the document and if the whole line is completely visible (i.e. it's not half cut off at the bottom of the screen), then it will work! If your autotext entries aren't suggested, try minimising everything else and save your document. Then it might work - until the next time it mysteriously decides to stop. This IS a bug in Word and it should be fixed by the Microsoft people!

Sorry, I don't concur. The activity you observed may well have to do with where the AutoText is stored on your system. Check for the following behavior.

AutoText must be stored in a template. It can be stored in the normal template; that is the default location for storage. It can also be stored in the attached document template. Finally, it can be stored in other loaded global templates including Building Blocks.dotx or Built-In Building Blocks.dotx.

Tooltips display for AutoText in Word 2003 for any available AutoText.

They do not display in Word 2007.

They display in 2010 if the holder of the AutoText is normal.dotm or the attached template.

In all three versions of the program the AutoText is inserted if you type at least 4 characters of the entry name (and those characters are unique) and then press F3.

On my system at least, minimizing windows or saving the recipient document have nothing to do with whether Tooltips for AutoText entries appear.

I have figured some things out after a lot of experimentation. If you have no other windows maximised (i.e. everything except Word is minimised down), if you have no text in the document after the cursor, if you have recently saved the document and if the whole line is completely visible (i.e. it's not half cut off at the bottom of the screen), then it will work! If your autotext entries aren't suggested, try minimising everything else and save your document. Then it might work - until the next time it mysteriously decides to stop. This IS a bug in Word and it should be fixed by the Microsoft people!