I cannot remove highlights from Word 2010 documents.

For what it's worth, Ctrl+SpaceBar clears direct character formatting, and Ctrl+Q clears direct paragraph formatting applied to text.

In other words, it seems as if some sort of character formatting was applied to your text.

It sounds like shading was applied to a part of a paragraph.  It is then character formatting and Ctrl+spacebar will clear it. If shading is applied to the entire paragraph, it's paragraph formatting.  Ctrl+spacebar won't remove it,  but Ctrl+q will.

Pam

The replies above are useless for this very common complaint. Here's how to solve the problem:

PCs: Copy the highlighted text. Paste it with the icon that has the arrow on it. This preserves formatting EXCEPT highlighting is removed.

Macs: Copy the highlighted text. Use "Paste Preserving Formatting". Same result as above.

MICROSOFT: Get on the stick and address this pernicious bug! Remove Highlighting should be made to work. The product looks ridiculous otherwise. It's such an impressive product otherwise. Please get rid of this silliness.

You seem to have a lot of questions not related to the subject of the original post. It would be better for you to start a new thread and ask your specific questions about, for example, AutoText entries (which basically are created the same way as in past versions, using Alt+F3).