Microsoft Word - Smart Quotes are turned off, yet I still get smart quotes. How can I get straight quotes?

Asked By Sheri Havens on 01-Oct-12 04:48 PM
We have data that we pull into a CSV file. When this text is put into MS Word, we get smart quotes. We have Smart Quotes turned off in our Auto Correct feature. Yet, we are still getting smart quotes. We have tried to paste special, still get smart quotes. We have tried search and replace, we still get smart quotes. I looked through all the questions here regarding Smart Quotes, but didn't see an answer for our problem. The data is too large to consider using your eye, and using a special character, which won't work either because when we export, the special character is turned into another weird character. 

Let me know if there is other information that is needed. I only recieve the raw CSV file that needs to be convered to a Word document (they've not told me why it must be Word document, not Excel. Just that they want it in Word.

I'm thinking that a macro would work. Tried it, didn't - still got smart quotes. I'm a little frustrated with this problem and not being able to find a quick solution. Thanks for your help.

I did find that if we paste special in Excel, then copy and past special in Word, we get straight quotes. Seems like a lot of hoops to jump through. I've also found that they can pase special in Excel and paste in the BS&A and keep the striaght quotes. Just bypass Word altogether. I think a Macro could do this also.
M. Sullivan replied to Sheri Havens on 03-Oct-12 09:34 AM
Did you try:

In the "AutoCorrect" window click "Auto Format as you type" tab and then under "Replace as you type" uncheck "Straight quotes" with "Smart quotes."

M. Sullivan replied to Sheri Havens on 03-Oct-12 11:54 AM

If that didn't work try "Find and Replace." Change AutoCorrect option to "straight quotes," and then copy and paste the "Smart Quote" from your document for the "Find" box, and then insert "straight quote" for "Replace" box.

Sheri Havens replied to M. Sullivan on 03-Oct-12 02:36 PM
I tried that and still got Smart Quotes. I even tried rebooting my computer, and still got Smart Quotes. I also tried the Search and Replace. Still got Smart Quotes. I even first got my straight quote from my symbol character map, copied it and put that in the replace window. Word still returned Smart Quotes.

May have to go with copying the text and pasting special as text in Excel. That gave use the needed straight quotes. Silly work-around, but it worked.
M. Sullivan replied to Sheri Havens on 04-Oct-12 12:54 PM
Make sure you correctly made the change in AutoCorrect before doing the Find and Replace. If that does not work, it's good that you found a work around. Not sure why your AutoCorrect setting is not working.
Sheri Havens replied to M. Sullivan on 04-Oct-12 03:01 PM
I read through all the posts again. I didn't see the AND for straight quotes under Format as you Type AND Auto Format. That did fix always getting straight quotes when I type, but did not fix when pasting from CSV files. I still get the smart quotes, even if I paste special. I appreciate your help. We will have to go with pasting special in Excel. That gives us what we want, without have to search and replace the quotes and apostrophes.