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To this, I'd add that if you can get the doc to open in Word at all,
try
saving it as an RTF. You'll keep your formatting intact and the
funky Y
characters may disappear. Or they may not. They're often unwelcome
visitors
into my headers and footers.
That's a good idea. I had limited luck with the RTF format. You might enjoy
greater success if you can indeed save as RTF, then possible check over/edit
the RTF version before closing it. Be careful though!
Has anyone been able to get an admission from Microsoft as to why these
characters appear?
I have determined only that they MAY be due to making multiple formatting
steps between saves (i.e. create a column, then a table, then insert a
graphic, then undo or delete something). I've got several other theories as
well; however, I think I'm better off stating them in an X-files/conspiracy
listserve.
