[Solved] How do I stop default formatting autocorrect?

[FlappersFlappers]

So, I'm here again... I'm sure this happened last night when I was trying everything I could to solve an autocorrecting issue, I must have tinkered with my setting too much because now I'm stuck with another annoying problem, and this one I can't just ignore.
I like to use different fonts and such when writing, I find it helps me concentrate better and put more enthusiasm into my work. But now, every-time I click Enter to start a new paragraph, the paragraph I just wrote turns back into the default format (Times New Roman 12). How do I stop this from happening? I'd like to keep the font and size I selected without it turning back into something I don't want.

[Zizi64]

But now, every-time I click Enter to start a new paragraph, the paragraph I just wrote turns back into the default format (Times New Roman 12). How do I stop this from happening?

Check the Next Style property in the applied Paragraph Style. It is on the Organization TAB of the Style dialog.

[FlappersFlappers]

But now, every-time I click Enter to start a new paragraph, the paragraph I just wrote turns back into the default format (Times New Roman 12). How do I stop this from happening?

Check the Next Style property in the applied Paragraph Style. It is on the Organization TAB of the Style dialog.

I...don't know how to access any of that. I'm not good at this stuff, I need some step by step.

[Villeroy]

Use a simpler program. Windows comes with a program named "Wordpad"

[FlappersFlappers]

Use a simpler program. Windows comes with a program named "Wordpad"

Uh, no. I've been using this program for a couple years and it's never caused me problems until now. All of my documents are saved on this program. I'm not going to abandon all my work and use a different program just because I encountered a problem I don't know how to fix. I'm sure I sound like a real idiot compared to you guys who know everything about this stuff, but I'd like to solve the problem, that's why I'm here. This is a forum that's supposed to help me, is it not?

[FlappersFlappers]

But now, every-time I click Enter to start a new paragraph, the paragraph I just wrote turns back into the default format (Times New Roman 12). How do I stop this from happening?

Check the Next Style property in the applied Paragraph Style. It is on the Organization TAB of the Style dialog.

Um... I think I found the "Paragraph Style" tab. It's when you click "Styles and Formatting" and then click the leftmost tab that says "Paragraph Style", I'm assuming. But there's nothing that says "Next Style". Just the thing that says "Default" is permanently highlighted dark grey. Last time I was here somebody told me to go into that setting to try and fix a different issue, but I didn't have any of what they said I should see and I ended up not being able to solve it. It didn't matter that much anyway. Now, since I've done that, this issue won't go away. It still keeps changing back to default formatting.

[FlappersFlappers]

It seems that the issue is with the setting titled "Default". Somebody told me to go into that to try and change an error I had before, it didn't fix my problem and instead just gave me this one. Now, my "Default" is basically permanently set to this Times New Roman thing and I can't change it. I can change the setting to the font and size I want, so great now whenever I'm trying to use a different font it's going to be the one I want to use now. Except even though the font I want is right, it still changes my format by messing up all my indents. What am I supposed to do to fix this?
How can I just make things go back to the way they were before where I can select any font and size I want and actually make it stay that way instead of changing into something else and altering everything I've already written against my will? Ugh...please forgive me for my attitude...

[FlappersFlappers]

Okay, so apparently I'm a major idiot because I don't understand how any of this works. I guess I screwed up when somebody told me to do something to solve a previous issue and now things are a mess and they're stuck and every file I try to work on changes every font, size, and indent I try to apply. I don't know what to do because all of my files are here and now I can't keep any of them the way I want them. If it helps AT ALL here is the question I posted about the previous issue (that didn't get solved): viewtopic.php?f=7&t=95073&p=453591#p453591
I tried to follow their advice by clicking "Styles and Formatting" < "Default" < "New" but it didn't help at all. Then they said something like "Oh, I assumed this was a Calc question" and I don't know what that means. I don't know what happened. I don't know what's going on. I don't know how to fix it.

I want to be able to click whatever font I want and whatever size I want, and I want it to stay that way. I used to be able to do this but ever since I tried to fix the whole "500 to 500.00" thing it's been completely ruined. I can't work on any of my files without it just changing my fonts, or jacking up my indents. I'm SO sorry if I'm being really annoying but I'm seriously frustrated, my anxiety is acting up because of it (which is making me act all weird), and this is stopping me from working on all of my files. Until I figure out what to do I can't write anymore and that's not okay because it's an escape for me.

I'm sorry, I know I'm annoying. Can somebody please help me?
What do I do?

[RoryOF]

You are wasting your time trying to use OpenOffice as a glorified typewriter. Read these two documents and you will get a feel for the correct use of Styles:

See the file referenced in this posting for an overview
Structure Instructions

This document will also be informative, at a more "how to do it" level:
Writer for students (several languages)

The Next style option is on the Organiser tab of the main Styles definition, accessed through /Format /Styles and formatting (/Format /Paragraph only accesses the local instance of that style).

[YODA]

Calc is the Spreadsheet Writer is the Word Processor Base is the Database app

[Villeroy]

Wordpad can open Open Document Text (odt). It should be good enough with simple odt documents.

Edit: I see, you are using a Mac.

https://gottcode.org/focuswriter/ is another glorified type writer which reads and saves Open Document Text on a Mac, Windows or Linux PC.
The clou with OpenOffice is not the program. It is the file format. Unlike the file formats of the competitors, this one is designed to work with many different products without technical or legal barriers.

[Zizi64]

Um... I think I found the "Paragraph Style" tab. It's when you click "Styles and Formatting" and then click the leftmost tab that says "Paragraph Style", I'm assuming. But there's nothing that says "Next Style". Just the thing that says "Default" is permanently highlighted dark grey. Last time I was here somebody told me to go into that setting to try and fix a different issue, but I didn't have any of what they said I should see and I ended up not being able to solve it. It didn't matter that much anyway. Now, since I've done that, this issue won't go away. It still keeps changing back to default formatting.

Please upload your .odt type sample file here.

[FlappersFlappers]

Okay, well I didn't exactly get an answer as for how to fix something that I figured should be an easy fix by going into my formatting options and fixing whatever I accidentally put into place. I guess if nobody will just give me an idea of what went wrong then it's obviously my fault, I don't know what I'm doing. There's obviously more to this program than I understand, and I'm sure although my explanation sounded simple to me, to a trained ear it's probably lacking. I don't understand why everybody is saying I'm wasting my time with the program when I've been using it for a couple years without ANY problem until now (it was back in high-school that they actually recommended the program). I think I'll just let a few other people I know take a look at this, and if nobody can figure it out then I'll just get a different program -- it sounds like you're all telling me to do that anyway. It'll be a bit of a pain to export all my documents into a different program, and my anxiety is flaring right now, but at least it's better than this.
If anybody wants to add anything after this then feel free, otherwise I'm just going to leave and try to figure this out myself.

Sorry for being a bother and wasting your time...

[Bill]

...every-time I click Enter to start a new paragraph, the paragraph I just wrote turns back into the default format (Times New Roman 12).

Does the paragraph style also change from Default to Text body? If so, then select Tools > AutoCorrect Options > Options and uncheck the "Apply Styles" option. That option is not checked by default. If it is checked, then it was checked by a user.

[Zizi64]

I don't understand why everybody is saying I'm wasting my time with the program when I've been using it for a couple years without ANY problem until now (it was back in high-school that they actually recommended the program).

The reason is: Your knowledge about the Styles is not enough for using the software efficiently. You must study the usage methods of the Styles.

Um... I think I found the "Paragraph Style" tab. It's when you click "Styles and Formatting" and then click the leftmost tab that says "Paragraph Style", I'm assuming. But there's nothing that says "Next Style".

Here is that property:

If the Next style property is not same as the actual specific style, then the properties of the next paragraph will be adjusted to the related "Next style" - it would be causes different font, size, etc...

[Bill]

While it's good to know about the "Next Style" setting, it's not the cause of the problem. The Next Style setting could cause a change in font for the new paragraph, but the font is being changed in the paragraph before the new paragraph.

[Zizi64]

Bill wrote:

While it's good to know about the "Next Style" setting, it's not the cause of the problem. The Next Style setting could cause a change in font for the new paragraph, but the font is being changed in the paragraph before the new paragraph.

FlappersFlappers wrote:

But now, every-time I click Enter to start a new paragraph, the paragraph I just wrote turns back into the default format (Times New Roman 12)

Hitting an Enter means: a new paragraph will be started, therefore (maybe) it seems (for me) a style related problem.

But we can not guess without a real sample file.
FlappersFlappers, PLEASE upload an ODF type sample file here.

[Bill]

Yes, it's probably a "style related" problem, but it's a problem that affects the paragraph that has just been finished, not the new paragraph. The "Next Style" setting changes the new paragraph. The "Apply Style" option can change the finished paragraph, but the "Next Style" setting can't.

[FlappersFlappers]

I don't really want to upload a sample file, I think that would mean you being able to read what I'm writing and I'm not comfortable with that. I'm going to do some research and try to fix it, show the issue to a few other people I know, and hopefully I can resolve it. I'll keep you updated.

[FlappersFlappers]

I don't understand why everybody is saying I'm wasting my time with the program when I've been using it for a couple years without ANY problem until now (it was back in high-school that they actually recommended the program).

The reason is: Your knowledge about the Styles is not enough for using the software efficiently. You must study the usage methods of the Styles.

Um... I think I found the "Paragraph Style" tab. It's when you click "Styles and Formatting" and then click the leftmost tab that says "Paragraph Style", I'm assuming. But there's nothing that says "Next Style".

Here is that property:

Next style.png

If the Next style property is not same as the actual specific style, then the properties of the next paragraph will be adjusted to the related "Next style" - it would be causes different font, size, etc...

Bizarre! As soon as I pulled up that screen the problem just resolved itself, I didn't event have to click anything, just the screen being there for some reason seemed to have fixed it. Wow, thank you guys. I know it may seem like I don't have the best attitude but it's hard for me to tell what other people feel over the computer, so I tend to get a bit flustered. Thanks for putting up with my anxious rambling, I know it must have been frustrating especially considering I don't know enough about the program to have given you the best information. You are all very patient. Now I'm going to do some reading so that I am better familiar with the program as to prevent any sort of confusion like this in the future. Thanks again!

[RoryOF]

I don't really want to upload a sample file, I think that would mean you being able to read what I'm writing and I'm not comfortable with that.

For future information, it is always helpful to have an actual file. If the contents are confidential you should make a sample file.

[FlappersFlappers]

I don't really want to upload a sample file, I think that would mean you being able to read what I'm writing and I'm not comfortable with that.

For future information, it is always helpful to have an actual file. If the contents are confidential you should make a sample file.

Noted.

[FlappersFlappers]

Uh, never-mind. The issue is still there. It just resolved for one paragraph even though the rest of them are on the same setting. I have no idea what to do.
Is there any way to just reset all of this?

[RoryOF]

Start a new document. Type DT then press F3 key; that makes a paragraph of dummy text. You can repeat this to make a sample test document. Then see if the problem is in that document, and if it is, upload it to the forum.

[FlappersFlappers]

F3 just shows me all of the windows I have up. I think I'm just going to switch to a different program, it'll be a pain to move all my files but at least it's better than this. I know this was frustrating. Thanks again, and sorry again.

[Zizi64]

F3 just shows me all of the windows I have up. I think I'm just going to switch to a different program, it'll be a pain to move all my files but at least it's better than this. I know this was frustrating. Thanks again, and sorry again.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.3 on OS X El Capitan Mac Version 10.11.6

Maybe the shortcut key associations are different on the MAC and the Windows (or other Op.Systems)...

[Bill]

F3 just shows me all of the windows I have up. I think I'm just going to switch to a different program, it'll be a pain to move all my files but at least it's better than this. I know this was frustrating. Thanks again, and sorry again.

Did you look at the AutoCorrect option as I suggested earlier? I don't see where you even acknowledged reading the suggestion. Unchecking the Apply Styles AutoCorrection has fixed this problem for many other users before you.

[Bill]

F3 just shows me all of the windows I have up. I think I'm just going to switch to a different program, it'll be a pain to move all my files but at least it's better than this. I know this was frustrating. Thanks again, and sorry again.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.3 on OS X El Capitan Mac Version 10.11.6

Maybe the shortcut key associations are different on the MAC and the Windows (or other Op.Systems)...

The shortcut key should be the same, but apparently a Fn key has to be depressed on a Mac to make the function keys act like function keys instead of special feature keys. My MS keyboard has an F-Lock key that toggles between function key and special key status.

Change the behavior of function keys on your Mac