Word.doc has changed format

I use Windows Me with Word 2000. I copied some information from Internet and when I looked at the copy later each paragraph had a symbol looking like a double columned "I" at the beginning of each paragraph, a dot between each word and a return arrow at the end of each paragraph. Although I have never dabbled in it before my instinct tells me it is an .htm format. Anyway the problem is, I now find every .doc file in 'My Documents' is infested with the same symbols or if I try to open and write in a new document it is the same. It is rather like waking up one morning and talking in a foreign language you don't understand! I have looked in various Word>Tools>options and other dialogue boxes but I cannot find any way to correct it. Is there a way?

Kind regards,
Pat

 

If the pic shows what you're looking at, to expand on what PeteC said:
On the menu bar click View Toolbars and uncheck all but Standard (at the top). You'll then see the paragraph symbol ¶ on the buttons bar and be able to toggle the normally invisible editing symbols on and off. I think word will remember your last setting when you next call it up.

 

Hi PeteC,

Love to make thumbnails wirh PaintShopPro.

 

Thankyou Pete and Sparrow for your answers and the problem is now solved. Thankyou both once again.

Kind regards,
Pat