How do I remove a field code?

Question

While editing documents I typically use my shortcut keys. first the ctrl A to select all and then F9 to update all the table of contents and captions. Well this time I did a ctrl A to select all but then for some reason I did a Ctrl F9. Apparently this inserted the entire content of my very large document inside a field. There is a curly brace { at the beginning and end of my document. I never noticed and saved and when I open the document the field is turned off so there is no content to view, it's hidden. After a lot of panic and trouble shooting I finally figured out that I can toggle the field code and my content returns, but now how the heck do I remove the unwanted field and keep the content? I can't delete the braces or the text is removed. The document is 150 pages so a copy paste inside the braces is just not working out, at least not so far. This has got to have happened to someone else in the past, it seems crazy I can't just delete the brace or right click and select that I want the field removed but keep the text? I can't seem to find any shortcut or online help that discusses removing fields once in place. Please help.....

Answer 1

No, you can't delete the braces (they aren't really characters in the internal representation of the file; they're just for display).

What you can do is this:

• Display the field code. Turn on nonprinting characters (click the ¶ button on the Home tab).
• Click to the left of the first real character inside the field code.

• Use the vertical scroll bar and/or the scroll wheel (if your mouse has one) to bring the end of the document into view -- DO NOT use the arrow keys or the Page Up/Down keys, which move the cursor.
• Hold the Shift key while you click to the right of the last real character in the field code. That selects all of the code but not the braces.

• Cut the selected text to the clipboard.
• Delete the field (which is now just two braces with a couple of spaces inside them).
• Paste from the clipboard.