aha - i tried a different aproach to removing those lines and met with success - here is code that will do it.
please add solution to this if anyone would like to know.
thanks for the point in the right direction naomi

With loSelection.ParagraphFormat
        .SpaceBeforeAuto = .f.
        .SpaceAfter = 0
        .SpaceAfterAuto = .f.
        .LineUnitAfter = 0
EndWith

>lost me on that one naomi - vfp doesn't recognize that line at all. by value not sure what you mean.
>k
>
>>>just did it naomi and tried to place the macro into my coding without success. is that what you were suggesting?
>>>this is the macro verbatim:
>>>

>>> Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
>>>    Selection.Find.Replacement.ClearFormatting
>>>    With Selection.Find
>>>        .Text = ".vmd"
>>>        .Replacement.Text = "^m"
>>>        .Forward = True
>>>        .Wrap = wdFindContinue
>>>        .Format = False
>>>        .MatchCase = False
>>>        .MatchWholeWord = False
>>>        .MatchWildcards = False
>>>        .MatchSoundsLike = False
>>>        .MatchAllWordForms = False
>>>    End With
>>>    Selection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
>>>

>>>
>>>
>>Most likely these 3 lines are important
>>

>>.Forward = True
>>        .Wrap = wdFindContinue
>>        .Format = False

>>
>>You need to find out the value of the wdFindContinue constant first.