Click on menu icon upper right - first item on list is show options/hideoptions - is that what you mean?

Thanks, but it's the weird bit of extra width that I can't get rid of.

It never had a resize grip, that's why you can't change it back.

Attach another panel at the bottom that has a resize grip (drag it by its label towards the bottom of the character panel until you see a blue line, then release). Although you can change the width of the character panel now, with some experimentation I still can't make the new width "stick". As soon as I drag ways the attached panel it snaps back to default width.

If that doesn't work, you can always try resetting the program preferences.

When in doubt - reboot program and/or computer

So silly yet so irritating. When I add another panel underneath with resize grip it only lets me make it bigger!
It was a French corporate magazine that did it, they had really long character style names. B*stards.

Thanks anyway.
I don't really want to re set up any prefs I've got so I may just have to live with it.

Here's a way to fix it.
1. Open the Character panel and attach it to the side of the column of minimized panels
2. Attach a panel that can be resized (e.g. Table Styles) below the Character panel
3. Use the grip above the Character panel (see highlighted in red in the image below) to change the width of the column of panels

Thanks Miguel, I tried it but I think I have a little glitch. If you look at my image the lines that separate each section of the character window extend to the current edge of the window (they don't go any further, I can make the window larger because there is no lines but I can't make it smaller as the lines seem to block it)

Thanks again but I'll probably have to just live with it until i upgrade.

Do what Theunis de Jong said, switch or reset your workspace to something else and see if that gets rid of your problem.

I am having exactly the same problem... it's so annoying!

Did you manage to solve this NatureBoy?