AboutSuzanne S. Barnhill Expertise I've been using Word for Windows since version 2.0 (1992), and the more I learn
about it, the more I realize how little I know. But I may know a few things
that you don't, and I'll help if I can. I answer many questions every day in
Microsoft's peer support newsgroups and as a result have been awarded the
MVP (Most Valuable Professional) designation by Microsoft Corporation. You
may be able to find the answer to your question at the Word MVPs' FAQ site or at my own Word FAQ site, so please check those first! Please, no questions about VBA (macros), Registry editing, networks, or complex merges, as I have no experience with these aspects of Word, nor do I have any experience with Word for the Mac.
Experience I have a master's degree in classics (Latin), which is surprisingly helpful, though I no longer teach. The things I am proudest of: Having raised two children to maturity, both Merit Scholars, both college graduates (one a philosophy major!), one Phi Beta Kappa (from Harvard!); having been made a Paul Harris Fellow by my Rotary club; having been designated a Microsoft MVP.
Education/Credentials B.A. (Latin), Agnes Scott College, 1966; M.A. (Classics), Emory University, 1972.
Question QUESTION: I have a complicated document consisting of multiple articles, each of which is 2 sections as the title is a single column and the body of the article is a new section in 2 columns. This means that there may be as many as 3 or 4 sections on any given page.
I am trying to create a table of contents but the problem is that the page numbers reset with each section. It doesn't seem possible to set each section to continue numbering as there are multiple sections on some pages. Furthermore, if there are two sections on one page, it appears that Word counts it as two pages.
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
ANSWER: The information is probably not much help to you now that the document is already created with multiple sections, but whether renumbering restarts in a new section or is continuous depends on the setting in the existing section. So say Section 1 is a front matter section, with roman numerals, and Section 2 restarts numbering (arabic) at 1. When you create Section 3, then its numbering will also restart at 1; that is where you have to nip the problem in the bud by setting its numbering to "Continue from previous section." Then Sections 4, 5, and beyond will all be continuous.
In your situation, however, you are going to have to go into each section, one by one, and change the page number format. This would be enough of a pain if you could just skip from one header or footer to the next, but since you have multiple sections on a page, you're going to have to access sections that have no header or footer.
In Word 2007, you can actually get to the Page Number Format dialog fairly easily (Insert | Page Number | Format Page Numbers...); in previous versions, however, you're going to have to very carefully use the Page Numbers dialog. Use Insert | Page Numbers... to open the Page Numbers dialog, then click on Format. Select "Continue from previous section," click "OK" to close the Page Number Format dialog, and then be careful to click "Close" rather than "OK" to close the Page Numbers dialog.
Then move the insertion point to the next section and repeat...ad nauseam!
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word) 1999-2009
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks, Suzanne, for your prompt answer. I attempted to follow your instructions, and by page 4 of the document it's no longer working.
The actual first page is the TOC I created. Sec 2 begins at the top of page 2, and I've set the page numbers for Sec 2 to start at 1. Sec 3 is also on page 2 and I set that to "Continue from previous section". This section continues through page 3 and onto page 4, where sections 4 and 5 are. The page number displays correctly at the bottom of page 4, as does the status bar (bottom left of the screen) - Page 3 Sec 5 4/32. However, when I put the insertion point anywhere in Sec 5 on page 5, it reads Page 2, and the number printed on page 5 is 2. What is going on?
Ari
Answer With the insertion point in Section 5, you have to go to Page Number Format and select "Continue from previous section." And then you have to place the insertion point in Section 6 and do the same thing. Over and over, for every section until they're all continuous.
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word) 1999-2009
About Microsoft Word
This topic answers questions related to Microsoft Word stand-alone or Mircrosoft Office Word including Word 2003, Word 2007, Office 2000, and Office XP. You can get Word help on formatting text, tables, tabs, fonts, styles, general Word layouts, bullets, headings, and outlines, using templates, toolbar modifications, and using Track Changes. You may also find tips on linking Word and Excel embedded objects including charts. This site does not provide a general Word tutorial nor the basics of using a word processor. It provides specific answers to using Microsoft Word only. If you do not see your Word question answered in this area then please ask a Word question here
