Forum Discussion
Numbering and bullets in Word docs keep disappearing
We are experiencing the same problem on macOS. None of the hints in this threads has resolved the issue for us. The main issue is that the numbering template disconnects from the headings – again and again. Unbelievable that Microsoft does not fix the problem in several years.
I tried saving my .dotx locally before creating the .docx from it, and it still happens. The "Automatically update document styles" option is unchecked.
My workaround is to re-attach the dotx, enable the "Automatically update document styles", then disable the option again. Pretty annoying.
I've had it happen to a file that only I ever opened. I always open it from my synced SharePoint folder; I never open through Teams or through the web app.
aleblancnuv Thanks for keeping the issue alive. Our only hope now is that Microsoft sees how prevalent and catastrophic this issue is.
Your solution is workable, but it's only really effective when there are no other users in the document. Otherwise, in my experience, the template attachment loads asynchronously for the different users and the document is unstable. You can always get things set back to normal at the end; but in the meantime, the document is an unworkable mess for everyone actively participating in it. Of course, this discourages users from applying the styles and pre-loaded content (like tables, callout boxes, etc.) that you so painstakingly generated in your template! Simultaneous, multi-user collaboration is the lynchpin of SharePoint. If you can't keep a document stable, while also using a template, a major function of SharePoint collapses. This is especially dismaying and embarrassing when you're part of a large organization (hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of users) and you'd like to create organization-wide standards (which I have!), but you have to tell alllll of your users, "Now, bear in mind, this will look like total chaos while you're actually using the document..."
