Forum Discussion
Simply cannot delete a section break. It is impossible. Cannot be done. Please prove me wrong.
Word is simple, if you want to write a quick letter or a recipe.
If you are trying to do a big, important project, it is not so simple.
Sections and section breaks are not editable in the mobile or online Word programs.
References:
- Working with sections by Dave Rado, MVP
- Numbering Front Matter by Suzanne Barnhill, MVP
- Header/Footer Settings Recap
To delete a section break, go into Draft view where you will be able to see and delete it.
Work with a copy.
Another way is to select the area that includes the section break and use the Replace feature. Replace ^b with ^p.
A third way is to put your insertion point before the section break and press the Delete key.
Be aware that section breaks are not simply page breaks; they carry a lot of formatting. That formatting is in the section break following the material.
I cannot find anyway to see draft mode and word help doesn't say anything about it so I couldn't go that route, I also tried putting the cursor before the break but hitting delete there just deleted the text before the break.
What ended up solving it was shutting down word, rebooting my computer, then re-opening the document and placing a few letters immediately before the section break. THEN, FINALLY, I could select both the new letters AND the section break. I'm not making this up... before rebooting the section break was never selectable.
So problem solved, though I am very wary of section breaks now. I need them, but man...
Anyway, thank you so much for the response!
Sorry for the late response.
- You can view in Draft mode by choosing that under the View tab.
- Sections are a key part of how Word handles more complex documents, and yes, it can get confusing. Here are some resources that you should bookmark:
- I was starting to go down the rabbit hole of "Why can't I delete the **bleep** section break?!"
Thanks for saving me a million hours in trying to fix this annoyance!You are welcome.
Word is much more complex than it appears as soon as you get into more complex documents.
