SECTIONS AND HEADERS

[BriGB]

I'm producing a book with each chapter in a separate section, each first section page being an odd page and having no header.  Thereafter odd pages have different text for each section, even page have the title of the book.  I've produced books using this format before and, although Word seems inconsistent and unpredictable, I've always found a way around its eccentricities.  In this book all was working well until I got to section 25.  Here's the scenario: 

Headers and Footers show Section 24. Last page of Section 24 is p92
NO SECTION BREAK SHOWS AT THE OF P92!
However, the next page starts Section 25: Not linked to previous. Different first page. p93.
On clicking in the first page header (p93) it opens normally for editing.

On clicking in the second page header (p94), which is linked to previous, the curser flies back to the header two section previously!

On entering the even page header text on the next odd page that text appears in the header of the first page in the second even though that page header is showing 'Different first page' and is not linked to previous.  The second page in the section is linked to previous but I can't unlink it because of the above problem.  Even so, previous sections all work with the second page linked to previous since all even pages have the same text in the header.

Before I give up and delete all the headers from the document, has anyone a solution for the malfunction please?

[#2]

@BriGB 

This can be complex and section breaks can be:

• Difficult to find or see
• Generated spontaneously (seemingly) by Word

First, make sure that your sections are displayed in your status bar.

Second, turn on display of non-printing characters. If you cannot see the section breaks with them displayed, switch into draft view.

You can also find section breaks by searching for ^b.

Changing orientation, columns, or margins will insert one or more section breaks, even though you are not changing chapters. By default the new section carries over settings from the previous section.

Each section has six settings for Link to Previous. There is one for each of the three headers and three footers. These are independent.

See my Header/Footer Settings Recap

I hope you are using the StyleRef Field.

[#3]

@BriGB 

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@BriGB wrote:***

On entering the even page header text on the next odd page that text appears in the header of the first page in the second even though that page header is showing 'Different first page' and is not linked to previous. ***

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"Even page header text on the next odd page" has no meaning to me.

Are you using Odd-numbered-page Section Breaks?

[#4]

Many thanks, Charles. "On entering the even page header text on the next odd page" doesn't make sense to me either! It had been a long frustrating day and I think my brain wasn't firing on all four cylinders! It should have read "On entering the ODD page header text on the next odd page"

I'll look at the rest of your helpful suggestions when I get back to my other computer later this morning.

[#5]

Hi Charles,

No success I'm afraid.

I've had non-printing characters on so I can see the section breaks. I didn't know about being able to see sections in the status bar. Thanks that's useful.

End Section 22 shows section break in Print mode. Next section shows as Section 24! It is the correct chapter. No sign of another Section break in either Print or Draft mode either in S22 or S24.

In Section 24 the even page headers shows the correct title and Linked to previous is on in the header, but off in the header menu! I can click in the header area to open it but when I click in the opened header the cursor whizzes up to the first even page in section 21!

The last odd page of section 21 ends with a page break. The last even page of section 21 contains only a line break and a section break. I tried removing the section break and the page break and putting an odd numbered next page at the foot of the last page in section 21 but it only produces a Next page break and the new section stars on an even page!!

Cannot see a section break between 24 and 25 but the sections register in the status bar.

Putting the odd page text on the third page of section 25 results in its appearing on page one even though that is set to Different first page and Not linked to previous!

I want to report this to MS.  I think it's grossly unfair that they rely on volunteers here to sort their problems out.  I'm very grateful for your help.


Brian

[#6]

@BriGB 

To see section breaks better, use Draft view.

"Putting the odd page text on the third page of section 25 results in its appearing on page one even though that is set to Different first page and Not linked to previous!"

A new section will also pull pagination settings from the previous section, so if that section restarted numbering so will the new one. Fix in the new one using the Format Page Numbers dialog.

[#7]

@Charles_Kenyon 
Thanks Charles but pagination is in the footer and is continuous from page 1 on the first page of chapter 1.   It's the headers I'm having problems with and it's looking as if there's a serious bug in the MS system.  I've tried closing word and reopening the document, also resetting the computer, but the problem continues.  I think my best bet is to forget putting headers in this book and get MS to tackle the problem - it is theirs after all.

Many thanks for your help.

[#8]

@BriGBIt is not a bug - it's a feature!

Headers and footers are intimately connected to sections, a part of section formatting. Each section has three headers and three footers, whether or not they are ever seen or used.

Here is my Recap of Header and Footer Settings.

You may want to use the MVP Toolkit for Advanced Placement of Headers and Footers.

An alternative is to put at least two page breaks (not section breaks) in problem sections so that you can see all of the headers and footers involved and then remove the page breaks after you have fixed it.