Apr 26 2022 11:56 PM
I have an 80+ page word document that I set up for a client with TOCs and custom page numbering. I've setup custom styles to format all text and also setup Auto numbering for TOC sections and sub sections. This all worked great until recently where I noticed all the text that is formatted according to it's style, when selected, shows up as the NORMAL style. All other custom styles are listed, but all say 'No Data' under 'Select All:' when right clicking each style. All text is now under Normal but still formatted to it's custom style.
What is going on?
Is this a glitch?
Is it a known issue?
Can I fix it?
I've tried various 'fixes' from other Word Guru's but nothing works.
Also, I've tried naming each style descriptively, but it's still a pain trying to work out what style I've used on each paragraph to copy and paste it into a fresh document to reinstate the style. It's very confusing and frustrating. Any help would be appreciated as I have to update this file for the client asap.
Apr 27 2022 02:44 AM
Are you running Word for Windows or on some other platform?
In Word for Windows, double-check how the document looks in the preview at File > Print.
Apr 27 2022 03:42 AM
Hello @CDFFAB ,
First of all, you don't need to reinstate the styles by copy and paste. Import the styles from your original document (How to Import Styles from Other Documents in Word 2013 - dummies).
Now to your questions: from my experience and from what you described I have a feeling that someone else worked on it, perhaps using their own additional tools, like Litera, or copied the text using 'Paste Text only" or even just clicked removed all formatting. Without being there it is really difficult, but it is not a MS Word issue, but a user issue.
I hope the Import will make your life easier.
Apr 27 2022 03:42 AM
Apr 27 2022 03:56 AM
Apr 27 2022 04:01 AM - edited Apr 27 2022 04:11 AM
In other words, the appearance of each text paragraph is correct, but without the proper styles applied to text. It is as if someone has formatted each text paragraph one by one by applying the font, size, etc.? In Word terminology, this is called direct formatting (= formatting which is applied directly to text instead of being applied via one or more paragraph styles). Sometimes, you see this happening with content which has been pasted from external files/programs.
Apr 27 2022 04:32 AM
>>In other words, the appearance of each text paragraph is correct, but without the proper styles applied to text.
Correct.
>>It is as if someone has formatted each text paragraph one by one by applying the font, size, etc.? In Word terminology, this is called direct formatting (= formatting which is applied directly to text instead of being applied via one or more paragraph styles).
Correct again, but nobody has done any direct formatting. I setup and formatted the file with custom styles so information could be added and styled easily. As far as I'm aware, nobody has tried to reformat anything. They have cut and pasted things from other files or from websites, but not done any custom formatting. They send it back to me to reformat.
>> Sometimes, you see this happening with content which has been pasted from external files/programs.
I've been dealing with clients for over 20 years that send me docs like this where they cut and pasted from external files/programs, but this has NEVER happened before which is why it has me stumped.
Apr 27 2022 04:42 AM
@CDFFAB ,
just what you typed confirms my suspicion. I've worked with Word since 1994 (Windows 3.11), just like you, and corrected many broken or unstyled documents - including some looking like the one you describe. Not an uncommon sight. I am nearly 100% sure that what you describe is due to users' improper use of Word's functions. I even have a suspicion someone might work on it using either a Word Perfect or Libre Office. It just strips the styles of their formatting.
Like you, we are left with fixing and restyling the documents again and again and again, just because people ignore some simple rules.
But, since you say the styles are still there, paragraphs are 'styled', but all the styles' attributes were stripped making them look like Normal, importing the styles from your original document should reapply the correct styles tributes to them.
You will be left with this work for as long as people will not adhere to a preferred way of working with MS Word and the template you created.
Apr 27 2022 04:50 AM
Apr 27 2022 05:11 AM
Apr 27 2022 05:16 AM
Apr 27 2022 05:36 AM
Apr 27 2022 05:45 AM
Of course, you can, I just wrote you what you need to do.
Either you have all appearing as Normal but styles are underneath, then the Import will work.
Or, you have a document directly styled with Paragraph and Font attributes, and then the Find and Replacer will work.
Apr 27 2022 06:52 AM
Upload a screen shot so that we can see what you see.
You could also share a sample document in Word format.
Apr 27 2022 06:59 AM
Apr 27 2022 01:13 PM - edited Apr 27 2022 01:13 PM
A sample document, which illustrates the issue, would suffice. Nobody in the forum needs to see any confidential content, obviously.
However, if you are saying that you have fixed the problem, that is good news. :)
Apr 27 2022 07:36 PM
@Stefan_Blom Here are 2 screen shots. Hopefully they make sense.
As you can see I've hilighted the line for a Revision Date. It's formatted correctly but it shows as Normal Style:
Instead it should be showing as the zRevisionDate Style, which currently shows as not being used (same as every other style except Normal):
Apr 28 2022 08:16 AM