Cross-references becoming corrupted in large Word 2007 file

[RE Haworth]

I have a pretty big problem. I use Word 2007 on Vista. I allow automatic
updates and am up-to-date on all updates (according to the automatic updates
page).

I am writing a 400-page book with 12 chapters, all in one 7KB file. I have a
lot of internal cross-references. I use pre-defined heading styles and I only
xref to headings. I use the Insert Cross-Reference dialog to create all my
xrefs.

My cross-references seem fine, but then for no reason that I can see, some
of them will become “corruptedâ€, by which I mean: when the heading text is
updated (with F9 or when it is done automatically) a bunch of text will be
inserted into the middle of the heading text. Sometimes several paragraphs is
inserted. If I click on the affected section, all of the new section is
shadowed in a darker color as if it’s a link.

The text that gets inserted seems to always be something that I had cut and
pasted in the past. I will get the same text inserted for a while, and then
another chunk of text (that also happened to be on my clipboard) will start
to get inserted. However, the text that is inserted isn’t currently in my
clipboard – just some text that I copied or cut a couple of days earlier.

This started a couple of months ago. At first I was unable to delete the
text that was stuck in the heading text; then I could remove it with
difficulty; now I can delete it easily. However, while it makes the text
nonsensical it is difficult to detect unless I re-edit the entire book, and
it is happening on a regular basis.

Can you help? Is this a known bug? It is making my book fairly unusable.

 

[macropod]

Hi RE Haworth,

Your description, especially regarding the cutting & pasting, suggests that maybe you're pasting the material into the document at
the end of a heading line and before the heading paragraph mark. That would certainly be enough to 'corrupt' the heading bookmark by
extending it to include the pasted material.

Once you've 'corrupted' a heading bookmark in this way, the simplest fix is to delete the existing cross-reference and insert a new
one.

 

[RE Haworth]

Hi macropod,

Thanks for the reply, but no, that's not it. I reveal all markers so I can
make sure that I don't do things like that. Also, most if not all of the
corrupted xrefs are in the middle of paragraphs or right before another
paragraph.

 

[macropod]

Hi RE Haworth,

It doesn't matter where the xrefs are. What matters is what's happened to the bookmarks they refer to.

 

[RE Haworth]

Hi again,

I don't see how I could be doing this as I don't cut and paste headings. In
fact I haven't made a lot of changes to headings in recent months. However
I'll keep your comments in mind and see if I am somehow corrupting the
headings.

Thanks very much! If you have any further thoughts, please let me know.

Ruth

Hi RE Haworth,

It doesn't matter where the xrefs are. What matters is what's happened to the bookmarks they refer to.

--
Cheers
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

Hi macropod,

Thanks for the reply, but no, that's not it. I reveal all markers so I can
make sure that I don't do things like that. Also, most if not all of the
corrupted xrefs are in the middle of paragraphs or right before another
paragraph.

 

[macropod]

Hi RE Haworth,

It's not about cutting & pasting heading, per se, but about pasting something into the document at either end of a heading - that's
where the heading bookmark boundaries are.

--
Cheers
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

Hi again,

I don't see how I could be doing this as I don't cut and paste headings. In
fact I haven't made a lot of changes to headings in recent months. However
I'll keep your comments in mind and see if I am somehow corrupting the
headings.

Thanks very much! If you have any further thoughts, please let me know.

Ruth

Hi RE Haworth,

It doesn't matter where the xrefs are. What matters is what's happened to the bookmarks they refer to.

--
Cheers
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

Hi macropod,

Thanks for the reply, but no, that's not it. I reveal all markers so I can
make sure that I don't do things like that. Also, most if not all of the
corrupted xrefs are in the middle of paragraphs or right before another
paragraph.

 

[Shirley145]

I am also having problems with bookmarks. I have sent several messages to
Microsoft regarding the problem with WORD 2007. I wonder why I am using it.
I just lost over 100 bookmarks in a large document. WHY??? I think it is
because the document was reformatted. I moved the margin 5 spaces and lost
all of my bookmarks that were in those pages. You would think Microsoft
would be aware of this and take care of it. It seems that this is a simple
action that people do everyday especially when ready to print or finalize the
document. but the consequences can be a disaster.

Hi RE Haworth,

It doesn't matter where the xrefs are. What matters is what's happened to the bookmarks they refer to.

--
Cheers
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

Hi macropod,

Thanks for the reply, but no, that's not it. I reveal all markers so I can
make sure that I don't do things like that. Also, most if not all of the
corrupted xrefs are in the middle of paragraphs or right before another
paragraph.

 

[macropod]

Hi Shirley,

It's very easy to mess up your bookmarks if you don't have their boundaries displayed (see under Word Options).

--
Cheers
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

I am also having problems with bookmarks. I have sent several messages to
Microsoft regarding the problem with WORD 2007. I wonder why I am using it.
I just lost over 100 bookmarks in a large document. WHY??? I think it is
because the document was reformatted. I moved the margin 5 spaces and lost
all of my bookmarks that were in those pages. You would think Microsoft
would be aware of this and take care of it. It seems that this is a simple
action that people do everyday especially when ready to print or finalize the
document. but the consequences can be a disaster.

Hi RE Haworth,

It doesn't matter where the xrefs are. What matters is what's happened to the bookmarks they refer to.

--
Cheers
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

Hi macropod,

Thanks for the reply, but no, that's not it. I reveal all markers so I can
make sure that I don't do things like that. Also, most if not all of the
corrupted xrefs are in the middle of paragraphs or right before another
paragraph.

 

[BrettW]

I am having the exact same problem that Haworth is. My document is oonly 37
pages. Not only are the clipboard contents being added to cross references,
but the page numbers are messed up after printing. It's a 37 page document,
pages 1-10 are okay, after that all pages say Page 32 of 32. It was fine
until I went back and added the cross references and printed it out.