How to delete the last section break?

[Three Lefts]

I have a document that has two sections. Section 1 is set to landscape
orientation; section 2 to portrait.

I have split off the information in section 2 to another document. Now
I need to delete Section 2. They also have different headers and
footers.

If I delete the section break, Section 1 acquires all of the
attributes of the old Section 2.

How can I get rid of Section 2 and leave Section 1 unaffected?

 

[Stefan Blom]

Make sure that the settings of section 2 (page setup, columns, headers and
footers) are identical to those of section 1; then you can delete the
section break. For more, see the "If you really want to delete the temporary
section break ..." section of the article at
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/formatting/WorkWithSections.htm.

 

[Three Lefts]

Make sure that the settings of section 2 (page setup, columns, headers and
footers) are identical to those of section 1; then you can delete the
section break. For more, see the "If you really want to delete the temporary
section break ..." section of the article at
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/formatting/WorkWithSections.htm.

That article tells me that there is no way to delete the last section
of a multi-section document without affecting the properties of the
preceding section.

There are work-arounds involving (a) manually copying the section
properties one by one or (b) inserting an extra section break at the
end of the document to "wall off" that final invisible section break.

This is very inconvenient.

I just discovered that not only can I not delete that dummy section,
but I cannot change it to "continuous", either. I presume that this is
because it has a different orientation, which cannot be changed in the
middle of a page. This means that not only will my document forever
have an extraneous section break at the end, but also a blank page.
This means that the "total number of pages" variable will be off. It
also means that when printing I'll have to remember manually select
all but the last page to print or have a blank poage to throw away.

 

[Terry Farrell]

Header/Footer and page settings for a section are stored in the section
break at the end of each section.

And as you know you cannot have mixed Landscape/Portrait pages in the same
section. Nor can 99% of 'normal' printers support landscape and portrait on
the same sheet of paper.

Unfortunately, that means it is necessary to have at least two page in
Landscape in the middle of a document.

The workaround (which is my usual approach) is to leave the page in which
you want the Landscape object printed as an empty page by inserting a manual
Page Break at the top of the page (about the only time I ever consider using
a manual page break).

Then after printing the document, I reinsert the page into the printer and
print the landscape object.

This does have a major advantage: the Headers and Footers retain correct
orientation without resource to trickery which is often easier that changing
orientation using section breaks anyway.

 

[Mecalith]

For Microsoft Word 2007

1) Make backup copy of document in case this does not work.

2) Preserve Section 1 Header and Footer
In Header -Section 2- [Link to Previous]
1. Double-click the header in section 2.
2. Click [Link to Previous] ( Design > Navigation).
3. Click [Yes] at “Do you want to delete this header/footer and connect to
the header/footer in the previous section?â€.

In Footer -Section 3- [Link to Previous]
1. Double-click the footer in section 2.
2. Click [Link to Previous] (Design > Navigation).
3. Click [Yes] at “Do you want to delete this header/footer and connect to
the header/footer in the previous section?â€.

3) Preserve Section 1 Page Layout.

1. Place cursor at the end of section 1. ( i.e. before the section break )
2. Select the tail of the document. ( [ Shift]+[Ctrl]+[End] )
3. Delete selection. (Delete)

 

[Three Lefts]

For Microsoft Word 2007

1) Make backup copy of document in case this does not work.

2) Preserve Section 1 Header and Footer
In Header -Section 2- [Link to Previous]
1. Double-click the header in section 2.
2. Click [Link to Previous] ( Design > Navigation).
3. Click [Yes] at “Do you want to delete this header/footer and connect to
the header/footer in the previous section?”.

In Footer -Section 3- [Link to Previous]
1. Double-click the footer in section 2.
2. Click [Link to Previous] (Design > Navigation).
3. Click [Yes] at “Do you want to delete this header/footer and connect to
the header/footer in the previous section?”.

3) Preserve Section 1 Page Layout.

1. Place cursor at the end of section 1. ( i.e. before the section break )
2. Select the tail of the document. ( [ Shift]+[Ctrl]+[End] )
3. Delete selection. (Delete)

Clever. It looks like it will work. The backup is probably more in
case *I* don't follow the procedure exactly... ;-)

I'll test this the next time it comes up. I already manually deleted
that last section.

I see an opportunity for a handy macro (DeleteLastSection) written by
some clever MVP and made available on that same page where the hints
are.

 

[Three Lefts]

Header/Footer and page settings for a section are stored in the section
break at the end of each section.

And as you know you cannot have mixed Landscape/Portrait pages in the same
section. Nor can 99% of 'normal' printers support landscape and portrait on
the same sheet of paper.

Unfortunately, that means it is necessary to have at least two page in
Landscape in the middle of a document.

The workaround (which is my usual approach) is to leave the page in which
you want the Landscape object printed as an empty page by inserting a manual
Page Break at the top of the page (about the only time I ever consider using
a manual page break).

Then after printing the document, I reinsert the page into the printer and
print the landscape object.

This does have a major advantage: the Headers and Footers retain correct
orientation without resource to trickery which is often easier that changing
orientation using section breaks anyway.

Ugh. All because Word will not reveal that final section break.
Where's WordPerfect's Reveal Codes when we need it?

My workaround is going to be to remember to avoid sections if at all
possible.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

It doesn't really require "manually copying the section properties one by
one." For everything that is set in the Page Setup dialog, you need only
visit that dialog in the section whose settings you want to prevail, close
the dialog using OK, then move the insertion point to the section you want
to inherit those settings and press F4, thus repeating the settings in that
section.

 

[Terry Farrell]

My workaround is going to be to remember to avoid sections if at all
possible

That's the best policy.

Terry

 

[Stefan Blom]

As Suzanne pointed out, you don't have to copy the settings one by one. This
is also explained in the article that I linked to.

 

[Stefan Blom]

It seems as if you didn't read the article at
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/formatting/WorkWithSections.htm very carefully,
because linking headers and footers to those of the previous section is also
explained in the article (though there are no specific instructions for Word
2007).

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

For Microsoft Word 2007

1) Make backup copy of document in case this does not work.

2) Preserve Section 1 Header and Footer
In Header -Section 2- [Link to Previous]
1. Double-click the header in section 2.
2. Click [Link to Previous] ( Design > Navigation).
3. Click [Yes] at "Do you want to delete this header/footer and connect to
the header/footer in the previous section?".

In Footer -Section 3- [Link to Previous]
1. Double-click the footer in section 2.
2. Click [Link to Previous] (Design > Navigation).
3. Click [Yes] at "Do you want to delete this header/footer and connect to
the header/footer in the previous section?".

3) Preserve Section 1 Page Layout.

1. Place cursor at the end of section 1. ( i.e. before the section
break )
2. Select the tail of the document. ( [ Shift]+[Ctrl]+[End] )
3. Delete selection. (Delete)

Clever. It looks like it will work. The backup is probably more in
case *I* don't follow the procedure exactly... ;-)

I'll test this the next time it comes up. I already manually deleted
that last section.

I see an opportunity for a handy macro (DeleteLastSection) written by
some clever MVP and made available on that same page where the hints
are.

 

[Mecalith]

Hello, Stefan.
Note: If you delete from the end of the penultimate section to the end of
the document with [Shift]+[Ctrl]+[End] , [Delete], then the Page Setup is
unchanged regardless of the Page Setup of the original ultimate section.

It seems as if you didn't read the article at
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/formatting/WorkWithSections.htm very carefully,
because linking headers and footers to those of the previous section is also
explained in the article (though there are no specific instructions for Word
2007).

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

For Microsoft Word 2007

1) Make backup copy of document in case this does not work.

2) Preserve Section 1 Header and Footer
In Header -Section 2- [Link to Previous]
1. Double-click the header in section 2.
2. Click [Link to Previous] ( Design > Navigation).
3. Click [Yes] at "Do you want to delete this header/footer and connect to
the header/footer in the previous section?".

In Footer -Section 3- [Link to Previous]
1. Double-click the footer in section 2.
2. Click [Link to Previous] (Design > Navigation).
3. Click [Yes] at "Do you want to delete this header/footer and connect to
the header/footer in the previous section?".

3) Preserve Section 1 Page Layout.

1. Place cursor at the end of section 1. ( i.e. before the section
break )
2. Select the tail of the document. ( [ Shift]+[Ctrl]+[End] )
3. Delete selection. (Delete)

Clever. It looks like it will work. The backup is probably more in
case *I* don't follow the procedure exactly... ;-)

I'll test this the next time it comes up. I already manually deleted
that last section.

I see an opportunity for a handy macro (DeleteLastSection) written by
some clever MVP and made available on that same page where the hints
are.

 

[Stefan Blom]

Interesting observation! I guess this is because you delete the hidden
section break in the final paragraph mark (for a two-section document that
is). But, as you wrote, it does assume that headers and footers of the
deleted section are linked.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Hello, Stefan.
Note: If you delete from the end of the penultimate section to the end of
the document with [Shift]+[Ctrl]+[End] , [Delete], then the Page Setup is
unchanged regardless of the Page Setup of the original ultimate section.

It seems as if you didn't read the article at
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/formatting/WorkWithSections.htm very carefully,
because linking headers and footers to those of the previous section is
also
explained in the article (though there are no specific instructions for
Word
2007).

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:52:04 -0700, Mecalith

For Microsoft Word 2007

1) Make backup copy of document in case this does not work.

2) Preserve Section 1 Header and Footer
In Header -Section 2- [Link to Previous]
1. Double-click the header in section 2.
2. Click [Link to Previous] ( Design > Navigation).
3. Click [Yes] at "Do you want to delete this header/footer and connect
to
the header/footer in the previous section?".

In Footer -Section 3- [Link to Previous]
1. Double-click the footer in section 2.
2. Click [Link to Previous] (Design > Navigation).
3. Click [Yes] at "Do you want to delete this header/footer and connect
to
the header/footer in the previous section?".

3) Preserve Section 1 Page Layout.

1. Place cursor at the end of section 1. ( i.e. before the section
break )
2. Select the tail of the document. ( [ Shift]+[Ctrl]+[End] )
3. Delete selection. (Delete)

Clever. It looks like it will work. The backup is probably more in
case *I* don't follow the procedure exactly... ;-)

I'll test this the next time it comes up. I already manually deleted
that last section.

I see an opportunity for a handy macro (DeleteLastSection) written by
some clever MVP and made available on that same page where the hints
are.

 

[thebazilist]

Three Lefts wrote on 08/19/2008 00:24 ET

I have a document that has two sections. Section 1 is set to landscap
orientation; section 2 to portrait

I have split off the information in section 2 to another document. No
I need to delete Section 2. They also have different headers an
footers

If I delete the section break, Section 1 acquires all of th
attributes of the old Section 2

How can I get rid of Section 2 and leave Section 1 unaffected

I finally figured out how to do this without making myself crazy. I know thi
thread is old but when people are pulling-their-hair-out Googling this, the
ca
get my answer

This is for when you have a final Next Page Section Break that you want t
delete while keeping the formatting of the preceding section. (This wil
delet
whatever's in the following section so if you want to keep that, you shoul
mak
a copy to paste back in later.

1. Link the header and footer in Section 2 to those in Section 1.
(Double-clic
in Section-2-Header, and click Link to Previous; do the same in the Footer.

2. Make sure that the final line in Section 1 is right aligned, not justifie
(you can change this back later--this is just so that you can see what you'r
doing and your breaks don't get hidden off the right margin)

3. Insert a Continuous Section Break directly after the final line of Sectio

text

4. (Turn your formatting marks on) There should be no Paragraph marks betwee
the final line of Section 1 text, your Continuous Section Break, and th
Next-Page Section Break

5. Put your cursor right before the Next Page Section Break, and pres
Ctrl+Shift+End. This will highlight the Next-Page Section Break an
whatever'
in Section 2

6. Hit Delete (not Backspace)

VOILA

7. Then you can Delete the Continuous Section Break, too.