inserting table problems

[kate]

When I "insert table" the right margin suddenly changes to 2.5
inches and if I try to expand the table, the columns in that area
disappear.

What do I do? When I look at page setup, it shows a .8 right margin.

Thanks

 

[Stefan Blom]

What are the dimensions of the table (as well as its columns)? Are there any
indents specified for the paragraphs in the table?

 

[kate]

Hi Stefan

I had a clear Word page.
Inserted table with 2 columns, 5 rows, autofit.
The right margin of the page jumped in to 2.5 inches. As if a gutter had
formed.
I went into every suggestion of margin control, gutter control, etc that I
could find.

Then I opened an old table used for a seating chart, cleared its cells and
set up
the new data table I needed. While it was open, I looked at every margin
control
spot I could think of for something unusual = nada.

Kate

 

[Stefan Blom]

Which version of Word are you using?

 

[kate]

Stefan - I've been quite the detective - it's a COLUMN command that's warped.
Word 2003 on XP. My new documents open not with ONE column automatically,
but with an undefined column whose width is not accurate and varies.

I have learned to go into Format columns and enter the width according to my
margins. Usually that's .5 margins for worksheets, so the width is 7.5, 1
inch margins for regular documents, so I set the "column" width at 6 inches.

If I simply click ONE column, it's never correct. There's a "1" in the
number of columns space, but obviously it's not registering.

That seems to be the only way. I can't find out what I checked to take away
the automatica resetting of the page width....do you know what I might have
checked or UNchecked?

Katea

 

[Stefan Blom]

In the Format | Columns dialog box, instead of typing the column width,
click the predefined "One" option; that fixes the issue.

If this happens with new documents created from normal.dot, open it as a
document and make the change there too. See
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CustomizeNormalTemplate.htm.