Multiple "sections" but no section breaks?

[wal]

Word 2003

In our office, we get documents from multiple sources and have to join
them into single Word files, usually 2-3 source files joined into one
of ours. Joining is done by copy-paste into a blank document, not
Inserting files. Although some of the source files are WordPerfect
(which might explain the problem I will describe), the problem occurs
when all the source files are Word (although we cannot tell whether
the source may have converted from WordPerfect for our "benefit").

One phenomenon that sometimes occurs in the resultant files we create,
I can't figure out. The Find feature finds no sections breaks (using
^b as the code). Nevertheless, the headers and footers are labeled
Section 1, Section 2, etc., at seemingly random points in the
document, and the Link to Previous button is available. The problem
that results from this is that the page size (legal vs. letter) and
page numbering format (or existence) changes from "section" to
"section". We have to manually set page numbers at each "section"
change. (The "section" breaks are not necessarily at the breaks
between the original documents.)

Because no section breaks can be found, we cannot delete them and join
the "sections" into one big section to ensure consistent formatting.

Page Setup doesn't allow us to set page size, etc., to "Whole
Document"; it keeps reverting to "This Section".

I can't tell if this is the result of conversion of some documents
from WordPerfect or the source user's crazy formatting in Word, or
what.

Anyway, can anyone explain what is happening? Can the underlying
section breaks be found and deleted?

Thanks very much.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Can you see/find the section breaks if you display Hidden text?

 

[wal]

No. (The user happens to keep all formatting marks, including hidden
text, visible.)

In fact, I just looked at one of the original source files and noted
the following. The file has three explicit section breaks. However,
the last section is labeled in the header/footer as Section 8. When I
do a global delete of the three breaks, the last header/footer is
labeled Section 5. In other words, there are four "phantom" section
breaks somewhere in this file.

The 8 or 5 section numbers are also noted in the usual way in the
lower left corner of the screen (along with the page number, line
number, etc.). Oddly, the phantom section break appears to be in the
middle of a line. If I right-arrow-key across the line character by
character, the Sec # display changes from "Sec 1" to "Sec 2" at a
certain character. If I Delete that character, the phantom section
break is also deleted and Sec 2 becomes part of Sec 1. (I can then
simply retype the character and all is well.) Again, I suspect a
conversion from WordPerfect by the source of the document.

With these problematic documents, I guess we'll just have to scroll
through them manually to find such things.

Thanks for your help and any additional insights you may have.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The section breaks should be easier to see in Normal view, but I think
you've been through that. And using Browse by Section doesn't work, either?

When I've seen this type of issue before, there was no way to actually find
or delete the section breaks themselves. But you seem to have pinpointed
where the breaks occur. That being the case, the easiest solution is to
select a little bit of text on either side of the break and delete it. Then
retype the missing text, which I see is what you've been doing. That's
probably going to be the best you can do. (Did you try Open and Repair,
BTW?)

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

No. (The user happens to keep all formatting marks, including hidden
text, visible.)

In fact, I just looked at one of the original source files and noted
the following. The file has three explicit section breaks. However,
the last section is labeled in the header/footer as Section 8. When I
do a global delete of the three breaks, the last header/footer is
labeled Section 5. In other words, there are four "phantom" section
breaks somewhere in this file.

The 8 or 5 section numbers are also noted in the usual way in the
lower left corner of the screen (along with the page number, line
number, etc.). Oddly, the phantom section break appears to be in the
middle of a line. If I right-arrow-key across the line character by
character, the Sec # display changes from "Sec 1" to "Sec 2" at a
certain character. If I Delete that character, the phantom section
break is also deleted and Sec 2 becomes part of Sec 1. (I can then
simply retype the character and all is well.) Again, I suspect a
conversion from WordPerfect by the source of the document.

With these problematic documents, I guess we'll just have to scroll
through them manually to find such things.

Thanks for your help and any additional insights you may have.

 

[wal]

Thanks.

I just noticed that Go To > Section > Next does allow you to navigate
to phantom section breaks.

How do you invoke Open and Repair?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If Go To will find the section breaks, then Browse by Section should as
well.

In the Open dialog, click the arrow beside Open and choose Open and Repair.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Thanks.

I just noticed that Go To > Section > Next does allow you to navigate
to phantom section breaks.

How do you invoke Open and Repair?