Page numbers not visible - frame too small

[dr.nixon]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I have a document that needs to have page numbers added. When I inserted them, they didn't show up. A little poking around showed that they were there, but that the frame in the footer that contained the page numbers was so small that the numbers themselves did not show. Resizing the frame fixes this, but... the frame height/width is set to "Auto", so shouldn't it work without manually changing it? Is this a known issue?

I started a new, blank document, inserted page numbers, same thing happened. Only way of fixing it I could find was to open Word 07 in Parallels, open the file, then reinsert the numbers.

 

[CyberTaz]

Nope, this is a new one - at least I've not seen any reports of it here. I
know this is a very elementary question, but exactly "how" are you inserting
the page number?

Could there be any issue with the margin settings that might influence the
height of the Footer? Any other details you can supply?

Have you tried closing Word then renaming your Normal.dotm to see if it
might be a corruption issue?

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[dr.nixon]

Inserting them as I always have - Insert --> Page numbers... --> Bottom of page (footer), Alignment Right.

When I opened the file in Office 07, the page numbers were where they ought to be; Word 08 just didn't automatically adjust the size of the frame as it should have. Once it had been opened and saved in 07 it seems to be fine in 08.

If it is a Normal.dot issue, would round-tripping it through Word 07 like that fix it? New docs in Word 08 are still giving me the weird numbering issue.

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Doc - See the in-line responses below...

Inserting them as I always have - Insert --> Page numbers... --> Bottom of
page (footer), Alignment Right.

OK - just wanted to be sure you weren't using one of the Elements Gallery
gizmos or some other method that might have a bearing.

When I opened the file in Office 07, the page numbers were where they ought to
be; Word 08 just didn't automatically adjust the size of the frame as it
should have. Once it had been opened and saved in 07 it seems to be fine in
08.

I believe what happened is that the '07 app recognized the dimensions &
reacted accordingly which enabled the resizing. That adjustment has been
retained in the document so it should be fine from here on.

If it is a Normal.dot issue, would round-tripping it through Word 07 like that
fix it? New docs in Word 08 are still giving me the weird numbering issue.

As far as the round-trip being the fix, yes, that's quite possible. Perhaps
the correct specs are being generated in '08 but the result isn't
translating it properly in the new files.

If you're getting the continued malady in new documents it's a pretty good
sign that the source is Normal.dotm - at least that's the first thing I'd
look at. If you have other customizations you don't want to lose just rename
it or move it while Word isn't running. Then launch Word & see if you still
have the problem. If so it may be a bad Preferences file instead, in which
case you can return to using your original Normal, then test the Prefs file.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[John McGhie]

If you use View>Header and Footer before you insert the page numbers, Word
will put them in without the box and you won't get the problem.

The floating text box is a nasty kludge to try to avoid users having to
understand headers and footers. But behind the scenes it creates a footer
anyway and anchors the text box to it.

If you open the footer first, the page number drops into the footer itself,
without the floating text box, and the whole document becomes more reliable.

Hope this helps

Inserting them as I always have - Insert --> Page numbers... --> Bottom of
page (footer), Alignment Right.

When I opened the file in Office 07, the page numbers were where they ought to
be; Word 08 just didn't automatically adjust the size of the frame as it
should have. Once it had been opened and saved in 07 it seems to be fine in
08.

If it is a Normal.dot issue, would round-tripping it through Word 07 like that
fix it? New docs in Word 08 are still giving me the weird numbering issue.

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[CyberTaz]

Not here, John

The Frame is generated either way *if* you use the Insert> Page Number menu
command. OTOH, if you open the Footer then use the Insert Page Number button
on the Formatting Palette (or Ctrl+Shift+P) the page number field is
inserted without the Frame... Apparently there are 2 separate methods
involved. My thought is that the menu command employs a Frame in order to
offer the choice of "where" in the H/F the page# is positioned.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Bob:

Oh!! Nice pick-up That's a bug!!

"Dear Microsoft: Page numbers do NOT float. No, really! Not EVER!! So
get rid of that silliness."

{Sob} Yeah, I know, they're not reading here...

I will put that in as a bug.

Cheers

Not here, John

The Frame is generated either way *if* you use the Insert> Page Number menu
command. OTOH, if you open the Footer then use the Insert Page Number button
on the Formatting Palette (or Ctrl+Shift+P) the page number field is
inserted without the Frame... Apparently there are 2 separate methods
involved. My thought is that the menu command employs a Frame in order to
offer the choice of "where" in the H/F the page# is positioned.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]