Pasting rows overwrites, rather than inserts

[bmuse21]

When I copy rows in a table within Word 2003, then go to paste those rows
elsewhere in the table, the pasted rows overwrite existing rows rather than
inserting themselves before the existing rows.

I would swear that I used to just hit "Paste" and the rows would come in as
new rows, bumping the existing rows down?

Can anyone help? Am I missing a setting?

 

[Richard Neville]

You may be thinking of Excel, as I can't remember ever being able to do what
you describe in a Word table. But there's an easy workaround. Click on the
row BEFORE WHICH you want to paste the copied rows, then select "Split
table" from the Table menu. Click on the non-table space that this opens up,
and paste the copied rows there. You can then delete the space to reunite
the two sections of the table.

 

[bmuse21]

Thank you, Richard, for the reply! In the meantime, I've been able to
replicate the anomaly: within a table in Word, if I highlight a number of
rows and choose Table-->Select Row before copying, then when I paste into the
table, the pasted rows bump the other rows down and insert between.

But if I highlight rows and simply Copy (without choosing Select Row), and
then go to paste them in, the pasted rows overwrite the existing cells rather
than being inserted between rows.

For example, if I highlight three rows, Select Row, and copy: when I paste,
the three rows are inserted between the row above my cursor and the row
below. If I highlight three rows and simply Copy: when I paste, the three
rows below my cursor are overwritten by the three rows being pasted in.

Even stranger, this works consistently on my desktop PC, but on my laptop,
pasting rows in a Word table overwrites existing cells/rows no matter how I
select them.

Which makes your trick very valuable for the laptop!

 

[Luc]

Richard,
When you are highlighting make sure you select the complete row and not only
the cells of your row. In that case you will overwrite your cells with the
selected ones.
The best way to select your rows is to drag with the arrowpoint to the left
of your rows. Then copying will always add the rows not replace them.
Luc

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?Ym11c2UyMQ==?=,

Even stranger, this works consistently on my desktop PC, but on my laptop,
pasting rows in a Word table overwrites existing cells/rows no matter how I
select them.

You might compare the settings in Tools/Options/Edit, especially the Settings
for the paste options.

I also recommend you make sure the display of the Smart Paste Options button
is activated (same dialog box). Click in a cell where you want to paste and
paste. The cells should be pasted as a nested table. Now activate the Paste
Options button and choose "New rows".

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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