Word 2003: Safe mode still seems to have corrupt templates.

[Markus Schöpflin]

I'm starting Word 2003 in safe mode by holding down the CTRL key when
stating word. Next I create an empty document, type a few paragraphs,
highlight them and press <Shift>-<Ctrl>-<L> to give them the list bullet style.

Now I navigate to the second paragraph in the list, and press
<Shift>-<Alt>-<Cursor Right>. What I would have expected to happen is that
the list item is demoted to level 2. What actually happens is that it is
changed into Heading 2!

Q1) Is my expectation of what should have happened correct?

Q2) If the answer to Q1 is yes, what the heck is going on here?

Q3) Does the Word safe mode indeed do what I think it does, namely start
with the built-in Word styles, no matter how messed up my normal.dot might
happen to be?

TIA,
Markus

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I see the same behavior here, but the issue is that the List Bullet style is
not (by default) part of an outline-numbered list, so Word doesn't know what
to demote to. By default, the Promote/Demote shortcuts will work with the
current (or in this case, any existing) outline list style. Since the
built-in headings are implicitly part of an outline list (even when not
numbered), you get a demotion to the next lower style, starting from the
top.

If you use Alt+Shift+Left, you get Heading 1, which I think you would find
not so unexpected since, even if List Bullet were part of an outline list,
there is nowhere (else) to go up from it. In fact, it you make List Bullet
part of a defined outline list, I think you may find that Alt+Shift+Left
does NOT give you Heading 1 but just an error bell or no result (I haven't
tested this now, but I've observed this kind of response in documents I've
created).

An oddity I just noted: I don't know whether this is specific to this
instance or more general, but I note that if I press either Alt+Shift+Left
OR Alt+Shift+Right in a List Bullet paragraph (or any other that isn't part
of an outline list), the Undo list shows "Outline Demote." In order to get
"Outline Promote," I have to use Alt+Shift+Left in a Heading 2 paragraph (or
some other that's already part of a list).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Stefan Blom]

Well, List Bullet is not part of a multilevel list, which is why
Alt+Shift+left/right arrow would apply a heading style instead.

However, you should be able to use the Tab key at the beginning of any
numbered list to change to the next lower numbering level.

For more on Safe mode, see this article:

About Office Safe Mode
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/HP030823931033.aspx

 

[Markus Schöpflin]

Thank you to you all for the lightning fast reply.

So it looks like my error actually was that I somehow ended up believing
that the first list bullet style is by default part of an outline numbered
list together with the other list bullet styles, combined with the fact
that Word doesn't tell me that it makes no sense to demote such a paragraph
but instead goes ahead and helpfully changes the paragraph into something
it actually can demote, which happens to be the heading style. Go figure.

Thanks again,
Markus

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I agree that the List Bullet style is deceptive. It is certainly "list
ready," as it were, and it is easy enough to create a list composed of List
Bullet, List Bullet 2, and so on. Note, however, that the built-in styles go
only to List Bullet 5 (which is also true of the List, List Number, and List
Continue series, which might be a clue), so you would have to create styles
for List Bullet 6-9 if you wanted a complete series.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org