Word 2008: User-defined styles won't stick in .doc format files

[James]

I've been going nuts over some of my table formatting disappearing after I save and then reopen a document. After much experimentation, I have observed the following:

I have created a table style that applies certain borders, alignment and shading to a table. If I apply this style and save the document with the new .docx format, all is well when I reopen the file. However, if I save the file in the old .doc format, my table formatting is gone when I reopen the file. In order to use the old format and make my changes stick, I have to make them and save them using Word 2004!

Anyone else encounter this kind of problem, know if this is a known bug, or have a fix?

Thanks,

James

 

[John McGhie]

Hi James:

This is a design limitation.

Table Styles in Word 2008 and Table Styles in Word 2004 are not quite the
same thing.

The Table Styles in 2008 include links to the Document Themes, so they are a
different structure and will be discarded in the save back to .doc format.

You have discovered the work-around: build he table styles in Word 2004 (or:
don't save back: use the converter for 2004 to keep the file in .docx).

Cheers

I've been going nuts over some of my table formatting disappearing after I
save and then reopen a document. After much experimentation, I have observed
the following:

I have created a table style that applies certain borders, alignment and
shading to a table. If I apply this style and save the document with the new
.docx format, all is well when I reopen the file. However, if I save the file
in the old .doc format, my table formatting is gone when I reopen the file. In
order to use the old format and make my changes stick, I have to make them and
save them using Word 2004!

Anyone else encounter this kind of problem, know if this is a known bug, or
have a fix?

Thanks,

James

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John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, Australia
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]