Word will not update Table of Contents

[news]

Using Word 2003 (11.8026.8028) SP2 under XP Pro SP2.

I am editing someone else's document. On the surface it seems to be
straightforward in every way -- just a 30-page report including some
Heading 1 and Heading 2 lines. Tracking is enabled.

When I started editing, I deleted about 10 consecutive pages, then
updated the ToC. No problems. I did some other minor editing, and the
ToC still updated OK.

Then I copy/pasted about 10 new pages from another document (being
careful not to copy the final paragraph mark), and tried to update the
ToC. It wouldn't update.

I removed the ToC, and tried to insert a new one. Word asked me if I
wanted to *update* the ToC. Why would it do that, as I had deleted it?

Now, whatever I try, I just can't update the ToC.

A further strange thing: the first entry in the ToC is now duplicated
(but the associated Heading 1 line only appears once).

I've tried updating with Tracking disabled.

I've closed Word and restarted it.

Still no success.

Ideas anyone?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The duplication of Heading 1 almost certainly results from a manual page
break before the heading. Delete it and format the heading as "Page break
before." For the rest, do your headings actually use Heading 1 and Heading 2
(built-in styles)? If they use other styles, have you selected these in the
TOC Options? Are any of the headings in text boxes?

 

[news]

The duplication of Heading 1 almost certainly results from a manual page
break before the heading. Delete it and format the heading as "Page break
before."

No, there was no page break, and all Heading 1 lines are formatted as
"Page Break Before".

For the rest, do your headings actually use Heading 1 and Heading 2
(built-in styles)?
Yes.


If they use other styles, have you selected these in the
TOC Options?
N/A


Are any of the headings in text boxes?

No.

However, I have now persuaded Word to update the ToC. To do this, I
switched from Print Layout View to Normal View. But instead of updating
the ToC almost instantaneously, everything froze with the hourglass
showing for over 6 *minutes* before the new ToC appeared!

As I explained originally, this problem only arose after I copied some
pages from another document. In that other document, ToC update works
fine.

Weird!

I am now tempted to create a new document and paste the old document
into it, to see if the problem goes away. However, if I do this, how do
I include the tracked changes in the new document? Readers will need to
see the changes.

 

[Stefan Blom]

Copying the contents to a new document is probably worth trying.

Delete any section breaks, then press Ctrl+A to select the whole
document, press Shift+Left Arrow to deselect the final paragraph
marks, copy and paste into a new document. For more, see the relevant
section of the article at
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/apperrors/CorruptDoc.htm.

For instructions on preserving the tracked changes when copying, see
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/trackchanges/HowTrackChangesWorks.html#Copying.

 

[Mike Seddon]

Ian,

This looks like the sort of problem that DocTidy should fix for you.

DocTidy is software that I have developed which sorts out many
formatting problems in Word.

I'm always on the look out for problem documents with which I can
further test and refine our software.

If your document is one you could share with me, I would love the
opportunity to run it through our software and see how it performs.

Let me know if this is something you would be interested in trying.

If you want to take a look at the Home user version of the software,
just go to our site at www.kutchka.com

Cheers
Mike

No, there was no page break, and all Heading 1 lines are formatted as
"Page Break Before".


No.

However, I have now persuaded Word to update the ToC. To do this, I
switched from Print Layout View to Normal View. But instead of updating
the ToC almost instantaneously, everything froze with the hourglass
showing for over 6 *minutes* before the new ToC appeared!

As I explained originally, this problem only arose after I copied some
pages from another document. In that other document, ToC update works
fine.

Weird!

I am now tempted to create a new document and paste the old document
into it, to see if the problem goes away. However, if I do this, how do
I include the tracked changes in the new document? Readers will need to
see the changes.

Free tips for Microsoft Office users.
http://www.freewordtips.com/

 

[news]

Copying the contents to a new document is probably worth trying.

Delete any section breaks, then press Ctrl+A to select the whole
document, press Shift+Left Arrow to deselect the final paragraph
marks, copy and paste into a new document. For more, see the relevant
section of the article at
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/apperrors/CorruptDoc.htm.

For instructions on preserving the tracked changes when copying, see
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/trackchanges/HowTrackChangesWorks.html#Copying.

Many thanks Stefan. I will try this.

 

[news]

Ian,

This looks like the sort of problem that DocTidy should fix for you.

DocTidy is software that I have developed which sorts out many
formatting problems in Word.

I'm always on the look out for problem documents with which I can
further test and refine our software.

If your document is one you could share with me, I would love the
opportunity to run it through our software and see how it performs.

Let me know if this is something you would be interested in trying.

If you want to take a look at the Home user version of the software,
just go to our site at www.kutchka.com

Mike,

This sounds interesting. Unfortunately, though, the document is
confidential, so I can't send it to you.

However, I will take a look at your site.

 

[Stefan Blom]

You are welcome.

 

[aalaan]

Mike,

An extract from your site...

'getting your documents to like right'

 

[Dawn Crosier, MVP]

Try turning off Tracked Changes, and deleting the TOC and then Reinsert the
TOC again with Tracked Changes still turned off and see if it will create
and update now. (The message about replacing the TOC is because there was a
"Tracked as Deleted" TOC in your document.)

If it will create and update to at least the point of showing the headings
and other entries that you had before, then check to make sure that the
pages you inserted were formatted as Heading Styles.

For the Heading that is showing up twice. Check to see whether it is marked
two times, for instance whether it has a TC entry, and is a Heading Style,
or is marked with a TC entry and has Paragraph Formatting to indicate that
it is a Level 1.

Good Luck.
--
Dawn Crosier
Microsoft MVP
"Education Lasts a Lifetime"

This message was posted to a newsgroup, Please post replies and questions
to the group so that others can learn as well.

 

[Mike Seddon]

Thanks. Proof reading eh!

Mike,

An extract from your site...

'getting your documents to like right'

Free tips for Microsoft Office users.
http://www.freewordtips.com/

 

[aalaan]

A pleasure. We all do it! I'm an editor by profession and I look at every
book I've edited when I get my free copy of the finished article. I nearly
always find one error that I've missed and once I found one that I'd
introduced!