Microsoft Word 2002 normal text disappears

  1. #1
    gog
    gog is offline Valued Member

    Microsoft Word 2002 normal text disappears

    Hi,

    I am gog's dad and am trying to finish my PhD. I wrote my PhD using a 'normal' template based on Times New Roman 11 point font - pretty straightword. However, my supervisor wanted me to change to 12 point font. I made the change to the normal style and pressed automatically update (after checking that the paragraph was actually based on 'normal'). Most of the document was fine except that some of the text disappears at the bottom of the page and then sometimes reappears over the next page - I can't figure out why.

    I have used the 'organiser' to copy the normal template from one document (where the problem doesn't occur) to another document (where the problem does occur) but it hasn't fixed it. I have pressed 'clear formatting' on the paragraphs to ensure it really is based on the 'normal' style but this hasn't helped either. I have also tried to put new parameters into the paragraph to make it less complicated but this doesn't make any difference - not sure what is going on?


  2. #2
    Tassie Devil is offline DAL Aussie Contingent
    When you change the size of the font it automatically takes up more space on the page so some text is placed on the second page. You probably need to open the margins out a little and it should all fit on the same page. File/page setup/margins.

  3. #3
    gog
    gog is offline Valued Member
    Hi thanks for your help. The problem is that the text is not spilling over on to the next page, not that it is! There appears to be something in the formating that prevents it from continuing on to the next page even though I have used the 'normal' format to set the style. My margins are fine and set to 3cm, 2cm, 2cm and 2cm. Thanks again!

  4. #4
    Tassie Devil is offline DAL Aussie Contingent
    You need to see if there is a page break or something there. What happens if you preview the document? Is the other text showing on the next page? Is it just straight typing or is it in a text box or table?
    Go up to your toolbar and click on the icon shown below to see all formatting. This may show what is causing the problem.
    Attached Images

  5. #5
    gog
    gog is offline Valued Member
    Yes, the text is not part of a text box and I was looking at it in preview mode. Parts of the text was formated as 'footer' for some inexplicable reason but I changed those parts to 'normal' font (I hate the upgraded way of changing the style in Word 2002). I have looked at the text with the end of paragraph marker and there is nothing untoward. However, I tried cutting and pasting the whole document into a new file and this seems to have freed whatever it was that was stopping the text from going to the next page - wierd when you consider that when it was in 11 point the text behaved as it should. I will let you know if I have any more woes and tell you if I find out the real solution.

  6. #6
    Please Help.

    I'm currently doing my Business Thesis and I have recently encountered the exact same problem to my understanding. This problem has been experienced in MS Office XP, MS Word.

    I have typed out my outline to be formatted. There was no prior formatting done other than using default headings in the *styles* in a default document. When I was ready to format, I made the changes needed selected all the text and changed the paragraph spacing from single to double.

    As noted when scrolling with the mouse wheel, 1 entire paragraph labeled "Implementation" had fallen off the end of the document, by pressing enter in the preceeding paragraph I could see the heading "Implementation" with only 1 line of text following. The text itself has not been deleted, I can get it to display, but the instant I start typing again, the text block vanishes. When placing the mouse cursor in the text MS Word apparently denies the existance of that paragraph, because on the lower bar the At, Ln, and Col figures are greyed out.

    Is there a setting you have discovered in MS Word that "Automatically" Hides paragraphs?
    Last edited by theafricanimport; 29-03-2007 at 06:27 AM.

  7. #7
    gog
    gog is offline Valued Member
    Dear African import,

    Yes this is exactly the same problem that I encountered. I seem to have fudged it for now but am not convinced I have solved the problem. I am about a month away from finishing and I am more than a little concerned that the problem will resurface when I print it all out!

    Footnote issue
    I have another problem now, related to the footnotes which you may also experience. The footnotes are all there but I can't figure out why there is a bigger gap in the bottom of the page on some chapters than others. I have tried going into 'normal' mode and resetting the footnote seperator. This creates a consistent gap between the body of the text and the footnote seperator line but the distance from the end of the footnotes to the bottom of the page varies. I have checked the 'footer' spacing dimensions and it is the same as the other chapters. How do I fix this?

    Related to that is a more minor problem. Why doesn't footnotes appear as a style in my formatting pane (when 'footnote reference' and everything else appears). Is that something to do with my templates?

    I was thinking of getting a copy of Word 2007 but am not sure that it will address these problems?

    Appreciate any suggestions.

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