WD: Heading Styles Cannot Be Deleted

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

Once a heading style is added to a Word document, you cannot delete it from the style list.

CAUSE

Because a heading level style previously used may still be referenced by a modifier, heading styles cannot be deleted from the style list.

When you promote a paragraph, Word marks the text with a modifier that indicates the paragraph is one level higher than it was previously. Although the correct heading level is displayed and will print, the style is not explicitly applied to the text. This process saves a lot of display update time when large blocks of mixed text are promoted or demoted because Word does not need to go through all of the altered text reapplying styles.

Paragraphs that have been demoted also contain modifiers that refer to the previously applied heading levels. A demoted paragraph at Heading 3 level, for example, may have a modifier referencing Heading 2.