WD97: Page Field in Header/Footer Causes Odd Behavior

• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you insert a page number field in the header or footer of a document that exceeds ten pages, the insertion point disappears or moves to the right of the paragraph mark (visible when you have Show/Hide turned on).

• If you type any text at this point, the text repositions below or to the right of the paragraph mark.
• If you attempt to insert another field code--for example, if you click the Insert Number of Pages button on the Header And Footer toolbar--the field code is not inserted.
• If you press the DELETE key, you receive the following error message:

        This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut
        down.
  

        If the problem persists, contact the program vendor.
  

  When you click Details, you receive the following error message:

        Winword caused an invalid page fault in module WINWORD.EXE at
        0137:30082841.
  

CAUSE

The insertion point disappears or moves after you insert the page number field using one of the following methods:

• You click the Insert Page Number button on the Header And Footer toolbar.

  -or-

• You insert the page number field manually.

  -or-

• You insert the page number field by clicking Field on the Insert menu.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods:

Method 1: Click Page Numbers on the Insert Menu

Insert the page number by clicking Page Numbers on the Insert menu. To do this, follow these steps:

1. On the Insert menu, click Page Numbers.

2. In the Page Numbers dialog box, select any options you want, and then click Format.

3. In the Page Number Format dialog box, select a numbering format from the Number Format list, and then click OK.

Method 2: Move the Insertion Point

Press the SPACEBAR, move the insertion point before the space character, and then insert the page number using Method 1. NOTE: You can also use the methods described in the "Cause" section.

Method 3: Use AutoComplete

Insert the page number using the AutoComplete suggestion. To do this, follow these steps:

NOTE: AutoComplete must be turned on for this option to work. See the "More Information" section for instructions on how to turn AutoComplete on or off.

1. Type the word "page" (without the quotation marks).

2. Press ENTER when the ScreenTip displays "Page X of Y."

Method 4: Store the Page Field as an AutoText Entry

When you type the AutoText entry, the AutoComplete tip displays your AutoText entry. To do this, use the following steps:

NOTE: AutoComplete must be turned on for this option to work. See the "More Information" section for instructions on how to turn AutoComplete on or off.

1. Insert a page field in your document.

2. Select the page field.

3. On the Insert menu, point to AutoText, and then click New.

4. Type a name for the page field. For example, type "-page" (without the quotation marks). NOTE: Be sure to include the hyphen in front of "page," and then click OK.

5. On the View menu, click Header And Footer.

6. In the header (or footer), type "-page" (without the quotation marks). When the AutoComplete ScreenTip displays the suggestion, press ENTER to insert the page number field.

MORE INFORMATION

To turn the AutoComplete feature on or off, do the following:

1. On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect, and then click the AutoText tab.

2. Click to select or clear the "Show AutoComplete tip for AutoText and dates" check box.

3. Click OK.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.