Header/Footer and Other Section Formatting Lost After Paste

 Last reviewed: July 30, 1997
Article ID: Q92566
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.1a, 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c

SUMMARY

Sometimes Word for Windows document formatting, section layout, or page setup settings disappear or change to the default Word settings when you copy a selection from another application and paste it in a Word for Windows document. This problem occurs if you paste the selection in the last paragraph of the target document.

These settings may also change or disappear when you use the Insert command to insert a file if your insertion point is positioned at the last paragraph mark of your Word for Windows document.

Workarounds

Paste your selection to a location other than the last paragraph mark in your Word for Windows document. 

 -or-
Paste link the information. From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special and choose the Paste Link button. If you use this workaround, you can subsequently unlink the information (by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+F9) with no effect on section or document formatting. 

 -or-
Paste the information by choosing Paste Special from the Edit menu. In the Data Type box, select Formatted Text, and choose the Paste button. 

 -or-
Modify the FileInsert command as shown below so it inserts a paragraph mark and then positions the insertion point above the paragraph mark prior to opening the Insert File dialog box. 

Sub MAIN
InsertPara                      'insert one hard return
LineUp                          'up one line
Dim dlg As InsertFile GetCurValues dlg x = Dialog (dlg) If x = -1 then InsertFile dlg 
End Sub
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Word versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, and 2.0c. This problem was corrected in Word version 6.0.

MORE INFORMATION

The last paragraph mark in a document is unique because it contains the following page setup and section layout formatting information:

  • Header and footer formatting and text
  • Column formatting
  • Page margins
  • Paper size, orientation, and source
  • Footnote references
  • Line numbers
  • Vertical alignment properties
  • Section Start settings (such as New Page, New Column, and Even Page)

Examples Where Word Replaces Section Formatting with Defaults

  • Your header or footer disappears when you paste a selection from Microsoft Excel at the end of a Word document that contains a header or footer.
  • Your paper size setting changes to Letter from a paper size other than Letter if you paste a selection from Windows Character Map at the end of your Word document.
  • Your two-column formatting reverts to single-column (default) formatting if you use the Insert File command to insert a Word document at the end of another Word document that contains two-column formatting.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Word for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, and 2.0c. This problem was corrected in Word version 6.0.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Guide," version 2.0, pages 24, 159, 178, 219, 235, and 369

"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Reference," version 1.0, pages 146-150, 177-179

KBCategory: kbusage
KBSubcategory: kbformat
Additional query words: 1.0 1.10 1.10a 2.0 2.0a winword2
winword 2.0a-CD 2.0b marker cursor localized localization foreign deleted
lost disappears gone changed reformat reformatted header/footer
contents disappearing clipboard rtf end properties 2.0c

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Last reviewed: July 30, 1997
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