WD97: NumPages Field Not Updated When You Open File

ID: Q164548

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you open a document in Word 97, the NUMPAGES (total number of pages) field in the header or footer shows an incorrect number of pages.

For example, your PAGE and NUMPAGES fields may show the following:

Page 3 of 1

NOTE: This behavior is different from Word 7.0.

WORKAROUND

To update the NUMPAGES field, use any of the following methods.

NOTE: You may need to repeat any of the following methods to update the NUMPAGES field whenever you reopen your document or you add additional pages.

Method 1: Switch to Print Preview

Switching to print preview automatically updates all fields in the document. Use the following steps:

On the File menu, click Print Preview.

On the Print Preview toolbar, click Close.

Method 2: Switch the View

Switching the view of a document from page layout to normal view or vice versa updates the NUMPAGES field.

Method 3: Print the Document

Printing your document forces Word to update the fields in the header and footer. This updates and prints the NUMPAGES field correctly.

Method 4: Manually Update the NUMPAGES Field

To manually update the NUMPAGES field, follow these steps:

On the View menu, click Header And Footer.

Select your page numbering and press F9. Your selection can include both the Page and NUMPAGES fields.

NOTE: If you do not see the page numbering but see the following message
Page {PAGE} of {NUMPAGES}
you have the field codes displayed. To switch the field codes off and see the results of the fields, press ALT+F9.

Method 5: Turn Off Allow Background Saves

The Allow Background Saves option saves documents in the background, so you can continue working in Word while you save a document. A pulsing disk icon appears in the status bar when Word is saving in the background. If you turn off the Allow Background Saves option, you cannot continue working in your document until the save operation is completed.

To turn off Allow Background Saves, follow these steps:

On the Tools menu, click Options.

On the Save tab, clear the Allow Background Saves check box and then click OK.

Make a change in your document or change views. For example: add, delete, or change some text in your document or change to normal or page layout view.

On the File menu, click Save and save the changes to your document.

Method 6: Use a Macro to Update the Field

Press ALT+F11 to start the Visual Basic Editor.

Paste the following code in a module:



Sub UpdatePageNum()

    If ActiveWindow.View.SplitSpecial = wdPaneNone Then
        ActiveWindow.ActivePane.View.Type = wdPageView
    Else
        ActiveWindow.View.Type = wdPageView
    End If
    If ActiveWindow.View.SplitSpecial = wdPaneNone Then
        ActiveWindow.ActivePane.View.Type = wdNormalView
    Else
        ActiveWindow.View.Type = wdNormalView
    End If
    If ActiveWindow.View.SplitSpecial = wdPaneNone Then
        ActiveWindow.ActivePane.View.Type = wdPageView
    Else
        ActiveWindow.View.Type = wdPageView
    End If
End Sub

On the File menu, click Close and Return to Microsoft Word.

On the Tools menu, point to Macro and then click Macros.

Run the UpdatePageNum macro.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

This problem has been corrected in Word 2000.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbusage kbdta kbfield word97
Version : WINDOWS:97
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug