|
|
|
The following is a list of articles at the Word MVPs' FAQ site that I wrote or contributed to: Most Frequently AskedWhy is my “Blank Document” not blank? Perhaps the number 1 question right now. Many add-ins (especially the Norton Office Plug-in and the Microsoft Works Suite Add-in for Word) not only cause Word to prompt you to save the Normal template every time you quit Word but also seem to result in saving a document as or in Normal.dot. “Page X of Y” displays or prints as “Page 1 of 1,” “Page 2 of 2” (or “Page 2 of 1”) and so on A "golden oldie": this problem was "fixed" by Word 2000 SR-1, then was reinstated by an Office XP service pack; it still tends to surface in various forms. Formatting applied to one paragraph affects the entire document Another very popular FAQ, addressing a problem evidently caused by add-ins. Other Application ErrorsI selected a block of text and pressed Delete (or Backspace) and nothing happened! Although the article doesn't say so, this also explains why certain keyboard shortcuts don't behave as expected (you get the Find dialog when you expect to go to the top of the document, for example, or you press Enter and lose your paragraph indent). There is a line in my document that I can’t delete because I can’t select it. How did it get there, and what can I do about it? (It's a border!) Text at the top of the page is unaccountably indented (explains how an orphaned page number frame can cause problems) Whenever I try to use Equation Editor I get an error message and the program shuts down (mostly Word 97, fixed by a Service Release) BasicsWhat do all those funny marks, like the dots between the words in my document, and the square bullets in the left margin, mean? Read this article! Not only does it explain what the "funny marks" are, it explains why you might sometimes want to be able to see them. Ruler of all you survey: How to make the best use of Word’s rulers If you don't have Word's rulers displayed, you're missing out on a lot of convenience. Setting tabs: Or how to prevent tabbed paragraphs from going all over the place when pasted between documents Explains not only how but also when to use tabs (and when a table is a better choice). The strait and narrow: using columns How and when to use columns What is the Default Paragraph Font? Page LayoutCreating a Template - The Basics (Part I) What is the difference between the Normal and Body Text styles? And why you should avoid using/customizing Normal. Typographical Tips from Microsoft Publisher Tips and tricks for copy fitting Booklet printing: Or how to print a folded booklet with numbered pages half the size of your paper This is one of my most popular articles. Although Word 2002 and above have a built-in booklet feature, it's just flaky enough to make a lot of users happy to use this more manual method instead. I want the headings in my multi-column document to span the columns. How can I achieve this? The rand “virus” (or how to insert dummy text into a document) When you're setting up a document template, you may want to get an idea of how a real document will look. There are several quick ways of inserting a block of dummy text for this purpose. Why does the appearance (or layout) of my document change when I open it on a different machine? I created a document on my home computer and formatted it just the way I wanted it. When I took it to work and opened it there, it had completely changed. All the page breaks were in different places and my graphics were out of place. How can I make my document stay the way I want it? This is technically a "printing" problem, which is why it's also listed below under "Printing and Fonts." Long DocumentsHow can I create a landscape section and still have a portrait page number? A very common problem; this article gives step-by-step instructions for all versions of Word, beginning with explanation of how to create a landscape section. How to set up a document with front matter numbered separately Instructions for setting up a standard "long document" with front matter and chapters. Customizing your table of contents with switches This article takes you beyond what you can accomplish through the Table of Contents dialog alone. Tables, Borders, and FormsTable basics This article actually goes well beyond the "basics" thanks to the brilliant technical editing and additional content supplied by fellow Word MVP Dave Rado. Keeping a table together on one page This article and the next one address users' common concerns about table placement. How do I control where the page breaks will fall in a table which extends over several pages? Explains how to have heading rows repeat even when the table is broken by a manual page break and why adding some text or a row may cause most of the table to jump to the next page I tried to use the { =SUM(ABOVE) } formula in a table but the answer was obviously incorrect (this article includes a link to the TableCellHelper macro, which provides the current cell address, along with the total number of rows and columns in the table) Run for the border: using borders in Word Why don’t my table borders print? The difference between borders and gridlines (see also "Hiding Table Gridlines") There is a line in my document that I can’t delete because I can’t select it. How did it get there, and what can I do about it? It's a border! I'm designing a form that needs to have "fill-in-the-blanks" lines. What is the best way to create them? This article includes links to a series of forms tutorials by Dian Chapman. Printing and FontsThe bottoms of my pages don’t print The page number, footer, or page border doesn't print or prints only partially (or one side of my landscape pages won't print). Possibly one of the most frequently asked questions in the Word newsgroups.
Word shows only one
or two fonts in its Font list How can I insert special characters, such as dingbats and accented letters, in my document? How to create fractions in Word Several different approaches to inserting or creating fractions other than ¼, ½, and ¾. Why does the appearance (or layout) of my document change when I open it on a different machine? I created a document on my home computer and formatted it just the way I wanted it. When I took it to work and opened it there, it had completely changed. All the page breaks were in different places and my graphics were out of place. How can I make my document stay the way I want it? Customization and BackupHow to change the default settings for Word documents How to change the default font, page setup, line spacing, etc. How can I make Word open new documents in a certain view (Normal or Print Layout) or at a specified zoom ratio? Mostly for Word 97 and earlier; the Single Document Interface in Word 2000 and above makes this iffy at best. Word is always making changes I don’t expect. How can I get more control over my formatting? AutoFormat As You Type can be tremendously helpful. It can also be extremely frustrating. You have to show it who's boss. How can I make Word save or back up my document automatically? Explains the various options in the Save Options dialog and clears up misconceptions about "automatic saves." Numbering and DatesHow to set up a document with front matter numbered separately How to print two pages on one sheet of paper, with page numbering Not a substitute for booklet printing, but users do sometimes want to do this. Word 2000 and above allow you to do this through the Print or Page Setup dialog ("2 pages per sheet"); this article is aimed at earlier versions. GraphicsThe graphics in my document have turned into red X’s The graphics in my document keep reverting to their original size after I’ve resized them (mostly a Word 97 problem) Creating upside down or rotated text in Word Spelling and CorrectionHow to edit your custom spelling dictionary How to remove or amend a misspelled word from your custom dictionary after inadvertently pressing the "Add" button while running the spell checker How to “remove” a word from Word’s main spelling dictionary How to get a word that Word thinks is spelled correctly to show up as a spelling error. Exploiting AutoCorrect How to use this Word feature to save many keystrokes in retyping frequently used terms. Useful StuffIs There Life After “Reveal Codes”? For users migrating from WordPerfect, this article describes how to get information on formatting and structure using a variety of Word tools and features. Cleaning up text pasted from the Web Dealing with text (from any source) that doesn't fill the margin width because there is a line (or paragraph) break at the end of each line. Better than an Easter egg: Using ToolsCalculate The Calculate command is a handy substitute for a formula field that can be used anywhere. |