I experimented with numbering/list definitions -- problems now inother files?

  • Thread starter Thread starter yoshi.mitsou
  • Start date Start date
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yoshi.mitsou

I'm using Word 2007 and Word 2003 on Windows XP.

Some people have sent Word 2007 files to me to work on. When I did
that and returned the files to them and when they opened the files,
the bullets in the lists were wonky. Instead of having bullets, they
have bullet-less paragraphs that are formatted with hanging indents.

I don't know if it's related, but a few weeks ago, I tried
experimenting with redefining some numbering schemes in completely
unrelated files. Then I had to stop that project to work on ones with
higher priority.

Could it be that my experimenting (on those unrelated files) botched
the definitions for bullets/numbering in other files? If so, what can
I do to fix this?

Could I do an uninstall of Word 2007 (and Word 2003) to fix the
problem?

And what can my users do to fix their files?

Many thanks for any suggestions. I hate Word's autonumbering/bulleted
lists. I really hesitated before doing the experimentation because I
seem to remember that I had very similar problems to this with an
older version of Word. But I was working in files that have nothing to
do with files in our normal workflow, and they don't share a template
so I thought I was safe.
 
Generally, there is no reason why modifying numbered lists in one document
would affect other documents.

How did you create/modify the numbering?

Did you select the option to "Automatically update document styles" in the
Templates and Add-Ins dialog box?
 
yoshi.mitsou said:
Thank you for helping me out!

It's been a few weeks since I modified the numbering in that one file.
I usually make Style changes using Home Tab > Styles > StyleName >
Modify. So I would have done that and then I would have selected
Numbering to alter the Style's numbering.
Click to expand...

For single-level numbering, that should definitely work. Note, however, that
if you have been changing the indentation of an item, it will be safer to
right-click and choose Adjust List Indents from the context menu (as opposed
to making the change in the Modify Style dialog, that is).

Also, if you are creating multilevel lists, consider using list styles
instead.
And now that I think of it, the file that I did ^^^ to was based on a
template that the other files that I've opened also are based on.
(Sorry for the crappy sentence there.) So maybe I did select
"Automatically update document styles" but I sort of doubt it because
I fear that box because of things like this. :-) Perhaps I did it
without realizing that I did.
Click to expand...

Well, that setting is saved with the document, so you should be able to look
in the Templates and Add-Ins dialog box to see if it is checked. The
quickest way to open the dialog box is by clicking the Document Template
button on the Developer tab of the ribbon.
I haven't opened the templates that these are based on in awhile.
Would changing a file that a template is based on affect the template
itself if Automatically update document styles is not checked?
Click to expand...

No, when you modify the formatting of a document that will not be
transferred to the attached template. The exception is when you change a
style and *choose* to transfer the setting to the template by clicking "Add
to template" (Word 97-2003) or "New documents based on this template" (Word
2007) in the Modify Style dialog box.
 
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