modify heading 2 style in Word xp

[sam]

How can I modify a Heading 2 style in Word xp? I was able
to do so in Windows 2000, but XP doesn't seem to let you.
I can modify H1 and H3, and any other style except H2.
Surprised my search for previous threads on this subject
didn't turn anything up - thanks in advance for any
suggestions.

Sam

 

[Charles Kenyon]

What, exactly, is your problem? What are you trying to do? How are you
trying? What happens when you try that is different from what you expect or
want?

I just tried to modify it in Word 2003 and had no problem? I don't recall
one in 2002 (XP) but might not have noticed since my styles are normally set
in my templates. I seldom work with styles based on the normal template.
--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

 

[sam]

I'm trying to modify the style for Heading 2 so that all
the existing styles automatically change to the new format
or I can apply to the new style to them using the
Ctrl+Alt+2 shortcut, and so that when generating new
Heading 2s, they occur in the modified style.

I'm able to change an individual paragraph, but the rest
of the Heading 2 paragraphs remain unchanged, and any new
Heading 2 paragraphs have the original style so that I
have to modify each one manually.

When I open the style pane and right-click on the Heading
2 style and try to select "Automatically Update"
or "Format," I keep getting a "this style already exists
or is reserved for a built in style." Whatever I try to do
to change the style bumps into that message.

Thanks,
Sam

 

[Charles Kenyon]

The way I generally modify styles is to directly modify them using the style
modification dialog box. In Word 2003 the easiest way to get to this is to
right-click on the style name in the Styles and Formatting pane.

I believe there has been some change in Word 2003 as far as modifying styles
by example but am unsure what that change is. I think that is how you are
trying to do this. If, instead, you have text selected that is formatted the
way you want the style to be, you can right-click on the style name in the
pane and tell it to update to match selection.

Hope this helps.
--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

 

[sam]

Hmm, nope, still doesn't work for Heading 2. Heading 2
style was always a special case and a pain to try to
modify, but I was always able to find a way - you must be
right about the ability to modify based on example
changing in Word xp or 2003 or whatever.

Apparently Word has rescinded the option to change the
formatting of Heading 2 styles? I can make the style
change to H2 in Word 2000 and 97, but not in xp, which is
what have to use at work. All I want to do is change the
Heading 2 style so that whenever I create a new Heading 2
paragraph, it occurs in the new formatting without having
to be changed manually for each instance, and/or I have
the ability to use the Ctrl+Alt+2 shortcut to apply it.

Thanks for the suggestions - although they don't work for
Heading 2, they do seem to work for the other styles. I'm
still open to new suggestions, and appreciate the ones so
far.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Charles Kenyon]

Again, I can easily modify the Heading 2 style in Word 2003. I don't know
that this ability is different in Word 2002 (XP). I don't know of Heading 2
style being more or less of a special case than Heading 1 and Heading 3.

Have you tried using the modify style dialog?
--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The ability to modify styles has not changed in Word 2002 or 2003, but the
way of accessing the Modify Style dialog has changed somewhat. Using the
Styles & Formatting task pane, click on the style name, which will display a
down arrow. Click on that and choose Modify..., then make your changes
through the Modify Style dialog. If you have already changed the formatting
of a given Heading 2 paragraph, you can instead choose Update to Match
Selection. If you want to update by example in the old way (by reselecting
the style in the dropdown Style list), check the box for "Prompt to update
style" on the Edit tab of Tools | Options.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.