Word changes outline level of many styles to level 1

[Beth Obenshain]

I just started using Word 2007. Every time I open documents that were created
in previous versions, Word changes the outline level of almost all my styles
to level 1, so they appear in the document map and TOC.
This occasionally happened in a previous version, and I have a macro (from
here http://word.mvps.org/faqs/general/DocumentMap.htm) that corrected this
in the past. I've been able to run this macro in 2007 and it works, but now
I'm having to run it every single time I open one of these documents.
These documents are 75% of my job, so I need to find a permanent way to keep
my styles at level 1. I'll appreciate any advice! Thanks!

 

[Aeneas]

Purists would not approve of this approach but it works.

Open the document
Close the Document Map if it is open
Run the macro you alluded to (resets outline level in all paragraphs to the
outline level in the paragraph style or linked style applied to that document)
Press CTRL+HOME to move the insertion point to the beginning of the document
Press ENTER to insert an empty 1st paragraph
Press UP ARROW or CTRL+HOME to move the insertion point into the empty 1st
paragraph
Apply any heading style to the empty 1st paragraph that you do not intend to
include in a table of contents (I use Heading 9)
Select the entire empty paragraph
Change the font size to 1 pt
Change the font color to white
The paragraph is invisible
Reopen the Document Map
Save the document

 

[Beth Obenshain]

Thank you so much for responding. Your solution seems to work.

 

[Aeneas]

You're welcome. We have used it on hundreds of documents, thousands of times
and it always works.