Header Footer Nightmares

Could you upload a screen shot which illustrates what you see in your Word document?

If you are seeing instructions such as { FILENAME } and { PAGE } in the header, those are field codes. As Suzanne suggested, you can toggle them off by pressing Alt+F9 (or Alt+Fn+F9 on some keyboards).

Hi @Leslie Irish,

I understand you’ve been experiencing some issues with how your Word documents are displaying headers, footers, and page numbers on your office computer. 

It appears that the field codes setting has been toggled on in your Word application. As you described, this isn't a failure of Windows 10 or your Microsoft 365 subscription; rather, it's a specific display preference that shows the skeleton of the document (the code) instead of the actual data (the text). 

I have outlined the steps to help resolve this, so your documents appear correctly: 

With your document open, press Alt + F9 on your keyboard. 

• This is a universal toggle that switches between displaying the code (e.g., { FILENAME }) and the actual value. 
• Note: On some laptops, you may need to press Alt + Fn + F9. 

If the issue persists or returns when you reopen Word, you can disable it permanently through the application settings: 

1. Open Word and go to File > Options. 
2. Select Advanced from the left-hand sidebar. 
3. Scroll down to the Show document content section. 
4. Locate the checkbox for Show field codes instead of their values and ensure it is unchecked. 
5. Click OK. 

This setting is specific to the computer you are currently using, which is why your files look correct at home but different at the office. Once this box is unchecked, your Quick Parts and page numbers should display as intended across all your documents. 

Please let me know if this resolves the issue or if you’d like me to look into this further with you. 

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I'm afraid that I have difficulty understanding your question.

This pdf: Quick Reference Card for Headers, Footers, and Page Numbers may help. https://www.addbalance.com/word/download.htm#hfQuickReference

Ouickparts are a type of Building Block. They are stored in templates, not documents. https://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/autotextautocorrect.htm#StoreBuildingBlocks How are they not working?

displays the Quickpart and not the actual file name

I'm not sure of the relation between the filename and the quickpart. It is confusing, but Quickparts also refers to the menu on the Insert Tab which includes AutoText (another Building Block), Document Property (Content Controls), Fields, and the Quickpart Building Block Gallery/Menu as well as the Building Block Organizer. These are disparate Word features only connected by being on the same menu. There is a Filename field.

my page numbers don't display correctly

Page numbers in Word are fields. There are fields formatted in different ways shown in the Page Number Galleries/Menues but those are just different ways of setting up a page number. These are another kind of Building Block and are not really needed at all. You can insert a page number in the current location by pressing Shift+Alt+P. Here is my writing on Page Numbers in Word. https://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/sections2007.htm#PageNumbers

In what way are they failing to display correctly? Page numbers are almost always placed in headers or footers which have their own complexity. https://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/sections2007.htm#Recap_of_Header/Footer_settings

Is this a windows 10 failure with my online subscription?

I hope that you are editing your documents in the desktop application and not in the online application. Micrsoft 365 personal or family subscriptions include the desktop applications. The online application is not suited for editing important documents and has few of the facilities for handing page numbers or headers and footers. https://addbalance.com/word/download.htm#MicrosoftWordPrograms

None of the remedies suggested work.

Could you tell us which remedies you've tried so we do not suggest them again? Suggested by whom?

The Q&A Assist is an AI bot designed to give quick responses. Others answering here are your fellow users and human beings. We will be happy to help you.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5677122/(article)-how-to-ask-a-question-in-the-q-a-forums