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Using STYLEREF field in a header in MS Word

Anonymous
2010-12-15T21:29:29+00:00

I'm using MS Word to format a dictionary. I want to put guidewords at the top of each page, the first and last headwords in the header of each paper. I've followed the instructions at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/create-a-dictionary-style-page-header-HP005189398.aspx but the second guide word gets a headword on the following page.  When I go to the bottom of the file and scroll up the headwords are fine, but when I scroll back down the second headword changes to a word on the following page. How can I get these guidewords to work properly?

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-07-21T21:23:23+00:00

    The top margin has to be big enough for the header to fit. If it is not, Word "pretends" that it is and that the word on the next page would be on the current page so it uses it as if it's the last word! I cannot verify it, but I read on this board that the issue has been fixed in 2013.

    I had the same problem and all I did was remove an unnecessary Enter from the Header and the problem was resolved.

    Check your Header margin and your top margin and make sure the top margin is at least as big as the header margin.

    Make sure the contents of the header fit in the space allotted.

    I know it's a year late but this problem drove me crazy until I found the solution--on this board!

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  2. Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 323K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2010-12-16T04:37:51+00:00

    I have tried in a two column document without issue.

    Can you send me a copy of your document so that I can try and find out what is going wrong.

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-12-16T02:21:23+00:00

    No. I just converted it all to one column and it does the same thing.

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-12-16T02:18:44+00:00

    Thank you for your quick reply. I've tried { STYLEREF stilename \* MERGEFORMAT } and { STYLEREF stilename \l  \* MERGEFORMAT } with and without the \* MERGEFORMAT and the problem is the same.  If I scroll up the file from the bottom everything looks good; scrolling down from the top changes it. When I print or print preview or create a pdf the file seems to be scanned from top to bottom, so the guide words end up wrong. It's only the second guide word that is wrong, the one that searches from the bottom of the page to the top. I've also tried replacing all the soft page breaks to hard ones and that does not help. My text is in two columns; I wonder if that has something to do with it.

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  5. Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 323K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2010-12-15T22:13:20+00:00

    If you use Alt+F9 to toggle the display of the field codes, what do you see?

    It should be

    { STYLEREF stilename \* MERGEFORMAT }

    where the first word on the page is to appear

    and

    { STYLEREF stilename \l  \* MERGEFORMAT }

    where the last name is to appear.

    If you do a print preview, do the correct words appear?  If so, it may just be an issue of the fields needing to be updated.

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