Automatic column breaking irritating

Question

Here's my trouble:

When I go from one column to two columns in Word 2007, the column is automatically broken so that it's balanced across both sides of the center line.

I don't want this: I want my column to continue to the end of what would be Column One, then continue onto Column 2 even if/when the columns won't be balanced.

This is particularly frustrating for me because I often use the left side of a Landscaped-oriented page for the original 'article' and the right side for taking notes, and when MS Word splits the columns and balances them, I can't do that.

Is there any way to set Word 2007 up so that it doesn't automatically balance columns?

Answer 1

Go to Office Button | Word Options | Advanced, and scroll all the way to the bottom, to the Layout Options. Click the + to open the list. Check the box for "Don't balance columns for the start of Continuous sections" and click OK. Note that these settings are for a specific document by default. If you want them to be the default for all new documents, select "All New Documents" by "Compatibility options for."

Answer 2

You can insert a column break with Ctrl+Shift+Enter.

Answer 3

Along with what the others have said, an easy way to begin a new column:

Type first column; when you want to begin a new column open the “Column” window  and check the box next to “Start new column;” and at "Apply to:” choose “This point forward.”

Answer 4

AARGH!  I should have remembered that!

Thanks!

Answer 5

Another option is to use a 2 column table. Just don't print borders.

Rather than using continuous breaks, have you tried using column breaks to force content to next column?