Microsoft Template Document --- Header keep deleting itself when document is edited

Question

Hi All,

I have a template doucment.

When I open this document and proceed to edit this document  (which is about 5 pages long) and begin deleting things I do not need the header will eventually disspear.

The header is only on the first page and the only way I have found to resolve this is by adding a continous break under the header (first line of actual document) which brings the letter down two spaces.

Besides me using a continous break is anyone able to help me solve this query any other way.

It has been driving me insane for weeks on end .... I have tried to explain this best I can however if you need more info do let me know.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Two comments:

1. Instead of a "template document," you should be using a document template. You don't ever have to open this file unless you want to change the template itself. Instead, you use New to create a new document based on the template. It will open as Documentx and the first Save will be a Save As.
2. You should not be using a Continuous section break to have a different header on the first page. Instead, you should be using the First Page Header. See http://wordfaqs.mvps.org/Letterhead.htm#MultiPage and http://WordFAQs.mvps.org/DifferentMargins.htm.

Answer 2

You may have already inserted such a continuous section break and that is the source of your problem. Perhaps at one time you had your document protected for forms with the second section being unprotected? That is one technique used to make it difficult for people to change a header being used for letterhead. Such a section break would contain all of the header and footer information for the preceding section in your document. When you delete it you delete the headers and footers it contains. It is invisible unless you Show non-printing formatting marks or switch to draft view so you can see the section breaks.

Sections / Headers and Footers in Microsoft Word 2007-2013

Each section contains three headers and three footers even if none of them are displayed.

Create a copy of your document. Then open both the original and the copy.

Once you find the section mark in the original, delete it.

Copy the text of your header from the copy to the first-page header in the original.

Now, deleting the body of your document should not delete the first-page header.

Note, it is important to make a distinction between a Template and a Document. They are different animals in Word jargon. Templates are not opened to produce new documents, a new document is created based on the template. Templates in Microsoft Word