Phantom footnotes messing up my document

Question

Here is the problem: I will typing along in my document and suddenly a previously-typed footnote (let's call it footnote 2) will attach itself to another previously-typed footnote (let's call it footnote 1) on a different page. This causes the text on the pages of the document after that page to be 'pushed down' and when I go to that 'phantom footnote' (footnote 2), I find that it has copied itself to that footnote (footnote 1) as well as also being in its right place (on a different page). When I attempt to delete it (because it does not belong there) I find that I cannot 'select' it or click on it in any way so I delete one character from the footnote above it (footnote 1) which it has attached itself to and it disappears--only to reappear in the same place minutes later--over and over again. I have tried everything to get rid of this weird problem but have to been successful. What do you suggest?

Answer 1

Try turning off AutoRecover in *Word > Preferences > Save > Save AutoRecover info...*because your problem could be related to **this one**.

Answer 2

If you're using 'track changes', moved/deleted footnotes will keep showing up - and the numbering will be off - until the changes are accepted or rejected.

Alternatively, your document may have developed some form of corruption. Corrupt documents can often be 'repaired' by inserting a new, empty, paragraph at the very end, copying everything except that new paragraph to a new document based on the same template, closing the old document and saving the new one over it.

Another possibility is that somewhere along the way a footnote's content and reference# have been deleted without actually deleting the footnote. For a solution to a similar problem involving endnotes, see: http://www.msofficeforums.com/word-vba/16610-repair-two-interspersed-endnote-numbering-schemes.html. By temporarily converting your footnotes to endnotes, you may be able to cure the problem with the macro there.

Answer 3

Daniel, your suggestion seems to have worked. I turned off AutoRecover and the footnotes have not jumped around in the document as they usually do. Thanks so much for your help. None of the Microsoft 'technicians' (even a 'tier two' engineer of theirs) that I spoke to by phone during these last two months could figure out what to do. Many thanks!

Chris

Answer 4

Thanks for your suggestion. I will try it.

Chris

Answer 5

Thanks for your suggestions but I am not using 'track changes' and the document referred to cannot be corrupt BECAUSE THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM OCCURRED YESTERDAY ON A BRAND NEW DOCUMENT TYPED ON A NEW MAC BOOK PRO USING A NEWLY-DOWNLOADED VERSION OF MICROSOFT WORD 2011 FOR MAC! Once again footnote 2 attached itself to footnote 1 and yet also remained in its right position on a different page. The only way to get rid of it was to delete the period preceding it at which point it disappeared--only to reappear in the same place again and again (at which point I deleted the preceding period each time) while I worked on other pages of the document. I am absolutely Flabbergasted.

Chris