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Copy/Cut & pasting rows in MSWord table yields mis-aligned columns

Jeremy Zee 1 Reputation point
2022-07-11T15:22:14.76+00:00

I can't quite figure this one out... I've got many MSWord documents with tables. Sometimes when I try to copy/cut & paste rows within the same table, the pasted row does not align with the rest of the rows. The entire row is shifted a few tenths of an inch to the left.

I've narrowed it down to being an issue with Section Breaks. Here's a simple reproduce:

  1. Open a new MSWord document (I'm using Version 2204 Build 15128.20280)
  2. Insert a table (Insert -> Table -> 3x3)
  3. Select the whole middle row of the table
  4. Press ctrl+c, then ctrl+v
  5. Note how the columns are all aligned correctly.
  6. Under the table, insert a Section Break (Layout -> Breaks -> Section Breaks -> Next Page)
  7. On the next page, change the orientation to landscape (Layout -> Orientation -> Landscape)
  8. On the landscape page, create another table (Insert -> Table -> 3x3)
  9. Select the whole middle row of the table on the landscape page
  10. Press ctrl+c, then ctrl+v
  11. The pasted row inherits the size of the table on the portrait page, instead of the sizing of the table from which it was copied.

This is what's happening in my "production" MSWord doc (can't share document content, so I just added some empty rows to illustrate). I think it's the same problem just manifested a little differently:
219508-capture1.png

Word Management
Word Management
Word: A family of Microsoft word processing software products for creating web, email, and print documents.Management: The act or process of organizing, handling, directing or controlling something.
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  1. John Korchok 5,101 Reputation points
    2022-07-11T15:35:05.457+00:00

    There are several variations on this bug, but you're right that table rows don't always paste as expected. You can report this problem to Microsoft programmers by choose File>Feedback>Send a Frown. Describe the steps to reproduce the issue. If you include some sample tables, you can also include a screenshot to demonstrate the results you get. Submitting send the report to the Word programming team. They are unlikely to reply.

    A workaround that I use is to select a row to be copied, then add it as an AutoText entry. (Insert>Quick Parts>AutoText>Save Selection to AutoText Gallery). Then I select the location to place the row and choose Insert>Quick Parts>AutoText, and select the saved row to insert it in the table. For some reason this works better than copy and paste.

    2 people found this answer helpful.
  2. Michael Jeffreson 0 Reputation points
    2024-05-01T03:50:45.5533333+00:00

    To copy and paste a row within the same table, copy the row, then place the cursor in the beginning of the first cell in the row above where the row is to be pasted. Right click and in the Paste Options choose Merge Tables (second icon). The pasted cell will align with the other cells in the table.

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