Hello! This is my first time posting looking for solutions, I hope I can explain my problem properly.

I was working on a document in Word when I realized all the page numbers were off as they kept restarting at 1 and I didn’t have any good reason why. After reading through a few forums here I figured out how to check for section breaks – which could reset my page count. This was the problem! And while I still can’t figure out how to delete section breaks (I have tried every version offered here, I am using a 2020 macbook air with microsoft word Version 16.88 (24081116) if that matters), I could just go through to each new section and manually change the page count formatting from “start at..” to “continue from previous”. 

This did help but didn’t make sense as I didn’t create any section breaks. I think they’re being automatically created as some of my text is in 2 columns and some is not, so I think the program is just turning the columned bits into their own section. Annoying to do individually but not un-fixable, or so I thought. 

I carried on for another hour or two and realized the numbers were all off again. I go to manually change all the page numbers and find that one page is on Section 5 while the next page is on Section 7 with no Section 6 to be found, disrupting the flow of my numbers once again. I’ve looked at it through draft, outline and regular view (with the print marks turned on) and there is no hint of sneaky Section 6. I’ve deleted text and moved things around and it’s still eluding me, hiding in the netherworld between those pages and taunting me with the restarted page numbers. 

The screen shot below is of the dark void where Section 6 hides. This feels like a cruel prank. 

I don’t want Microsoft word to break me and this has been too much time spent down a rabbit hole chasing Section 6 which should instead be spent working on my thesis. I’d like to put this out there and continue with my work in the hopes that some tech wizard can save me and my sanity. Could someone tell me how I could:

Find a way to make all page numbers ‘continue from the previous section’ automatically? I’m hoping there’s some obvious way to do this, a quick way to change them all at once rather than doing it individually and not worry about my ghost section. Find Section 6 and bring it to justiceDelete rogue sections on my computer

Hopefully this all made sense, it doesn’t to me. Thank you so much! 

​Hello! This is my first time posting looking for solutions, I hope I can explain my problem properly. I was working on a document in Word when I realized all the page numbers were off as they kept restarting at 1 and I didn’t have any good reason why. After reading through a few forums here I figured out how to check for section breaks – which could reset my page count. This was the problem! And while I still can’t figure out how to delete section breaks (I have tried every version offered here, I am using a 2020 macbook air with microsoft word Version 16.88 (24081116) if that matters), I could just go through to each new section and manually change the page count formatting from “start at..” to “continue from previous”.  This did help but didn’t make sense as I didn’t create any section breaks. I think they’re being automatically created as some of my text is in 2 columns and some is not, so I think the program is just turning the columned bits into their own section. Annoying to do individually but not un-fixable, or so I thought.  I carried on for another hour or two and realized the numbers were all off again. I go to manually change all the page numbers and find that one page is on Section 5 while the next page is on Section 7 with no Section 6 to be found, disrupting the flow of my numbers once again. I’ve looked at it through draft, outline and regular view (with the print marks turned on) and there is no hint of sneaky Section 6. I’ve deleted text and moved things around and it’s still eluding me, hiding in the netherworld between those pages and taunting me with the restarted page numbers.  The screen shot below is of the dark void where Section 6 hides. This feels like a cruel prank.  I don’t want Microsoft word to break me and this has been too much time spent down a rabbit hole chasing Section 6 which should instead be spent working on my thesis. I’d like to put this out there and continue with my work in the hopes that some tech wizard can save me and my sanity. Could someone tell me how I could:Find a way to make all page numbers ‘continue from the previous section’ automatically? I’m hoping there’s some obvious way to do this, a quick way to change them all at once rather than doing it individually and not worry about my ghost section. Find Section 6 and bring it to justiceDelete rogue sections on my computerHopefully this all made sense, it doesn’t to me. Thank you so much!   Read More

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