Knowledge Base

WD2000: Troubleshooting Guide for Unwanted Page Breaks

Article ID: 233493

Article Last Modified on 8/31/2005

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Word 2000 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q233493

SUMMARY

This article describes how to troubleshoot page breaks that occur in a Word document at unexpected or unwanted locations.

NOTE: It is easier to view page breaks in normal view than print layout view. To switch to normal view, on the View menu, click Normal.

MORE INFORMATION

Check Spacing Before or After the Paragraph

Select the paragraph immediately before or after the unwanted page break.
On the Format menu, click Paragraph.
Click the Indents and Spacing tab, and then check to see whether Spacing Before or Spacing After is set to an unusually high value.

Check the Pagination Options of the Preceding Paragraph

Select the first paragraph on the page following the unwanted page break.
On the Format menu, click Paragraph.
Click the Line and Page Breaks tab.
Check to see whether one of the following three pagination options is selected:

Page break before: Inserts a page break before a paragraph.
Keep with next: Prevents a page break between the current and following paragraphs.
Keep lines together: Prevents a page break within a paragraph.

Check the "From Edge" Setting in the Header/Footer Dialog Box

On the File menu, click Page Setup, and then click to select the Margins tab.
Look at the From edge setting for the Header or Footer to see whether it is too large.

NOTE: This setting determines the distance from the edge of the page where Word starts printing the text of a header or footer. The default setting is 0.5 inch. A larger setting decreases the available print area for your document.

Check to See Whether the Text Following the Page Break Is in a Table

Word includes an option that does not allow a page break to be inserted in a table cell. As a result, if the entire cell does not fit on the page, Word pushes the entire cell to the next page.

To change this option:

Place the insertion point in the table.
On the Table menu, click Table Properties.
Click the Row tab.
Click to select the Allow row to break across pages check box.

This sets the page break option for the entire table.

Search for Manual (or "Hard") Page Breaks

You may have inserted a manual page break by using one of the following methods:

Pressing CTRL+ENTER.
On the Insert menu, clicking Break, selecting Page break, and then clicking OK.

You can use the Replace command to remove manual page breaks by searching for manual page breaks.

NOTE: Do not click the Replace All button when you remove manual page breaks unless your document contains no section breaks.

Check for Unexpected Page Breaks Following "Normal" Style Text

If a series of Heading styles is used in a document (an outline, for example) followed by text formatted with the Normal style, an unexpected page break may occur following the Normal text. This problem occurs only in normal view and does not occur in outline view. Use one of the following methods to remove individual occurrences of an unwanted page break.

Method 1: Apply the "Keep with Next" Option to Normal Text:

Select the Normal text.
On the Format menu, click Paragraph.
Click the Line and Page Breaks tab, and then click to select Keep with next.
Click OK.

Method 2: Clear the "Keep with Next" Option from the Heading:

Select the Heading text that precedes the Normal text.
On the Format menu, click Paragraph.
Click the Line and Page Breaks tab, and then click to clear Keep with next.
Click OK.

Method 3: Permanently Change the Occurrence of Unwanted Page Breaks:

On the Format menu, click Style.
In the List list box, click All styles.
In the Styles list, click Heading 1.
Click Modify.
Click Format, and then click Paragraph.
Click the Line and Page Breaks tab.
Click to clear Keep with next, and then click OK.
To make the change permanent for the current document and all new documents based on the active template, click to select Add to template. Otherwise, the changes you make will only affect the current document.
Click OK and then click Close.

Microsoft Support Options

If you cannot resolve this issue, several support options are available to assist you.

Quickly Find Answers Yourself Online

Use Microsoft Online Support to search the Microsoft Knowledge Base and other technical resources for fast, accurate answers. You can also customize the site to control your search.

To begin your search, browse to the following Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/support/

Microsoft Product Support

Contact a Microsoft Product Support professional to assist you with troubleshooting problems.

For more information about obtaining help with troubleshooting Microsoft Windows, click Help Topics on the Help menu in Windows Explorer. On the Contents tab, double-click to open the Troubleshooting book. Then double-click to open the Contact Microsoft Technical Support book to view your support options.

For more information about obtaining help with troubleshooting Microsoft Word, click About Microsoft word on the Help menu, and then click Tech Support.

For additional information about Microsoft support services, please click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

102344 Microsoft Product Support Options Q&A

Microsoft Solution Providers

Microsoft Solution Providers are independent organizations that have teamed with Microsoft to use technology to solve business problems for companies of all sizes and industries.

To locate a Microsoft Solution Provider in your area in the U.S. and Canada, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. If you are outside the United States, contact your local subsidiary. To locate your subsidiary, see the Microsoft World Wide Offices Web site at:

http://www.microsoft.com/worldwide/

Additional query words: print extra blank pages

Keywords: kbinfo KB233493