Applying bulleting to one paragraph applies it to whole document

[arko02]

Hi, first I just wanted to say thanks very much to John McGhie for his
answering of my last question. However, I now have a much more serious
problem that I was wondering if anyone might have any ideas with. Basically,
what it is is that if I create a new document or open an existing one in Word
2008, and select *one* line or paragraph of text, and then click the bullets
button on the Formatting Palette to get bullets for that paragraph, *every
single line or paragraph in the document gets bullets*! If I then click the
bullets button again, the bullets go away, and I can then select individual
lines or paragraphs and bullet them separately, but this still just seems
like a major problem. I think the problem is when I apply the bullet
formatting, the "Normal" style gets updated, thereby updating all the other
paragraphs, but I checked for a box called "Update automatically" to uncheck
in the dialog box for "Normal", and I couldn't find one. Does anyone know of
any way to solve this problem? I am running Word 2008 12.2.0 on Snow Leopard
10.6.1. Thanks very much for your help,

Arko Chakrabarty

 

[CyberTaz]

The "Automatically Update" checkbox was removed from Normal in Word 2008 in
an effort to prevent the problem from occurring. You might try testing the
Normal.dotm template: http://word.mvps.org/mac/MacWordNormal.html

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[arko02]

Hi, I tried testing the Normal template (by renaming it, etc), but
unfortunately the problem with the bullets is still happening :-( Thanks for
your help though...

Arko Chakrabarty

 

[arko02]

Just wanted to provide a bit of additional feedback, I tried creating a style
which wasn't at all based on Normal (it was based on "no style"), and with
this new style, the problem with bullets being activated throughout the whole
document doesn't happen, so it must be something to do with the Normal
style... Thanks,

Arko

 

[CyberTaz]

If the problem is with Normal style replacing Normal.dotm should resolve
it... That's where the style is stored.

Did you have Word running when you did the testing/renaming? If not it would
have no effect. Word has to be Quit when you remove/rename the template. The
program will create a new one on launch.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[arko02]

Sorry, just tried my new style on a pre-existing document, and it looks like
I was wrong, the problem is still happening :-(

 

[arko02]

Hi,

I did quit Word before doing the renaming/testing... but unfortunately, even
with the new "Normal.dotm" templates Word made, the same problem occurred...
I have worked out that if I have no styles in a document that are either
"Normal" or based on "Normal", and if I only use my custom style that I've
made which is based on "no style", then the problems of all paragraphs in the
document getting bullets doesn't happen, but otherwise, I think with any
other styles, it does... Also, I've tried copying across a Normal template
from a PC running Word 2003, which doesn't have this problem with the
bulleting, and using that, but unfortunately that hasn't worked either... And
I tried out the same thing on an older Mac running Word 2004, and it was
able to correctly only bullet the paragraphs that were selected... Do you
have any ideas on anything else it could be? Thanks very much for your help,

Arko Chakrabarty

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Arko;

Not that I doubt what you're saying, but what you're reporting is highly
unusual. Once Normal.dotm has been replaced or Normal style has been
restored there really aren't too many other reasons for it to continue
occurring in new documents. I'm starting to believe that there may be
outside influences at play

Start Word up directly [not by double-clicking an existing file icon] while
holding the Shift key. Do you still have the problem in new documents?

Log out, then hold Shift while you log into your User Account. Launch Word
without holding Shift -- Still have the problem?

Run Word from a different [preferably newly created] User Account. Does the
problem occur there?

Reply with the results of all 3 procedures. That should point to how it can
be resolved -- even if it doesn't directly identify the cause.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[John McGhie]

In the XML versions of Word, a new structure has been promoted named a List
style. There's practically no documentation on them.

Basically a List Style is a "Named List Template". It is an overall
structure that applies list formatting to the selected paragraph style.

How it is SUPPOSED to work is this:

1) You click the bullets or numbering button on the toolbar
2) Word automatically applies a Paragraph Style of List Paragraph
3) Word then adds direct formatting for either bullets or numbering using
the List Template.Apply List Template command.

The only way this fault could occur is if the Normal style had been left
with the Automatically Update setting turned on.

Now, Bob is quite correct that they took this setting away for the Normal
style in Word 2008, to try to prevent this fault happening. But it was
there in previous versions, and is still there for all other styles in 2008.

If you close the Toolbox and go in through the "Tradesman's Entrance" of
Format>Style>...>Modify you will see it at the bottom of the dialog.

Bob is also quite correct that replacing your Normal.dotm template should
have cured this.

Unless your Word 2004 Normal template still exists, and it was set that way.
If it was, Word 2008 will base its settings on "Normal" (the old one has no
extension) and so bring the setting back.

But now you do not have the checkbox to turn it off.

The key might be to search your hard disk for anything with a name beginning
"Normal" and get rid of it.

Then learn to make friends with List Styles. In the XML versions of Word,
they are the best way to work with numbering, and in the new versions, just
about the ONLY way to get numbering to be stable.

Essentially: Create nine paragraph styles (or customise the existing List
Bullet and List Numbering styles.

Create a List Style for each kind of numbering you want (bullets are just a
special case of numbering). Set up the bullets or numbering for each of the
nine levels in the List Style.

Then attach a different paragraph style to each level of the List Style.

After that, when you want bullets or numbering, apply the List style. It
will automatically apply the paragraph styles as you change the paragraph
"levels".

Hope this helps

Hi, first I just wanted to say thanks very much to John McGhie for his
answering of my last question. However, I now have a much more serious
problem that I was wondering if anyone might have any ideas with. Basically,
what it is is that if I create a new document or open an existing one in Word
2008, and select *one* line or paragraph of text, and then click the bullets
button on the Formatting Palette to get bullets for that paragraph, *every
single line or paragraph in the document gets bullets*! If I then click the
bullets button again, the bullets go away, and I can then select individual
lines or paragraphs and bullet them separately, but this still just seems
like a major problem. I think the problem is when I apply the bullet
formatting, the "Normal" style gets updated, thereby updating all the other
paragraphs, but I checked for a box called "Update automatically" to uncheck
in the dialog box for "Normal", and I couldn't find one. Does anyone know of
any way to solve this problem? I am running Word 2008 12.2.0 on Snow Leopard
10.6.1. Thanks very much for your help,

Arko Chakrabarty

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[arko02]

Hi Bob,

Firstly, I just wanted to say sorry for the slight delay in my reply; not
quite sure what time it was where you are, but here in Australia it was night
time, so today it's a new day Anyway, fantastic news... I tried the three
procedures you mentioned, and starting Word while holding the shift key or
logging into the account whilst holding the shift key didn't work, however
when I created a new user account and ran Word in it, the problem with
bulleting affecting all paragraphs in the document didn't occur! Do you know
what could be causing the problem, and what a good next step to take from
here could be? Many thanks,

Arko

 

[CyberTaz]

Yeah, I'm in the eastern US so the clock is flipped pretty much the same as
the seasons What you've found, though, indicates that there is a problem
with the User Account. Trying to isolate & repair can be time consuming &
still resolve it, so give this a try ‹ it may help but can't hurt:

Download the 10.6.1 Update & reapply it, then run Disk Utility - Repair Disk
Permissions. Shut Down the Mac for a minute or two & see if the problem
continues after you power up again.

If the problem continues go to this page:

http://word.mvps.org/Mac/DamagedPrefs.html

Follow the instructions for Word 2008 preferences. If you had a previous
version of Office installed check to see if there are any remaining files
from that version (such as its Preferences file, Normal template, etc.) &
delete any that may exist.

In the event the problem is still not resolved it would be easiest to just
move your user files to the new account & delete the one having the problem.
If you need any guidance [especially if you use Entourage] look here:

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/test_user.html>

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Hi Bob,

Firstly, I just wanted to say sorry for the slight delay in my reply; not
quite sure what time it was where you are, but here in Australia it was night
time, so today it's a new day Anyway, fantastic news... I tried the three
procedures you mentioned, and starting Word while holding the shift key or
logging into the account whilst holding the shift key didn't work, however
when I created a new user account and ran Word in it, the problem with
bulleting affecting all paragraphs in the document didn't occur! Do you know
what could be causing the problem, and what a good next step to take from
here could be? Many thanks,

Arko

Hi Arko;

Not that I doubt what you're saying, but what you're reporting is highly
unusual. Once Normal.dotm has been replaced or Normal style has been
restored there really aren't too many other reasons for it to continue
occurring in new documents. I'm starting to believe that there may be
outside influences at play

Start Word up directly [not by double-clicking an existing file icon] while
holding the Shift key. Do you still have the problem in new documents?

Log out, then hold Shift while you log into your User Account. Launch Word
without holding Shift -- Still have the problem?

Run Word from a different [preferably newly created] User Account. Does the
problem occur there?

Reply with the results of all 3 procedures. That should point to how it can
be resolved -- even if it doesn't directly identify the cause.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[arko02]

Hi Bob,

The trick of deleting the Word and Office preferences files did it! And as a
bonus, Word startup times now seem to be much faster too! I just wanted to
say, thank you very, *very* much for all your assistance... It has really
been invaluable, and I'm sure there's no way I would have been able to solve
this problem without it. Thank you very, very much again, all the best,

Arko

 

[CyberTaz]

Glad to hear it! You're most welcome & thanks for taking the time to reply
with the confirmation.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Hi Bob,

The trick of deleting the Word and Office preferences files did it! And as a
bonus, Word startup times now seem to be much faster too! I just wanted to
say, thank you very, *very* much for all your assistance... It has really
been invaluable, and I'm sure there's no way I would have been able to solve
this problem without it. Thank you very, very much again, all the best,

Arko

Yeah, I'm in the eastern US so the clock is flipped pretty much the same as
the seasons What you've found, though, indicates that there is a problem
with the User Account. Trying to isolate & repair can be time consuming &
still resolve it, so give this a try ‹ it may help but can't hurt:

Download the 10.6.1 Update & reapply it, then run Disk Utility - Repair Disk
Permissions. Shut Down the Mac for a minute or two & see if the problem
continues after you power up again.

If the problem continues go to this page:

http://word.mvps.org/Mac/DamagedPrefs.html

Follow the instructions for Word 2008 preferences. If you had a previous
version of Office installed check to see if there are any remaining files
from that version (such as its Preferences file, Normal template, etc.) &
delete any that may exist.

In the event the problem is still not resolved it would be easiest to just
move your user files to the new account & delete the one having the problem.
If you need any guidance [especially if you use Entourage] look here:

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/test_user.html>

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[arko02]

Sure!

Glad to hear it! You're most welcome & thanks for taking the time to reply
with the confirmation.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Hi Bob,

The trick of deleting the Word and Office preferences files did it! And as a
bonus, Word startup times now seem to be much faster too! I just wanted to
say, thank you very, *very* much for all your assistance... It has really
been invaluable, and I'm sure there's no way I would have been able to solve
this problem without it. Thank you very, very much again, all the best,

Arko

Yeah, I'm in the eastern US so the clock is flipped pretty much the same as
the seasons What you've found, though, indicates that there is a problem
with the User Account. Trying to isolate & repair can be time consuming &
still resolve it, so give this a try ‹ it may help but can't hurt:

Download the 10.6.1 Update & reapply it, then run Disk Utility - Repair Disk
Permissions. Shut Down the Mac for a minute or two & see if the problem
continues after you power up again.

If the problem continues go to this page:

http://word.mvps.org/Mac/DamagedPrefs.html

Follow the instructions for Word 2008 preferences. If you had a previous
version of Office installed check to see if there are any remaining files
from that version (such as its Preferences file, Normal template, etc.) &
delete any that may exist.

In the event the problem is still not resolved it would be easiest to just
move your user files to the new account & delete the one having the problem.
If you need any guidance [especially if you use Entourage] look here:

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/test_user.html>

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[arko02]

Hi John,

Thanks very much for this explanation! I'm not sure that I completely
understand everything you mentioned, and (touch wood!) the problem with
bulleting doesn't seem to be occurring at the moment, but sometime I will try
and follow the procedures you described. As a side point, as my installation
of Office 2008 is a relatively new one, do you know what could have caused my
Word/Office preferences to become corrupted? Thanks very much,

Arko Chakrabarty

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Arko:

As a side point, as my installation
of Office 2008 is a relatively new one, do you know what could have caused my
Word/Office preferences to become corrupted?

Yes. Sloppy Microsoft coding...

Your preferences may not even have been "corrupted", at least, not
technically. It may be that you made a change to a document containing a
list created in Word 2007. This would cause the list definition to be saved
in your preferences. Sadly, Word 2008 can't implement some of the schemes
Word 2007 can create.

So to Word 2008 the preference is "corrupted", even though Word 2007 would
be able to use it.

But what got it into that condition is "sloppy Microsoft coding". It's the
sort of error that *I* make in *my* coding: but Microsoft is a "Software
Company", they are supposed to know better than that

Cheers


This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]