WD: Inserted Document Takes on Formatting of Other Document

ID: Q130222

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, version 6.0, 6.0.1
Microsoft Word for Windows NT, version 6.0
Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a

SYMPTOMS

If you insert one document (for example, DOC1.DOC) into another document (DOC2.DOC), then DOC1.DOC adopts the section properties of DOC2.DOC if DOC1.DOC is open.

For example, if DOC1.DOC and DOC2.DOC have the following section formatting

    DOC1.DOC:     1 Column
                  1.25" Left and Right Margins

    DOC2.DOC:     2 Columns
                  0.5" Left and Right Margins

and you insert DOC1.DOC into DOC2.DOC while DOC1.DOC is still open, and then you switch back to DOC1.DOC, you will find that DOC1.DOC now shows the same section formatting as DOC2.DOC. DOC1.DOC now has the following formatting:

   2 Columns
   0.5" Left and Right Margins

WORKAROUND

Before inserting one document into another, be sure the file you're inserting from is closed. To see if it's open, select the Window menu. See if the document name appears on the list. If it doesn't, it's safe to insert the file. If it does appear on the list, select the document name and close the document.

STATUS

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words: winword ntword wordnt macword word6 sddt word7 word95

Version           : WINDOWS: 6.0, 7.0; MACINTOSH: 6.0, 6.0.1
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: February 5, 1998