IA: Extra Column Added After Merging Cells

ID: Q143416

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you open a table or when you return to Word after viewing the HTML source, the table has an extra column.

CAUSE

You merged two or more cells that contain column width information (denoted by the blue, underlined asterisk). After you merge two or more cells, a blue asterisk remains for each cell that was merged. When you save, close and then reopen the document, Word re-creates a table cell for each asterisk.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Internet Assistant for Word, version 2.0z. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

WORKAROUND

To preserve the correct number of columns, remove all but the first blue asterisk in the merged cell before you save or view the HTML source.

KBCategory: kbusage KBSubcategory:

Additional query words: 6.0 7.0 word7 word95 ntword winword 2.0 iaword showtabletags blue asterisk underlined extra additional another one more new column merge split splitting wordnt

Keywords          : kbwdinternet 
Version           : 2.0z
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: January 21, 1999