Jamal, I have probably been trying to fix the wrong thing if it is a widows and orphans issue. I had assumed you were referring to the fact that, while each line of text in the two columns above the equations is perfectly lined up - i.e. you could lay a ruler across the page and underline text in both columns simultaneously with single pencil lines, you cannot do this in the lower half of the page below the equation. A pencil line drawn to underline text in the lower half of the left column (below the level of the equation) could not be extended to underline text on the right because it misses - the lines of text are not level. Widows and orphans control cannot fix that (in my '97 conversion of your .docx file anyway). W & O only affects how the text from the left column spills into the right, and could cause the right hand column to start a line down, but the text further down the page on the right should still line up with the text on the left. Deleting the equations does fix the issue I was trying to solve - it lines text across the columns nicely - suggesting that they are causing the problem I was trying to fix. Update!! I have just seen your latest .jpg and it looks as if your supervisor/proof reader is objecting to the lines not being level across the page judging by the big cross! So it might be a format picture issue?