Microsoft Office 97 Professional.
On my previous laptops whenever I typed:
1. (1 period TAB) I would enter text and hit enter. Automatically a:
2. would be entered.


Now I have a new HP 64 bit laptop running Windows 7 and I am running the same software, Office 97.
When I type a 1. + TAB enter text and hit return the 2. and TAB does not happen automatically as it did on previous laptops.
If I select the numbering icon in the toolbar above the numbering function works as advertised.
My question is how to I get Word to be automatically intuitive as it was before when I was using the same software on my previous laptops that ran Win 98, Win XP and Windows Vista?
Thanks in advance,
WB

I't been a while since I last used Word 97, but you should look for an option in Tools | Options (on the Edit tab if I remember correctly) that sets indentation by pressing the Tab key (and, yes, that will affect the automatic numbering too).

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Hi Stefan,
Thanks for responding.
I tried going to Tools, then Options, then the Edit tab, and placed a checkmark in the Tabs and backspace sets left indent.

Then I closed Word and opened up a new document and verified that the checkmark was still in place. I typed 1. + TAB entered some text and hit return. NO WORKIE! A 2. + TAB did not appear automatically. I manually typed in the number 2 + period then hit the TAB key, entered some text and hit return, AGAIN nothing happened.

Thanks for trying BUT still looking for a solution.
Thanks again,
WB

In the AutoCorrect dialog box, you must also make sure that the "Automatic numbered list" option is selected (on the AutoFormat As You Type tab). Again, I have to guess which menu to look at; I'm guessing it's on the Tools menu (Tools | AutoCorrect for example).

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional