Using XP and Word 2010, I have a document, a pocket size 3"x5" schedule, in which I'm trying to make the between-paragraph spacing more than zero but less than a normal line space. (should be easy)

The data was cdreated with a CRL-Enter between text lines associated with each date and an enter = Paragraph after the last line before each new date. I initially set as the default for this document the paragraph spacing to before = 0, after = 0. It displays exactly as expected, ie. no space between "paragraphs". Home, Paragraph, and the Pilcrow = backwards P display the carriage returns and paragraph symbols as expected.



Now I have highlighted the whole document; when in Page Layout, Paragraph, Spacing I change the after from 0 pt to anything higher, one (only) paragraph spacing in the middle of the document changes. If I undo and select set as default, no paragraph spacing changes. Strange.

What am I doing wrong?

I tracked to WinWord.exe where Properties, File Version says 14.0.6129.5000. Do I need to install SP1 - which I didn't know existed until today? I got Office 2010 thru my university and don't know if it had SP1 pre-installed - or how to find out; no current contacts.

Thank you for advice.

What version of Word do I have?
Ctrl-Enter = manual page break
Shift-Enter = manual line break (paragraph line spacing applies)
Enter = paragraph break (before and after paragraph spacing applies)
Basic Formatting in Microsoft Word

The answer did not solve the paragraph spacing problem.

In my Word2010, I did the obvious: (as an experiment)

At Home, Paragraph, Indents & Spacing, I set "Spacing Before" = 0, "Spacing After" = 24 pt. (eventually want much smaller but this should be obvious.) Then Set as Default, This Document Only, OK.

In document, I entered
Test Line 1 <Shift Enter>
Test Line 2 <Enter>
Test Line 3 <Enter>

Test Line 3 on the screen and printed is one line space, no gap, down from Test Line 2.

Why is Test Line 3 not down 24 points? What is wrong? What else should I do?

I looked at your reference "Basic Formatting Techniques in MS Word". I learned more about Styles but nothing new about paragraph spacing.

Thanks for your help.
BobK

Hi Bob
If I understand you correctly you have set your line spacing before to "0" which is why there is no space between Line 2 and 3.
Hope this helps.
Tony

Hi Tony,

>If I understand you correctly you have set your line spacing before to "0"<

Thank you for your comment. "Spacing before", yes, is set to 0. However, from my problem message: " I set..."'Spacing After' = 24 pt".

I don't understand why the 24 pt. spacing did not separate Line 2 from Line 3. There was an >Enter< after Line 2 which puts the "enter" before Line 3 - but on the screen and printed page there is no extra space. Does the "space before" somehow override the "space after"? I thought the spacing would be the combination, ie. the space after from the first "paragraph" plus the space before from the second "paragraph" = 24 + 0.

I'm wondering if some other setting, ie. Style or font or ?? may be overriding my selection of "Spacing After = 24 pt". Style is presumably the default = Normal; I did not make any style setting.

It seems to me that Word is not working the way it is intended - which is why I inquired about Service Pack 1. More likely there is something I don't understand/am doing wrong.

Try this:

Highlight the relevant paragraphs. Then, in the Home tab, click on Paragraph. Make sure that "Don't add space between paragraphs of same style" is not checked.

You could also format the relevant paragraph style to be sure that "Don't add space between paragraphs of same style" is not checked.

I don't know if I am adding to the confusion or not but, using your reference, I created the same text wtih the same criteria (spacing before = 0, spacing after = 24) and is attached. I highlighted the text and set the parameters to achieve the result. Is that what you were after or, am I more confused?

Attached Files

Test Line 1.docx (12.5 KB, 11 views)

Hi JimP
When I open your document in my version of Word it clearly shows a 24pt space between Line 2 and 3.
You may have a corrupt template somehow.
Tony

Hi Jim P,

Your example is exactly what I expected, ie. a 24 point space between Line 2 and Line 3. What I got was no space between Line 2 and Line 3. Thus either I am doing something wrong or there is something wrong with my Word2010. I tried both making the before and after paragraph setting and then creating the sample, and also creating the sample, highlighting it, and then changing the after paragraph setting.

Before making the somewhat scary step, with some relearning, of deleting Word2010 and reinstalling it from the original disk, I wanted to explore any other possibilities. The Office 2010 disks came from the IT department at California State University - Fullerton a couple years ago and, up to now, have behaved as expected - tho I use only a few features. Altho they supplied the disks they state that they will not support them except for students - and I am in their senior program.

I did it the quick and dirty way (highlighed ALL of the text, set the parameters from the paragraph Indents and Spacing menu).

Another way, and probably the perferred way, is using Styles (setting all of your text to the same style and modifying that style to your indents and spacing parameters...again, using 0 before and 24 after).

Hi Jim P,

>I did it the quick and dirty way (highlighed ALL of the text, set the parameters from the paragraph Indents and Spacing menu).<

I did the same, adding turning on "show symbols" which showed the pilcrows at the end of each "paragraph" and the carriage return symbols at the ends of the short lines within "paragraphs". Then changed the "After" paragraph spacing - and nothing changed. That is why I'm wondering if my Word2010 is working correctly - tho I'm certainly capable of making some dumb mistake.

Could some other setting, tho I've tried various, like line spacing, font or font size make a difference? I'm using 8 point character height and Arial Narrow to get high info density on a pocket size trip schedule. Trip starts in two days and I don't expect to be in contact for two weeks.

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. Can you attach a sanitized version of what you are trying to accomplish...removing any personal/secure data and highlight the area where the problem exist?

Do not uninstall Word 2010 and reinstall. This will not make matters better.

Try renaming your normal.dotm template to normalold.dotm with Word closed and reopening Word. Then open your document and see what you get. If this works, something in your normal template is corrupted or broken. If it doesn't, close Word and delete the new normal.dotm template and rename normalold.dotm to normal.dot. (That will put you back where you started.)

You will find your normal template in your user templates folder. The default location for that in XP is
C:\Documents and Settings\ user name \Application Data\Microsoft\Templates