When trying to format the footer numbers on my document I can only get a text box around the number on odd pages. When clicking on an even number page in my footer, the number gets a gray background and no text box. How can I get a text box around my numbers on both odd and even pages?

This would be easier to diagnose and advise on if you could attach a document to a post with some representative footer data (delete anything sensitive), so we can see what types of boxes you're working with and the document layout. You can attach files via the paperclip symbol on the 'Go Advanced' tab at the bottom of this screen.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

I have attached an example of a document with a footer number that does not have a text box. I need a text box around the number so that I can format the number (move it to a different location).

Attached Files

TestDoc.docx (25.7 KB, 14 views)

I don't have any trouble adding the textboxes and inserting the page #s into them. See attached. In any event, I'm not sure you couldn't achieve the desired positioning via paragraph formatting - unless you want to display them above the footer area (e.g. in the side margins).

Attached Files

TestDoc.docx (32.2 KB, 12 views)

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Paul, could you explain to me exactly the steps you took with my attached to get the document you created WITH THE TEXT BOXES ????

Thanks,

Chaim

I merely opened the footer, cut the page #, inserted the textbox using Insert>TextBox>Draw Textbox, ten pasted the page # into it. Once for each footer.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Paul my question really is: How did I get to this situation in my document:

After I do a Footer, Edit footer:

1. When I click on odd footer numbers, I get a text box surrounding the footer.

2. When I click on even footer number, the number gets a gray background and no text box.

I have a long document (over 200 pages) with this problem so I can't edit each page separately. I need the text box so that I can use the format commands to position certain numbers manually. This is because my book has sections which alternate between portrait and landscape.

Chaim

If there is a gray background around the page numbers in both even and odd, that is likely display of shading for fields. (The page number is a field.)

The idea of headers and footers is that it is repeating text. Ideally, you set it once for each type of footer and it repeats throughout the document.

If it is not doing this you have numerous, possibly unneeded, section breaks.

Sections / Headers and Footers in Microsoft Word 2007-2013

Using Paul's instructions I created a text box around the first footer which did not have a text box. All subsequent footers then had a text box.

Thanks for everyone's help.

Hi Chaim,

I don't see any boxes around the page #s - until I add the textbox.

Perhaps there's a fault in your Office installation. Have you tried repairing it (via Programs & Features > Microsoft Office > Change in the Windows Control Panel)?

The other possibility, especially if this is the only document that is affected, is that the document is corrupt. Corrupt documents can often be 'repaired' by inserting a new, empty, paragraph at the very end, copying everything except that new paragraph to a new document based on the same template, closing the old document and saving the new one over it.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]