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Old 04-01-2020, 05:42 AM
jthomas666 jthomas666 is offline Basic question about numbered lists Windows 10 Basic question about numbered lists Office 2016
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Default Basic question about numbered lists

I've got a multi-level list set up to reformat a user manual. Here's what's happening:


  1. I select a new set of instructions.
  2. I apply the number style. The numbered paragraph style has a .25" indent.
  3. The entire list is formatted correctly; the numbering continues from the previous list.
  4. I right click on the first step and select Restart at 1.
  5. The numbers are updated, but the first item is shifted over to the left margin. I have to manually move it back over.


The interesting thing is that in the Style pane, the paragraph shows as being in the correct style; there are no other styles on the paragraph that might cause the change.

What is causing this?
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Old 04-01-2020, 06:08 AM
Charles Kenyon Charles Kenyon is offline Basic question about numbered lists Windows 10 Basic question about numbered lists Office 2019
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Try using the methods shown here: How to create numbered headings or outline numbering in Ribbon Versions of Word by Shauna Kelly
See also: Number Alignment 2007 and later by Suzanne Barnhill, MVP
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Old 04-01-2020, 06:22 AM
jthomas666 jthomas666 is offline Basic question about numbered lists Windows 10 Basic question about numbered lists Office 2016
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I've looked at those, and I've no doubt that if I start from scratch using those, the problem will disappear. What I would like to know, however, is what causes this particular problem.

Knowing that is the difference between simply tweaking my existing styles and starting from scratch.

thanks,
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Old 04-01-2020, 06:47 AM
Charles Kenyon Charles Kenyon is offline Basic question about numbered lists Windows 10 Basic question about numbered lists Office 2019
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The why has to do with "spaghetti numbering." That is a term I first saw around 1998. It is specific to Word.

First take a look at the second link I gave you from Suzanne Barnhill. You have to do the work on indents in the MultiLevel Numbering dialog, not in Styles or ordinary paragraph formatting. Unless you tie your numbering to specific paragraph styles, though, you will can end up with a multiplicity of list templates that are described by that term. Then the numbering must be applied in your document by applying the styles, not by using the numbering buttons in the Home tab.

If you really want to understand numbering in Word, I wish you luck. Shauna's page is essentially the Dummys version of the first link below.

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Old 04-02-2020, 12:23 AM
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Stefan Blom Stefan Blom is offline Basic question about numbered lists Windows 10 Basic question about numbered lists Office 2019
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When indents change unexpectedly like that, it is a sign that they weren't specified properly from the start. For numbered lists, you have to set the indentation around numbers in the Adjust List Indents dialog box (for single-level lists) or in the multilevel list dialog box (for multilevel lists). See Number Alignment (Ribbon). However, as Charles said, a long-term solution would be to set up numbering properly with styles; have a look at How to create numbered headings or outline numbering in Word 2007 and Word 2010 | ShaunaKelly.com.
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