I have a document with endnotes. This is never a problem, until now. I had two endnotes, one numbers 1 and one numbered 2. Then, I inserted an endnote through the References tab. This endnote should have gone numerically between the two existing notes, but it did not. Instead, the new endnote when where it was supposed to go but had the number 3. I thought that there was a way in Word to make it redo the numbers, but I couldn't find that. I tried removing what was note 2 to begin with and reinsert it. However, Word put it in the right place, but gave it the number 5. That's totally wrong. I tried closing Word and doing this again. Same result. How can I force Word to renumber my endnotes correctly? I couldn't find an option. Thanks.

Try selecting all (Ctrl+A) and pressing the F9 (Fn+F9 on many computers).


If that does not work, could you cut a copy of the document down so that it still has the problem but not all your work and attach that copy here?
Here's how to do that and avoid posting confidential or proprietary information: Attach a Sample File Demonstrating the Problem - Here's How

I'm not sure what is going on with your document but these are the things I would fiddle with to see if something resolves your issue.

Firstly, make sure you aren't revision tracking these changes. It is possible that revision tracking can be causing problems in recording what is being added/removed.

Next, are your endnotes being positioned in regular flowing text or are you adding them to text boxes or tables with text flowing around them? The anchor points of floating objects can cause unexpected numbering on endnotes.

If you are still having problems, I would try converting to footnotes and then back to endnotes. That might resolve the numbering.

__________________
Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia

See: https://www.msofficeforums.com/word-...g-schemes.html

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

Do follow Paul's link. The following may help:

• Instructions for Installing Macros from Forums or Websites by Graham Mayor, MVP
• Install/Employ VBA Procedures (Macros) by Greg Maxey

Office Home and Student 2019. Sorry I didn't list that initially.



After cutting out a bunch of text, I'm attaching the document. When I removed a whole bunch of text, that fixed the numbering. I'm afraid that won't happen in the original document. F9 did nothing for me. In the version that I am attaching, things are okay, except that every endnote after 1 does not use the correct formatting, even though the style for each is "endnote reference." I tried to modify that the indentation in the format, but the choice to modify the style had paragraph grayed out.


Also, in working on this problem, I went down to the endnote area. I wanted to delete everything after note 1, but when I tried doing that, I got an error that the action is invalid for an endnote. Deleting paragraph marks is invalid for endnote? I think that what is after note 1 might be messing up my doc, even though I can't see why.



I really want MS Word to have one and only one format for Endnotes everywhere.

Attached Files

FootnoteProblem.docx (22.0 KB, 3 views)

Your document's first endnote lacks the endnote reference in the endnote area. Someone as deleted it and replaced it with a typed '1'. That typed number will not auto-update. You can fix that by:
• cutting the endnote content from the endnote area;
• deleting the endnote reference in the document body;
• inserting a new endnote there; then
• pasting the cut content back into the recreated endnote 1.

Your inconsistent endnote formatting is because someone has been messing with the endnotes. When Word creates them, it applies a consistent format to them.

PS: Your document needs a serious dose of spell-checking.

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

I went to the first link. I have no idea how to write a macro for an endnote, or why I would need to do that. Endnotes are working in six other documents in this series.

I tried deleting all the endnotes, but Word 2019 would not allow me to delete the endnote separator line. It's very annoying to be told I can't use the delete key with endnotes.

The macro - and a link to the installation instructions - are in the thread I posted a link to (see post #4 above).

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

If you want to delete an endnote, click on its reference in the document body and delete that.

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

It's not an endnote reference style I want. It is not indenting properly and when I checked the style, it said the paragraph was "Hanging." That's totally wrong.



I agree that I need to do serious spell-checking. However, I face a challenge with letting Word spell-check as I go. What I write has specific terms in it that MS Word does not know, like "intertextuality." The alternatives it offers are totally unacceptable.


Therefore, I don't want Word making any choices for fixing spelling until I am ready to do spell-checking on the entire document. My students have the same problem in their papers. They let Word do auto-correct. So, when they pericope, Word changes it to periscope. Auto-corrupt does not help me.

1 .

I solved my problem, sort of. I copied the entire document with no endnotes to a blank document. I can't make Word format them quite as I wish, but at least the numbering is correct. I need the first line of each endnote indented .5 inches and I need the note to not be in hanging mode. I don't know who set up endnotes to do that. I've been happily putting endnotes into other documents and not had this problem. I am the only one who changes styles on my computer. So, I have no idea what Word is doing for a format. However, the basic problem is solved.

The Endnote Reference Style only applies to the automatic numbers - in both the body and the endnote range. The endnote range itself employs the Endnote Text Style. Whether you want indenting, hanging line indents, etc. should all be managed by modifying the Endnote Text Style, not by hard-formatting.
That's what custom spelling dictionaries are for; you should learn how to use them.

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

• Create an Exclusion Dictionary by Suzanne Barnhill, MVP
• The Importance of Styles in Microsoft Word
• Basic Concepts of Microsoft Word - from Shauna Kelly

Word is not a simple program to use if you are trying to do something complex, as you are. I think it is the most powerful word processing program on the market today. It is not a typewriter, nor is it any other program. You need to learn how to use your tools! Here, your problem started with someone not knowing Word messing with your endnotes.

I am an old curmudgeon and unapologetic about it. When I had to do endnotes in school, it consisted of putting it on index cards and typing them in at the end of my writing, rolling the paper down a bit to do superscript in both the body and the endnotes.