I've probably asked this previous but cannot find the answer that finally worked


Word 2016 Office installed in Windows.

I have a word docx document containing several section breaks.
I can find no way to turn of the "same as previous" option in the footer so I can have page numbering to only start after a certain section.
All my web searches mention a "Header & Footer Tools | Design" tab. But this tab never appears in my Word 2016.

I've wasted so much time in what used to be a simple thing to do in previous Word versions.

1. Can someone help me turn off the "same as previous" option in the footer without quoting the standard way to do this which does not work in my Word 2016.
Maybe permanently.

2. Can someone provide a macro to turn off the footer or header's "same as previous" that I can place in my Quick access bar to stop going crazy?

Thank you. Sorry for sounding frustrated.

To display the Header & Footer tools you need to open the header or footer. This is done simply by double clicking in the header or footer area. You will also need to do this to set the page numbering, or just to type in the header or footer.

Alternatively, you can add buttons to your QAT that will open the Header or Footer for editing.
Screenshot 2025-05-10 204834.png

That's what the web says. But in my 2016 double clicking on the header or footer areas provides me options to add and edit page numbers but does not give me the option to turn the "same as previous" tab to off.
That's my problem. I cannot find a way to turn of "same as previous" in Word 2016. MS decided to hide it for some reason.

Attached Images

footer.jpg (146.3 KB, 8 views)

Also, I have edit header, edit footer on my ribbon but opening them does not have anything to disable the previous tab.

In your screenshot, in the Header/Footer Tab look in the Navigation group.

However, this does not restart your page numbering.
In the page where Word is restarting your numbering when it should not, use the Format Page Numbers dialog to tell Word to continue from the previous section.

Link to Previous has nothing to do with page numbering.

• Page Numbers in Word 2007-2024 (365)
• Format Page Numbers

Thank you so much!!
That was it. Thank you.
I knew how to start and format page numbers, etc. The problem with 'same as previous' was that any changes to page numbers I did in one section's footer was applied tho the previous sections unless I turned off same as previous. If i deleted page numbers in section 2, they would also be deleted in section 3 too where I wanted them to appear and vice versa.
Thank you.