Microsoft Word - Page numbering

Interesting! I wonder if it can be done! I'll be following this thread.
Have you posted your question to the Word help user groups in the
Online Help menu?

why don't you create the title page and table of contents in a separate document? then page number everything else?

--Eric

I can't quite remember how exactly it's done but I know that it's possible. Found this on the MS support website: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326536/en-us?spid=2531&sid=95

It's not exactly what you want but basically the same. The important step is setting the sections so that they do not continue from the previous section.

1MegaByte said:

I have been trying to get Microshaft word 2008 for Mac to start page numbers only on page 3.

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Congratulations - you are trying to do some of the most complicated things in Microsoft Word. And I am NOT kidding. The page numbering feature has been broken in the Windows versions of Word since - ever. And I don't expect the Mac version to be any different.

There are howtos and knowledgebase articles explaining how it can be done, but in my experience, none of them ever really worked.

I assembled a master thesis once by breaking the original Word document into multiple Word documents, each with its own numbering. Then I PDFed them and (re-)joined all those PDFs into one PDF file which we handed to the printer (meaning a person, not a device). I must add that the numbering in this paper was a bit more complicated and required multiple pages -without- a printed page number in between; that was a layout requirement.

The thing is: Microsoft Word 2003 for Windows couldn't do it and nothing worked as it was documented by Microsoft.

Winni said:

Congratulations - you are trying to do some of the most complicated things in Microsoft Word. And I am NOT kidding. The page numbering feature has been broken in the Windows versions of Word since - ever. And I don't expect the Mac version to be any different.

Click to expand...

Amen to that. I have tried for years, not able to completely master it. Every time I think I get it right and start a new section the page numbers mess up again. Same with Headers.

Come on guys, it's easy.

What you do is break the link from the previous section and then you format page numbering and start at page 1. For example, you have a few pages (or one) that are your TOC. Click insert>break>Section break next page. The bring up headers and footers. There's the icon for headers and footers called "link to previous." Click on that and it breaks the link to the previous header and footer for the first pages you had. Then click the format page number icon and click start at page 1. Then click insert page number.

Got it?

Inserting Page Numbers on Other than First Page using Microsoft Word for Mac 2008

Inserting page numbers starting on page other than first page

Type entire document in one section. If you must have page breaks, make sure you use ( Insert/Breaks/Page Break). Do not use section breaks or you’ll have a hard time numbering pages.

Do not insert page numbers until your document is in final format. Even then, save a copy of the document without page numbers so you can go back to it if your page numbering gets “out of control.” You'd think the uber-intelligent writers of these programs could overcome the awkward page numbering system, but ... here's how you do this with what we have.

1. On the page before the one where you want to start numbering, place curser at bottom of page and insert a continuous section break (Insert/Breaks/Section Break (continuous)
2. Move to the page where you want numbering to begin. Open Header/Footer by clicking on View/Header and Footer
3. Place curser in the footer then open the Formatting Palette. You must complete step 2 above before opening the Formatting Palette to get the Palette to show Header and Footer information. And you must put your curser in the footer for the Palette to show what you need ( View/Formatting Palette/Header-Footer )
4. In the Formatting Palette click on Header-Footer and it opens to show where you can make adjustments. Uncheck the box for “Link to Previous”
5. Place curser in the footer of the page where you want to begin numbering
6. In the top bar of your screen, click Insert/Page Numbers then adjust settings for position and alignment. Be sure to uncheck “Show number on first page”
7. Click “Format” then check the radio button for “Start at” and type in the number of the page PRECEDING THE PAGE where you really want to begin your numbering. For example, if you want to begin numbering on page 13, type in the number 12 and make sure the box is unchecked for “show number on first page.” The number 13 should show in the footer of the page where you want to begin numbering.
8. This completes the process. Check your pages from the beginning to the end to make sure you have no numbers on the preceding pages and that the numbers are correct throughout. If you have mistakenly created more than the two sections described in step 1 above, your page numbers will be inaccurate before you reach the end of the document. If things go wrong, go to Edit in the top bar, click Undo Page Numbers, and start again. Do not try to get rid of numbers by deleting the number on the page. If the whole process breaks down, close out of the document; reopen the original that you saved, and go through the steps again.
9. Print a copy of these instructions because, if you're like me, you'll have to figure it out all over again. This time, I saved these instructions in a folder labeled "Tips" on my own Mac. This isn't the first time I've had to figure all of this out.

Argh!! Worked until recent update

I went through the convoluted directions last week, and it worked (thank you). Then I updated Word. Now it won't work

I need to have the numbering start on the second page of the document with a number "1".

The best I can get it to do is to put a 1 on both pages 1 and 2. If I then delete the 1 on the first page, it deletes all subsequent numbers. I also tried making the text white on page one, but it then makes it white on all pages.

To get through this week's assignment, I sent the file to a friend with a PC to see if he can make it work, then send it back to me (and hopefully the formatting will remain correct). But there's no way I can do that for every assignment or my upcoming dissertation. Sigh.

This is crazy.

Got it!!!

Someone gave me a very simple solution - you don't need to bother with the section break at all anymore.

1. Go to the first page header
2. Go to Insert>Page numbers
3. Uncheck the "show number on first page" box
4. Click on Format
5. Next to "Start at", enter "0"

Update to Word 2011 for the Mac

The Formatting Palette no longer exists in Word 2011. Instead you must turn the ribbon on. If View/Ribbon is grayed out you need to go to Word Preferences and turn it on there.

To open the header-footer tab on the ribbon select View/Header-Footer. Then click the Header-Footer tab to the right of the Home tab.

The most useful tools are "Different First Page" and "Link to Previous." If you're numbering pages sequentially across a number of sections you'll want to keep "Link to Previous" checked. The tricky part is "Different First Page." Keep in mind that when you start a new section (Insert/Break/Section Break (Next Page)) the first page of that section becomes the new first page for numbering, header-footer, and other purposes.

At one point I had a section break (continuous), a section that was two columns including a manual column break, and a section after that which was a single column. By trial and error I discovered that placing a section break (next page) immediately after the two-column section, then followed that with a section break (continuous) the stupid software behaved itself.

I agree with others in this (and many other) threads. This is a royal pain. My wife has tried Scrivener and found it pretty darn good. I'm going to give it a try as soon as I get a chance.

Courage,
Tony Lima

Dale Collie said:

Inserting page numbers starting on page other than first page

Type entire document in one section. If you must have page breaks, make sure you use ( Insert/Breaks/Page Break). Do not use section breaks or you’ll have a hard time numbering pages.

Do not insert page numbers until your document is in final format. Even then, save a copy of the document without page numbers so you can go back to it if your page numbering gets “out of control.” You'd think the uber-intelligent writers of these programs could overcome the awkward page numbering system, but ... here's how you do this with what we have.

1. On the page before the one where you want to start numbering, place curser at bottom of page and insert a continuous section break (Insert/Breaks/Section Break (continuous)
2. Move to the page where you want numbering to begin. Open Header/Footer by clicking on View/Header and Footer
3. Place curser in the footer then open the Formatting Palette. You must complete step 2 above before opening the Formatting Palette to get the Palette to show Header and Footer information. And you must put your curser in the footer for the Palette to show what you need ( View/Formatting Palette/Header-Footer )
4. In the Formatting Palette click on Header-Footer and it opens to show where you can make adjustments. Uncheck the box for “Link to Previous”
5. Place curser in the footer of the page where you want to begin numbering
6. In the top bar of your screen, click Insert/Page Numbers then adjust settings for position and alignment. Be sure to uncheck “Show number on first page”
7. Click “Format” then check the radio button for “Start at” and type in the number of the page PRECEDING THE PAGE where you really want to begin your numbering. For example, if you want to begin numbering on page 13, type in the number 12 and make sure the box is unchecked for “show number on first page.” The number 13 should show in the footer of the page where you want to begin numbering.
8. This completes the process. Check your pages from the beginning to the end to make sure you have no numbers on the preceding pages and that the numbers are correct throughout. If you have mistakenly created more than the two sections described in step 1 above, your page numbers will be inaccurate before you reach the end of the document. If things go wrong, go to Edit in the top bar, click Undo Page Numbers, and start again. Do not try to get rid of numbers by deleting the number on the page. If the whole process breaks down, close out of the document; reopen the original that you saved, and go through the steps again.
9. Print a copy of these instructions because, if you're like me, you'll have to figure it out all over again. This time, I saved these instructions in a folder labeled "Tips" on my own Mac. This isn't the first time I've had to figure all of this out.

Click to expand...