WD97: Symbol in Heading Removes Heading Numbering from TOC (173013)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
This article was previously published under Q173013

SYMPTOMS

When you create or update the table of contents, Microsoft Word may not include heading numbers for all items.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when the table of contents contains an item based on a document heading with Auto Numbering, and that item contains an equation or a symbol in a font other than Normal Text as the first character.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use either of the following methods.

Method 1: Replace Symbols with Normal Text

Remove all symbols that are the first characters of document headings, or replace the symbols with similar ones in the Normal Text font. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. In the main document, select the symbol that is first character of the document heading.
  2. On the Insert menu, click Symbol.
  3. Click the Symbols tab, and then click (Normal Text) in the Font list.
  4. Click to select a similar symbol in Normal Text, to replace the existing symbol.
  5. Click Insert, and then click Close.
  6. Update the Table of Contents. To do this, follow these steps:
    1. On the Insert menu, click Index and Tables.
    2. Click the Table of Contents tab.
    3. Click OK.
    4. Click OK when you are prompted with the message:
      Do you want to replace the selected table of contents?
  7. Repeat steps 1-6 for all document headings that are not numbered in the table of contents.
NOTE: After the heading numbers are properly displayed in the table of contents, you can lock the table of contents field by pressing CTRL+F11. When the field is locked, you cannot modify the table of contents. If you later need to modify it, place the insertion point in the table of contents, and press CTRL+SHIFT+F11 to unlock the field.

Method 2: Unlink the Table of Contents

You can also change the table of contents from a field to ordinary text, and then modify the table of contents manually. To do this, follow these steps:

NOTE: You cannot automatically update the table of contents after this procedure.

  1. Remove the symbols that are the first characters of any document headings.
  2. Place the insertion point in the table of contents, and press F9 to update the table. All heading numbers should now be displayed in the table of contents.
  3. Press CTRL+SHIFT+F9. This unlinks the table of contents, so that it is no longer a field, but ordinary text you can edit.
  4. Type the symbols back into the document headings, and the table of contents manually.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Word 2000.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/14/2000
Keywords:kbbug kbfield kbnumbering KB173013
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.