A page number in a table of contents may include an unexpected chapter number in Word 2003 (895124)

Important This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

In a table of contents (TOC) in a Microsoft Office Word 2003 document, a page number in the TOC may include an unexpected chapter number.

For example, the TOC may appear as follows:

1 Chapter heading text ................................. 1.1-1
 1.1 Paragraph text .................................... 1.1-1
  1.1.1 Paragraph text ................................. 1.1-1

2 Chapter heading text ................................. 1.1-1 <-- unexpected chapter number
 2.1 Paragraph text .................................... 2.1-1
  2.1.1 Paragraph text ................................. 2.1-1

After you install the hotfix that is described in the "Resolution" section, the example TOC may appear as follows:

1 Chapter heading text ................................. 1-1
 1.1 Paragraph text .................................... 1.1-1
  1.1.1 Paragraph text ................................. 1.1-1

2 Chapter heading text ................................. 2-1
 2.1 Paragraph text .................................... 2.1-1
  2.1.1 Paragraph text ................................. 2.1-1

CAUSE

This problem may occur when all the following conditions are true:

Paragraphs in the document are numbered by using outline numbering.
Page numbers in the document include the chapter number. Additionally, page numbers start with the Heading 2 style.
The heading style that is used for the paragraph that is referred to in the TOC is a heading style other than the Heading 1 style.

RESOLUTION

This problem was first fixed in a hotfix that is now contained in a service pack. If you installed the latest Office 2003 service pack, you do not have to install the hotfix.

Service pack information

This problem is corrected in Office 2003 Service Pack 2.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Office 2003. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

870924 How to obtain the latest service pack for Office 2003

How to obtain the hotfix

This issue is fixed in the Word 2003 post-Service Pack 1 Hotfix Package that is dated March 11, 2005. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

895481 Description of the Microsoft Office Word 2003 post-Service Pack 1 hotfix package: March 11, 2005

After you install this hotfix, follow the steps that are listed in the "More Information" section to set the UseAlternatePageNumberFormat registry entry and to enable the hotfix.

MORE INFORMATION

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To enable this hotfix, follow these steps:

Quit Word 2003.
Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
Locate and then click to select the following registry subkey:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Options
After you select the subkey that is specified in step 3, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click DWORD Value.
Type UseAlternatePageNumberFormat, and then press ENTER.
Right-click UseAlternatePageNumberFormat, and then click Modify.
In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
On the File menu, click Exit to quit Registry Editor.