SUMMARY
When you delete a section break in Microsoft Word, you may receive
unexpected results.
This article describes what happens when you delete a section break within
a Word document. Throughout this article, keep in mind that a section break
acts as an embedded code that stores or maintains the properties of the
section above it.
When you work with section breaks, you should display non-printing
characters. To do this, follow these steps:
- On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the View tab.
- Under Non Printing Characters, click to select All.
- Click OK.
Determining the Type of Section Break
Word 97 for Windows
In Word 97 for Windows, the type of section break is shown on your screen,
in parentheses, after the words Section Break. This is not where the
properties of that section break are stored. The properties for the type of
section break indicated on the screen are stored in the next section break
(which may have a different type of section break indicated). If there are
no additional section breaks in your document, then the properties for that
section break are stored in the last paragraph mark of the document. The
section breaks act as an embedded code that stores or maintains the
properties of the section above it.
For example, if you have a one-page document and half way down the
page you insert an odd page section break, and then further into your
document on page 1, you insert a Next Page Section Break, in normal
view, you see the following:
Section Break (Odd Page)
Section Break (Next Page)
If you place the insertion point above Section Break (Odd Page), the
status bar shows: Page 1 Sec 1. To see the actual properties for
the first section, click Page Setup on the File menu, and then click
the Layout tab. Under Section Start, Word indicates that the section
is New Page. The settings for this section break are stored in the
section break below where the insertion point is located, or as shown
on the screen, Section Break (Odd Page).
If you place the insertion point between Section Break (Odd Page) and
Section Break (Next Page), the status bar shows: Page 3 Sec 2. To
see the actual properties for the second section,
click Page Setup on the File menu, and then click the Layout tab.
Under Section Start,
Word indicates that the section is Odd Page. The settings for this
section break are stored in the section break below where your
insertion point is located, or as shown on the screen, Section Break
(Next Page).
If you place the insertion point below Section Break (Next Page), the
status bar shows: Page 4 Sec 3. To see the actual properties for
the third section, click Page Setup on the File menu, and then click
the Layout tab. Under Section Start, Word indicates that the section
is New Page. The settings for this section break are stored in the last
paragraph mark of the document (because there are no more section breaks in
the document).
NOTE: A section break indicated on your screen as Next Page will be
defined as New Page on the Layout tab of the Page Setup dialog box.
This means that if you delete the last section break shown on the screen as
Section Break (Next Page), the formatting of section 2 (Odd Page) will
change to the formatting of section 3 (Next Page); therefore, the odd page
section is gone and on the screen, the Section Break (Next Page) is
correctly shown. In effect, the Odd Page section break was deleted and the
attributes of the last section (Next Page) were applied to the information
above the deleted section break.
Word 7.0 and Earlier
In Word 7.0 for Windows and earlier, in normal view, the words "End Of
Section" are shown on your screen at every point where you have a section
break. The properties for a particular section are contained in the section
break below the section. If there are no additional sections in your
document, then the properties for that section are stored in the last
paragraph mark of the document. The section breaks act as an embedded code
that stores or maintains the properties of the section above it.
For Example, if you have a one page document and half way down the
page, you insert an odd page section break and then further into your
document on page 1, you insert a next page section break, in normal
view, you will see the following:
End of Section
End of Section
If you place the insertion point above the first end of section
marker, the status bar will show: Page 1 Sec 1. To see the actual
properties for the first section, on the File menu, click Page Setup
and then click the Layout tab. Under Section Start, Word will indicate
that the section is New Page. The settings for this section break are
stored in the section break below where the insertion point is
located or the first End-of-section marker on your screen.
If you place the insertion point between the first and second end of
section mark on your screen, the status bar will show: Page 3 Sec 2.
To see the actual properties for the second section, on the File menu,
click Page Setup and then click the Layout tab. Under Section Start, Word
will indicate that the section is Odd Page. The settings for this
section break are stored in the section break below where your
insertion point is located or the second end-of-section mark on your
screen.
If you place the insertion point below the second end-of-section mark,
the status bar will show: Page 4 Sec 3. To see the actual properties
for the third section, on the File menu, click Page Setup and then
click the Layout tab. Under Section Start, Word will indicate that the
section is New Page. The settings for this section break are stored in
the last paragraph of the document (because there are no more section
breaks in the document).
NOTE: A section break indicated on your screen as Next Page will be
defined as New Page on the Layout tab of the Page Setup dialog box.
This means that if you delete the last section break shown on the screen as
End of Section, the formatting of section 2 (Odd Page) will change to the
formatting of section 3 (Next Page). In effect the Odd Page section break
was deleted and the attributes of the last section (Next Page) were applied
to the information above the deleted section break.
Deleting a Section Break
When you delete a section break, you also delete the section formatting for
the text above it. That text becomes part of the section that follows it,
and it assumes the formatting of that section.
Word 97 for Windows
To delete a section break in Word 97, follow these steps:
- On the View menu, click Normal.
The section break is represented by a double dotted line with the
words "Section Break (Type)" in the center.
- Select the section break and press the DELETE key on your
keyboard.
Word 7.0 and Earlier
To delete a section break in Word 7.0 and earlier, follow these steps:
- On the View menu, click Normal.
The section break is represented by a double dotted line with the
words "End of Section" in the center.
- Select the section break, press the BACKSPACE or DELETE key on
your keyboard to remove the section break.