Section break issue. Please help. It's driving me crazy.

sectionbreakvictim

Please help, I will try to be as specific as possible in order to solve this
issue. I have posted it in some places and asked many people, but nobody
seems to really understand what the problem is let alone help me solve it. It
is not a serious problem; it's a pesky, but serious little nuisance.

The cast

-My computer. A week-old laptop with good features regarding speed, memory,
etc.
-Microsoft Word. 2002 avatar.
-Me. A 15-year Word and computer user.
-Nuisance. A persistent entity whose origins and purpose remain unknown.

The plot

I am typing a paper for school using Word. I have just finished the first
chapter, and will begin the next. I do a section break: Insert, Break,
Section break types, Next page.
I am in the next page. I am typing again. Suddenly, I wish to start a new
paragraph, so I hit enter. I hit enter but the cursor does not move to the
next line. Instead it moves one space to the right. When I start typing the
cursor moves to the next line, as intended.

If I hit enter two times in a row it moves to the next line, but still is
one space to the right. If I start typing, it will indeed move down one line,
two in total.

This is not a new nuisance, I have always experienced it. However, sometimes
when I do a next page break it doesn't happen, but once it happens in a
document it never stops.

Despair

Why does this happen? How can I stop it? It is visually unbearable. I have
experienced this normally over the years. It is no new thing or a thing that
has to do with my computer or this version of Word. It has to do with Word.

I greatly appreciate your help, if indeed it does solve this thing.
Otherwise, I appreciate your intention to help… it makes me feel as if there
will be a solution someday.

sectionbreakvictim

Thank you for the information, it helps to provide more facts for the person
who will eventually crack this one.

I work in Page Layout View, and this is where the cursor does not move to
the next line but shifts one space to the right after I hit enter. When I
switch to Normal View, I see everything as it should be (i.e. when I hit
enter the cursor actually moves to the next line). Now, this is the funny
part, when I'm in Outline View, the cursor is in the next line but the little
square that indicates an "enter" does not appear. It only appears after I
start typing...



"Bear" wrote:

> I hope someone does sort you out. All I can suggest is to be sure you're
> working with your nonprinting characters showing (at least while you're
> trying to troubleshoot this behavior).
>
> You might also find things easier to see if you switch to normal view and
> show your nonprinting characters.
>
> You may be experiencing some conflict with the section break you've just
> inserted.
>
> Bear
>
> --
> Windows XP, Word 2000
>
>

Bear

I hope someone does sort you out. All I can suggest is to be sure you're
working with your nonprinting characters showing (at least while you're
trying to troubleshoot this behavior).

You might also find things easier to see if you switch to normal view and
show your nonprinting characters.

You may be experiencing some conflict with the section break you've just
inserted.

Bear

--
Windows XP, Word 2000

Bear

Victim:

Well, you've got me stumped. I thought maybe it was Enable Click and Type,
or perhaps Overtype mode vs. Insert mode.

If you work with your nonprinting characters showing in Page Layout view
does it exhibit that behavior?

Bear
--
Windows XP, Word 2000

sectionbreakvictim

Thank you for the information, it helps to provide more facts for the person
who will eventually crack this one.

I work in Page Layout View, and this is where the cursor does not move to
the next line but shifts one space to the right after I hit enter. When I
switch to Normal View, I see everything as it should be (i.e. when I hit
enter the cursor actually moves to the next line). Now, this is the funny
part, when I'm in Outline View, the cursor is in the next line but the little
square that indicates an "enter" does not appear. It only appears after I
start typing...



"Bear" wrote:

> I hope someone does sort you out. All I can suggest is to be sure you're
> working with your nonprinting characters showing (at least while you're
> trying to troubleshoot this behavior).
>
> You might also find things easier to see if you switch to normal view and
> show your nonprinting characters.
>
> You may be experiencing some conflict with the section break you've just
> inserted.
>
> Bear
>
> --
> Windows XP, Word 2000
>
>

Bear

Victim:

Well, you've got me stumped. I thought maybe it was Enable Click and Type,
or perhaps Overtype mode vs. Insert mode.

If you work with your nonprinting characters showing in Page Layout view
does it exhibit that behavior?

Bear
--
Windows XP, Word 2000

Unregistered

I have also seen this when I am adding text immediately before a section break that I have already inserted. My solution: add an extra carriage return or two between my final text and the section break. Then, when I go back to add to my text in a section, the enter key actually moves the cursor to the next line as I would expect. In other words, instead of adding new text between old text and a section break, I am adding new text between old text on both sides of the cursor-- or between text and carriage return(s)--with the non-interfering section break further below.