# In Word how can I regain page numbers on screen?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-word-how-can-i-regain-page-numbers-on-screen/518073>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 18, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-word-how-can-i-regain-page-numbers-on-screen/518073 "2009-11-18T21:17:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Oxbow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/71e660/32.png) [@Oxbow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oxbow)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-word-how-can-i-regain-page-numbers-on-screen/518073/1 "2009-11-18T21:17:59Z")

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For some unknown reason I can’t see page numbers in a long Word document on the screen. I don’t mean page numbers that I would put in a header, but the ones that Word would automatically display as I scrolled down a document I was working on. Without them I have no way of knowing where I am in this long document, and since it’s a novel, I need to know. Changing to print view or web view, etc. doesn’t make a difference. Any thoughts? Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-word-how-can-i-regain-page-numbers-on-screen/518073/2 "2009-11-18T21:21:46Z")

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> [@Oxbow](#):
>
> For some unknown reason I can’t see page numbers in a long Word document on the screen. I don’t mean page numbers that I would put in a header, but the ones that Word would automatically display as I scrolled down a document I was working on. Without them I have no way of knowing where I am in this long document, and since it’s a novel, I need to know. Changing to print view or web view, etc. doesn’t make a difference. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Tools —\> Options —\> View tab

Check “Status Bar”

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**Author:** ![Oxbow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/71e660/32.png) [@Oxbow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oxbow)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-word-how-can-i-regain-page-numbers-on-screen/518073/3 "2009-11-18T22:01:33Z")

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I followed your suggestion and saw that the status bar was already checked. On a hunch I unchecked it and checked it again, and that worked. Thanks much for such a quick and easy solution.