# Microsoft Word can go to hell and die
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 28, 2007, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266 "2007-08-28T20:50:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2007, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266/1 "2007-08-28T20:50:29Z")
I have a document that has headers and footers (if that is significant).
On one page, I have a table that takes up the whole page.
On the next page, I have a picture that takes up the whole page.
I want to start a third new page after the picture page, but MS Word won’t let me.
If I insert a page break, I get a blank page between my table page and the picture page. Ditto if I try to make a Section-Next Page break.
I’ve tried putting some text just beneath the picture, and then setting a Page Break Before the text in the paragraph formatting, but that gets me a blank page between the table and the picture pages again.
If I simply put the cursor on a text line beneath the picture and then hit return, the picture and cursor jump around a little bit, but I can’t get the program to go to a new page.
WTF is going on?
Currently, my picture has “Top and Bottom” text alignment and is centered horizontally and vertically on the page using the advanced layout settings.
Aaarrrgg.
---
### Author:  [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266/2 "2007-08-28T21:27:34Z")
Put the cursor on the line below the picture and hit Ctrl-Enter to create the next page. If that doesn’t work, delete the picture and create a third page and then go back and reinsert the picture on page 2.
---
### Author:  [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266/3 "2007-08-28T21:43:01Z")
[QUOTE=jasonh300]
Put the cursor on the line below the picture and hit Ctrl-Enter to create the next page. If that doesn’t work, delete the picture and create a third page and then go back and reinsert the picture on page 2.
[/QUOTE]
I tried the Ctrl-Enter to no success. It still put the new blank page between the table page and the picture page.
In retrospect, removing the picture, making a new page, and then reinserting the picture on page two also works.
I just now got it to behave in a different backasswards way.
Thanks for the info.
I’m still annoyed that I have to spend XP on this.
---
### Author:  [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2007, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266/4 "2007-08-29T02:59:04Z")
Sympathy, here. I think that if you search the Pit for Microsoft Word - or Microsoft Wierd - you’ll get several hits.
Sigh. One person’s bug is another person’s feature.
---
### Author:  [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2007, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266/5 "2007-08-29T04:44:13Z")
My experience with Word is that you can get it to do just about anything you could want with text and graphics- IF you can figure out the right friggin’ set of commands to do it. And a lot of things in Word, especially anything to do with headers and footers or tables, are not very intuitive.
---
### Author:  [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2007, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266/6 "2007-08-29T04:56:12Z")
Hear, hear. It’s like convincing a cloistered Catholic school girl to put out on the first date. If you can just find the right sequence…
PulletLad is a professional graphic designer. I’ve seen him do amazing things with computer programs. He said, one day, they got a doc file via the Corporate office from the folks who make Microsoft Word. He says it was one of the most beautiful and elegant bits of graphic design he’s ever seen. And he has absolutely no idea how they did it.
---
### Author:  [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2007, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266/7 "2007-08-29T06:05:53Z")
[QUOTE=Pullet]
And he has absolutely no idea how they did it.
[/QUOTE]
Adobe Illustrator 😃
---
### Author:  [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2007, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266/8 "2007-08-29T06:18:43Z")
[QUOTE=Civil Guy]
Sympathy, here. I think that if you search the Pit for Microsoft Word - or Microsoft Wierd - you’ll get several hits.
Sigh. One person’s bug is another person’s feature.
[/QUOTE]
Ah, I used to feel this way about Microsoft (in general) and Word (in particular).
Then I got a Mac, and realized how good I’d had it with Microsoft.
---
### Author:  [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2007, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266/9 "2007-08-29T22:51:05Z")
[QUOTE=drachillix]
Adobe Illustrator 😃
[/QUOTE]
CorelDraw! 🆒
---
### Author:  [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2007, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266/10 "2007-08-29T23:16:19Z")
First, turn on your paragraph marks if you haven’t already, so you can see what’s there (the “¶” button on the toolbar).
Then, unless you have a need for text to wrap around your table and picture (from your description, I don’t think you do) you may want to ensure that the table and picture are both in-line with the text rather than “floating.”
For the table: right-click the table, select Table Properties, Table tab, Text Wrapping: None.
For the picture: right-click, Format Picture, Layout tab, Wrapping style: In line with text.
After you do this, make sure you have the table followed by at least one paragraph mark, and on the next page the picture followed by at least one paragraph mark. (If you don’t see this, use the Enter key as needed to make sure you do.) Once you have this, you should be able to insert a page break below the picture and get a new third page.
---
### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266/11 "2007-08-29T23:23:58Z")
_Time-saving_ is what it is. I sure am happy I live here in the future. Now where’s that robot maid to decant my supper?
---
### Author:  [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266/12 "2007-08-29T23:27:34Z")
(Or, you could completely ignore my suggestion, since I just now noticed you said you already fixed it on your own.)
Sorry, I’ve spent the last few years of my life dealing daily with Word’s seemingly infinite annoying bullshit and reflexively answering my friends’, family members’, and co-workers’ questions about said bullshit.
---
### Author:  [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266/13 "2007-08-30T00:45:37Z")
Thanks anyway, **Vinyl Turnip**. I always forget that button turns on the markings. I keep looking for that damned option in the drop down menus. :smack:
And where, exactly is my flying car?
\
---
### Author:  [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2007, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-can-go-to-hell-and-die/417266/14 "2007-08-30T01:25:06Z")
[QUOTE=Pullet]
Thanks anyway, **Vinyl Turnip**. I always forget that button turns on the markings. I keep looking for that damned option in the drop down menus. :smack:
[/QUOTE]
FWIW, I prefer to make all formatting marks visible. The setting is in the Options dialog.