Need answer fast -- Word 2016 on PC: Cannot Delete Section Break

Factual Questions
1

Hello Dopers,

Hoping to get some quick help. I’ve web searched, and searched here, but my Google-fu isn’t working. I have a Section Break (Next Page) in a 2-section doc that I cannot delete. I can see it, I place the cursor before it and hit Delete, but nothing happens and it persists.

I’m able to insert a continuous section break, and a next page section break, and I can see and also delete those, but still cannot delete that original next page section break.

The section break is at the beginning of my doc. Pages before the break are in portrait, and after are in landscape. In this doc’s final form I only want the content after the section break. I’ve deleted all content before the section break but cannot delete the break itself. I’ve removed the page header for that first section, but not the break. I only want one section in landscape and with no headers in this doc.

I have to submit this report today so a quick solution would be great.

Thanks!

2

Problem solved. I was able to find a solution here, although it’s not exact it was close enough and I did a workaround: Getting Rid of Section Breaks, but Not Section Formatting (Microsoft Word)

3

Okay, report completed and submitted - phew! Before my OP I had searched for a good hour, web and SDMB, and when you’re under a tight deadline that feels like forever. I’m no Word expert but I know my way around pretty well, and that solution was somewhat obtuse.

Thank you to those who read and considered the problem before I posted the solution.

4

Generally, displaying the actual formatting marks will show you just where they are, which usually makes it much easier to see how Word is doing things, and how to move or delete formatting.

Under File Display options, turn on the “Show all formatting marks” option.
Or you can switch this on & off via Ctrl+*

(I leave it on all the time – I find that much easier to control Word that way.)

5

Okay, but I did have the formatting marks on. That’s how I could see where the section break was. And I could not delete it.

It was bizarre, especially when so many sites and messages boards said to display the formatting marks, put your cursor there, and delete it – which did not work. Frustrating.