# the page numbering in all my word documents is completely goobered **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 20, 2009, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-page-numbering-in-all-my-word-documents-is-completely-goobered/510795 "2009-09-20T03:26:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-page-numbering-in-all-my-word-documents-is-completely-goobered/510795/1 "2009-09-20T03:26:04Z")
A little while ago, while working on some reports for work, all the page numbering for every documents I open in Word 2007 screwed up. The documents should have the each page numbered in a running header in the following format: Skald the Rhymer Really Important File Due Monday: Page **1** Instead what appears is Skald the Rhymer Really Important File Due Monday: {Page \*MERGEFORMAT} or Skald the Rhymer Really Important File Due Monday: {Page} The problem is clearly in the program rather than any one file; I have opened files which I hadn’t edited in months and the problem appears in all of them. I consulted the help files that come with Word, which, having come from Microsoft, were naturally written by evil monkeys. The help files directed me to go to the manage add-ons feature in the Word Menu; I did that with no luck. Next I tried repairing the program through the Programs & Features control panel, also as directed by Word Help; this also did nothing. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-page-numbering-in-all-my-word-documents-is-completely-goobered/510795/2 "2009-09-20T03:48:22Z")
1. Select All. 2. Copy. 3. Open Word Perfect. 4. Paste. I’m quite serious about this - any time I have a Word problem that needs to be fixed on short deadline, I just say ‘screw it’ and transfer to Word Perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-page-numbering-in-all-my-word-documents-is-completely-goobered/510795/3 "2009-09-20T04:01:40Z")
Go to Word Options -\> Advanced -\> Show document content and uncheck “Show field codes instead of their values”. ETA: Or push Alt-F9. But what Northern Piper said does have some merit: If you’ve ever on a deadline and a program craps out on you, just use a compatible program like Word Perfect, OpenOffice, Google Docs or even the Word Viewer. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-page-numbering-in-all-my-word-documents-is-completely-goobered/510795/4 "2009-09-20T17:17:20Z")
What you’re looking at is the Word equivalent to the “reveal codes” mode the Wordperfect folks are always raving about. So even though you see a bit of the document’s innards on-screen, those files will print normally from your instance of Word. And if you sent that file to somebody else, it will appear normal to them on-screen in their copy of Word as well. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2009, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-page-numbering-in-all-my-word-documents-is-completely-goobered/510795/5 "2009-09-21T05:44:39Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > So even though you see a bit of the document’s innards on-screen, those files will print normally from your instance of Word. > > And if you sent that file to somebody else, it will appear normal to them on-screen in their copy of Word as well. Also, the Print Preview option will usually show them as they will be printed, with the codes replaced with the actual values. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-page-numbering-in-all-my-word-documents-is-completely-goobered/510795/6 "2009-09-21T15:18:34Z")
I thought I’d replied to this Saturday night, but the hampsters appear to have eaten that post. Thanks for your help, guys.