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problem updating fields in word 2008 for mac

Question
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When I update cross references in word 2008 for mac all of my figures and captions get duplicated and paragraphs containing the cross references gets converted to captions. How do I stop this?
- Moved by Max Meng Tuesday, January 29, 2013 9:49 AM
Friday, January 18, 2013 4:39 AM
Answers
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Assuming that MacWord resembles WinWord in dealing with cross-references, this isn't necessarily a bug...
When you use Word's cross-reference feature, the cross-referenced paragraph will be enclosed in a bookmark. Later, if you add a paragraph by pressing Enter at the beginning of a bookmarked paragraph, the bookmark expands to include the new paragraph. (You can see this if you experiment with ordinary, visible, bookmarks; you can choose to display bookmarks in the Word Options dialog box.)
The workaround is to recreate the cross-references immediately after you have noticed the problem. (Alternatively, you can redefine bookmarks, but it's a bit convoluted and, it seems, less predictable in recent versions of Word.)
To avoid the problem in the first place, avoid pressing Enter (or adding text) at the beginning of a bookmarked/cross-referenced paragraph. Instead, do so at the end of the preceding paragraph instead.
Stefan Blom, Microsoft Word MVP
- Edited by Stefan BlomMVP Friday, January 18, 2013 12:51 PM
- Proposed as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Tuesday, January 29, 2013 9:33 PM
- Marked as answer by Just Karl Friday, February 8, 2013 8:49 PM
Friday, January 18, 2013 12:38 PM -
For Mac Word I would try the following groups:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/mac/forum/macwordand specificlly for Mac Word 2008,
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/mac/forum/macoffice2008-macword
Peter Jamieson
- Proposed as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Tuesday, January 29, 2013 9:33 PM
- Marked as answer by Just Karl Friday, February 8, 2013 8:49 PM
Friday, January 18, 2013 10:15 PM
All replies
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Assuming that MacWord resembles WinWord in dealing with cross-references, this isn't necessarily a bug...
When you use Word's cross-reference feature, the cross-referenced paragraph will be enclosed in a bookmark. Later, if you add a paragraph by pressing Enter at the beginning of a bookmarked paragraph, the bookmark expands to include the new paragraph. (You can see this if you experiment with ordinary, visible, bookmarks; you can choose to display bookmarks in the Word Options dialog box.)
The workaround is to recreate the cross-references immediately after you have noticed the problem. (Alternatively, you can redefine bookmarks, but it's a bit convoluted and, it seems, less predictable in recent versions of Word.)
To avoid the problem in the first place, avoid pressing Enter (or adding text) at the beginning of a bookmarked/cross-referenced paragraph. Instead, do so at the end of the preceding paragraph instead.
Stefan Blom, Microsoft Word MVP
- Edited by Stefan BlomMVP Friday, January 18, 2013 12:51 PM
- Proposed as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Tuesday, January 29, 2013 9:33 PM
- Marked as answer by Just Karl Friday, February 8, 2013 8:49 PM
Friday, January 18, 2013 12:38 PM -
Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately I have tried your suggestion and it does not solve my problem. What appears to be happening now is when I update the fields, word inserts a paragraph break immediately before the cross reference and any text before the cross reference is turned into a caption.Friday, January 18, 2013 9:43 PM
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For Mac Word I would try the following groups:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/mac/forum/macwordand specificlly for Mac Word 2008,
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/mac/forum/macoffice2008-macword
Peter Jamieson
- Proposed as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Tuesday, January 29, 2013 9:33 PM
- Marked as answer by Just Karl Friday, February 8, 2013 8:49 PM
Friday, January 18, 2013 10:15 PM -
Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately I have tried your suggestion and it does not solve my problem. What appears to be happening now is when I update the fields, word inserts a paragraph break immediately before the cross reference and any text before the cross reference is turned into a caption.
You haven't explained what you have tried, specifically. Recreating the references should definitely work.
But, as Peter suggests in his reply, asking in a MacWord forum is probably the best anyway.
Stefan Blom, Microsoft Word MVP
Friday, January 18, 2013 11:29 PM