Troubleshooting

What to Do If Word Resizes Cells Inappropriately

Word automatically resizes cells as you type more information into them. This can be disconcerting and can also result in table layouts you don't like. To turn off this feature, select the table and choose Table, AutoFit, Fixed Column Width.

What to Do If Word Moves Tables into the Wrong Position

If you're working in Web Layout view, when you move a table, Word may automatically snap it to the left or right of where you intend it to go. If this occurs, you need to clear Text Wrapping for the table. Right-click on the table, choose Table Properties from the shortcut menu, and click the Table tab. Click None in the Text Wrapping area and click OK.

What to Do If AutoSum Doesn't Add All the Numbers in a Row or Column

If you use AutoSum to add the contents of an entire column or row, you might find that AutoSum misses some of the numbers you want included. This occurs when blank cells appear in the row or column AutoSum is asked to add?AutoSum stops adding when it encounters a blank cell. Replace the blank cell with 0 and update the cell containing your AutoSum formula. This can also occur when you have inserted rows or columns without updating the formula. If you insert rows or columns and your sums aren't working properly, remove the formula and reinsert it.

What to Do If Word Cuts Off the Tops of Letters in a Table Cell

If you use the Exactly setting to set a row height shorter than the text in the row, Word cannot display all the text in the row and cuts off some of the top. Instead, use the At Least setting, unless you have specific typographical or design reasons for setting exact measurements. If you must use Exactly, increase the size of the row.

A similar problem can occur?within or outside a table?when you set the line spacing of paragraphs to Exactly in the Format, Paragraph dialog box. (This sometimes can occur without your knowledge when you import a document from another word processing format.) Again, the solution is to use the At Least line spacing setting if at all possible, and if you must use the Exactly setting, to increase the value.