Heading 2 numbering not resetting to follow preceding Heading 1.

Anonymous
2011-02-24T03:04:29+00:00

I have a document in Word 2007 that I have created for use as a template. I have done this via the modification of another document that was already fomatted with TOC, headers and footers, page numbers, heading numbering etc. I have been modifying/creating new "styles" rather than just formatting text.

This all seems to be working well except for heading 2 numbering, which is not resetting to follow the preceding heading 1 number. For example: -

  1. Heading 1; is followed by 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
  2. Heading 2; followed by 1.4,1.5..... (carried on from previous list)

Heading 3 is resetting to follow the preceding heading as it should (i.e. 1.2 is followed by 1.2.1, 1.2.2 etc.).

There is no "restart numbering" option when I right click over the numbering in text. When I try to modify Heading 2 in Styles and select format>numbering the field does not recognise that the numbering is secong tier (i.e. 1.1, 1.2..etc) and only shows first tier options (i.e. 1, 2, 3...etc). I cannot seem to find any option in the modify style dialogue box to link the numbering.

When I base heading 2 on heading 1, formatting reverts to mimic heading 1 exactly and I cannot then reformat heading 2 to second tier numbering using the modify dialogue box as once again it is only recognising first tier numbering. The heading 2 that I am using is currently based on heading 2 from the original document and has been re-labelled "heading 2 VE".    

I know that not building the document from scratch is naughty but I'm only mediocre at MS word and it would take me ages. Please tell me there's a simple trick and I don't have to start again!

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Anonymous
2012-06-15T15:32:23+00:00

Did you try using  the built-in numbering scheme before you  created one from scratch?  If you don't have any customizations to the number formatting or style, indents, and such, the built-in scheme is all you need.

You can "start over" by putting the cursor in the first heading 1, clicking the multilevel list icon, and in the list gallery, clicking the built-in numbering badge that shows this:  1 Heading 1, 1.1 Heading, 1.1.1 Heading 3, etc.

Even if you want only minor customizations, though, you may want a list style in your template. So after you have applied the built-in number scheme and with the cursor still in  the first heading 1, go back to the list gallery and click Define new List Style (name the list style) > Format  > Numbering.  The dialog will show all the settings of the current list (where the cursor is) except that no headings will be linked to the numbering levels.  Customize the settings and add the heading links. 

One of the advantages of starting with a built-in list is that the number fields and restarts are already there and correct.   But the biggest one is that you don't have to do all of those steps and clicks!

Pam

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Suzanne S Barnhill 279.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2011-02-24T03:23:17+00:00

You must set up the heading numbering as a multilevel list linked to the heading styles. If you select the 1 Heading 1, 1.1 Heading 2, 1.1.1 Heading 3 list type in the Multilevel List gallery, the list levels will be linked to the styles automatically, will have the numbering you want, and will restart after higher levels. For more on this, seehttp://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/numbering20072010.html.

Once the numbering is linked to the styles, you can modify the formatting of the styles any way you like (in the Modify Style dialog) except wrt numbering; any changes to the numbering or indents (left or hanging) must be made in the Define New Multilevel List dialog.

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  1. Stefan Blom 352.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2015-05-20T08:11:29+00:00

    You can't add the same set of paragraph styles to two list styles at once, if that is what you are trying to do.

    Like Pam, I'd be interested in taking a look at the document.

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  2. Stefan Blom 352.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2015-05-20T08:22:22+00:00

    I agree, though, that the only reason to  go to the trouble of creating a list style is to get repeatability when a multilevel list must be customized (Different numeral styles such as a,b,..., 1,2,..., or bullet, dash,...;  or different indents, restarts, and the like.). 

    Of course, you can modify a multilevel list even if it isn't attached to a list style.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-05-20T11:58:52+00:00

    So, not sure what you mean by "you can modify a multilevel list even if it isn't attached to a list style", though.

    Technically, multilevel/outline lists cannot be  modified.  When you change any of the number settings, you create a new list.   MS very carefully avoided using the term "modified" with  outline lists in W2003 and before.  And even though I read many a rant about the proliferation of outline lists in docs that supposedly caused document bloat and corruption, I pretty much equated "customize" and "modify" until w2007 and  list styles came out.   List styes can be modified. Both regular multilevel list and the multilevel list style, of course, can be linked to paragraph styles.

    Cheers

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