Word 2010 - list number style wont restart at 1

Anonymous
2013-01-29T15:06:46+00:00

I am using the default list numbering in a pretty basic but large (450 page) document.  No macros, no custom styles...I am simply using the default headers and the list numbering.

the trouble all started when i decided it would look better to left align the list numbering.  When I have done this type of thing with regular headers there has never been a problem.  You can easily apply new formatting and apply to the entire document. 

With the List Number style this didnt work.  I found online a suggestion of using the Set Numbering Value at 1 each time which I have been doing for over 2 weeks now but the lists keep reassigning the starting numbers arbitrarily so some lists start at 98 and others at 74 and on and on.  I keep changing them back to start at 1 but again they reset themselvs.

This is an instruction manual so there are alot of short lists (steps on what to do) within alot of sections.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

46 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Stefan Blom 353.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2015-05-27T00:09:44+00:00

    Did anyone ever solve this for you?  Funny, I was having the same issue and it really was a simple fix; that is, after I figured it out. I couldn't find an answer anywhere and here is one of those places.  In 2010, Just double click on the "A" or first letter/number of the list you want to restart, and then right click, where you will have the option to choose restart list. 

    This is a rather old thread, by now. I don't remember if the possibility of restarting via the right-click (context) menu was ever discussed. Sometimes, that option may be preferrable (as you have noticed).

    That said, note that using the right-click menu means that you force a restart on the list. It sets a "restart marker" which overrides the numbering format. A more robust approach is letting higher levels of a multilevel list restart lower levels.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2015-05-26T20:14:23+00:00

    Did anyone ever solve this for you?  Funny, I was having the same issue and it really was a simple fix; that is, after I figured it out. I couldn't find an answer anywhere and here is one of those places.  In 2010, Just double click on the "A" or first letter/number of the list you want to restart, and then right click, where you will have the option to choose restart list.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Stefan Blom 353.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2014-11-06T09:54:01+00:00

    "Greyed out"... After some serious research I found out why it was greyed out in my own docs and how to solve! Here it is.

    I had lots of tracked changes, incl. ones that included the numbering etc. That seems to confuse Word. I accepted all changes around that numbered paragraph and...... instatntly the "Restart at 1" re-appeared! Hoorah. SORTED!

    Lesson learned: don't make it too difficult for Word, especially not with Tracked Changes!

    What you are describing is a known limitation: As long as you are tracking changes, auto numbering and field results will not display properly. As you have noticed, accepting changes (and turning off the tracking) fixes it.

    I believe the post to which you are responding discusses restarts in multilevel lists, though, not restarting via the right-click/context menu.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2014-11-06T08:44:48+00:00

    "Greyed out"... After some serious research I found out why it was greyed out in my own docs and how to solve! Here it is.

    I had lots of tracked changes, incl. ones that included the numbering etc. That seems to confuse Word. I accepted all changes around that numbered paragraph and...... instatntly the "Restart at 1" re-appeared! Hoorah. SORTED!

    Lesson learned: don't make it too difficult for Word, especially not with Tracked Changes!

    Wim

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2014-10-13T15:36:00+00:00

    was trying to fix this problem myself for documents at work. I know this was over a year ago you had this problem, not sure if you got it fixed or not. if not check out this link..

    http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/microsoft-office/correct-a-word-document-when-lists-wont-renumber-correctly/

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments