Word 2010 Multilevel list - Numbers disappear

Thanks to everyone.  I continue to try to find solutions to these problems but it is clear to me that MS Word's multi-level numbering is not ready for prime time. If I select text and format a multi-level list it should remain formatted but it does not.

What makes matters worse is that I am often working from legacy documents (some go back over 10 years) and so they have embedded Word and WordPerfect codes from old versions that are impossible to find and delete (I still long for the old 'reveal codes' command from WordPerfect).  I am usually left with the prospect of converting the entire file to ASCII text and then reformatting pages of text.

I am waiting to find a word processor that will really work well with multi-level numbering.

Thanks again for all your help.

As I'm thinking about it, though - the heading styles may also have numbers set within them (in addition to the Multilevel list settings) - maybe that is causing a problem?

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You must always make changes to a multilevel list via the multilevel list dialog box; otherwise you break the numbering.

Thanks for the response! Automatically update document styles is not checked (and wasn't before, so shouldn't be the problem - I did check it, though!)

My document is already set up with multilevel lists, with heading styles linked to each level of the list. The styles I am using are Headings 1-9 that I have formatted. They are numbered via Multilevel lists. As I'm thinking about it, though - the heading styles may also have numbers set within them (in addition to the Multilevel list settings) - maybe that is causing a problem?

First of all, clear "Automatically update document styles" if it is selected.

If you are applying style sets to the document, note that these do not work reliably with numbered and bulleted styles. Avoid them and modify styles directly in the document instead.

Recreate the numbering for your headings as follows: Place the insertion point in the first Heading 1 paragraph of the document. Click Home tab | Multilevel List | Define New Multilevel List. Set up numbering as desired.

If you often create documents with heading numbering, set up a template with numbered styles.

I am having a very similar problem. I made a PDF from one of my documents (which has a list style set, linked to the heading 1-9 styles), and while the PDF was produced fine, when I returned to the document, the numbers had disappeared. After this happened, other documents I opened using the same style set ALSO had no numbers. I tried all the suggestions here. I was finally able to get the numbers back by modifying the list style, opening Format - Numbering, and clicking on each of the levels (but making no changes). When I closed out of those windows, the numbers returned. I did this for each document I had opened and saved them all. But now, sporadically, when I open them, the numbers are gone again. I also sent one of the documents (that had been working last time I opened it) to a coworker, and the numbers were gone when he opened it. Fixed, saved, closed, opened. Next day - numbers gone again.

I had been using these styles w/o problems for a couple weeks.

Any ideas? I am fresh out of them! Help!