Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Moving to the Start or End of the Real Document.
In other issues of WordTips you learn how to use the HomeKey and EndKey methods to move to the beginning or end of a document within a VBA macro. These work great, provided the insertion point is within the main body of the document when the macro is executed. It doesn't always work as expected if the insertion point is someplace else, however.
For instance, if your insertion point is located in a header or footer, then HomeKey and EndKey will result in moving to the beginning or end of the header or footer, not the entire document. To make absolutely sure you go to where you expect in the document, this means you need to use a different VBA approach. The following code line will take you to the beginning of the document, regardless of your insertion point location:
Selection.GoTo What:=wdGoToSection, Which:=wdGoToFirst
Likewise, to jump to the end of the real document you can use the following:
ActiveDocument.Characters.Last.Select Selection.Collapse
The lack of elegance and symmetry between the two commands is unfortunate, but without knowing where the insertion point is located, these commands are safer than using HomeKey and EndKey alone.
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13315) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Moving to the Start or End of the Real Document.
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2021-04-11 01:30:08
Ken Endacott
A neater way is to use bookmarks that Word predefines.
Selection.GoTo What:=wdGoToBookmark, Name:="\EndOfDoc"
Selection.GoTo What:=wdGoToBookmark, Name:="\StartOfDoc"
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: 
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