Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 13, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021
Vann creates documents all the time that use multiple sections. When adding headers or footers to these documents, the "Link to Previous" setting is always turned on. Van wonders if there is a way to turn the setting off, by default. He rarely, if ever, uses it, and changing it all the time is a bother; it is just one more thing he has to remember to check as he works with the document.
There is no way to specify a default for the Link to Previous setting within Word itself. You can, however, change how you add breaks into your document. If you do this via a macro, then the macro can easily turn off the Link to Previous setting for the new, added section. Here's a quick way to do it:
Sub AddBreak() Dim iSec As Integer Selection.InsertBreak Type:=wdSectionBreakNextPage iSec = Selection.Information(wdActiveEndSectionNumber) With ActiveDocument.Sections(iSec) .Headers(wdHeaderFooterPrimary).LinkToPrevious = False .Headers(wdHeaderFooterEvenPages).LinkToPrevious = False .Headers(wdHeaderFooterFirstPage).LinkToPrevious = False .Footers(wdHeaderFooterPrimary).LinkToPrevious = False .Footers(wdHeaderFooterEvenPages).LinkToPrevious = False .Footers(wdHeaderFooterFirstPage).LinkToPrevious = False End With End Sub
The .InsertBreak method actually inserts the break. In this case, it is a Next Page break. You can specify different types of breaks by simply changing the wdSectionBreakNextPage enumeration to one of these other types of breaks:
The macro then sets iSec equal to the current section's index number. This is then used in the With structure to set the LinkToPrevious property for all three types of headers and all three types of footers.
If you prefer, you could change the LinkToPrevious property for all the headers and footers in all sections of your document at once:
Sub ChangeAll() Dim s As Section For Each s In ActiveDocument.Sections s.Headers(wdHeaderFooterEvenPages).LinkToPrevious = False s.Headers(wdHeaderFooterFirstPage).LinkToPrevious = False s.Headers(wdHeaderFooterPrimary).LinkToPrevious = False s.Footers(wdHeaderFooterEvenPages).LinkToPrevious = False s.Footers(wdHeaderFooterFirstPage).LinkToPrevious = False s.Footers(wdHeaderFooterPrimary).LinkToPrevious = False Next s End Sub
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 (13502) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021.
The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!
If you can produce output on a number of different printers, you may want Word to indicate on your printouts which ...
Discover MoreEditing what is in your page header or footer is fairly easy, and you can use the same editing techniques you already ...
Discover MoreHeaders and footers provide a nice final touch for your printed documents. If you want to expertly align text in those ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2024 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments