Cannot View Multiple Pages at Once

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 15, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021


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Martha is working in Print Layout view in her document. In the past she could view multiple pages at the same time while in this view. However, if she now displays the View tab of the ribbon, the familiar Multiple Pages tool is gone; it is no longer in the Zoom group. Martha wonders what would cause this change.

We haven't heard any scuttlebutt that Microsoft is removing this option from the View tab of the ribbon, and the Multiple Pages tool still appears in our systems running the Microsoft 365 version of Word. (This is where Microsoft would first make any interface changes, if they were going to do so.)

So, this at least implies that the change is just on Martha's system. The first thing to check, then, is to reset the View tab of the ribbon to its default. You can do that by following the steps outlined in this tip:

https://tips.net/T9568

If that does not work, then you would be excused for thinking that, perhaps, Microsoft is toying with your copy of Word. (Well, at least if you are using the version of Word provided with Microsoft 365. That is the one that Microsoft can toy with on the fly.) In that case you can consider adding the Multiple Pages tool to your Quick Access Toolbar:

  1. Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 and later versions click the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
  2. At the left side of the dialog box click Customize (Word 2007) or Quick Access Toolbar (later versions of Word).
  3. Use the Choose Commands From drop-down list to choose All Commands.
  4. Scroll through the commands at the left side of the dialog box until you see the one called See Multiple Pages; click once on that command. (See Figure 1.)
  5. Figure 1. The See Multiple Pages command is selected at the left side of the dialog box.

  6. Click the Add button. This adds the See Multiple Pages command to the list at the right side of the dialog box.
  7. Use the controls at the right side of the dialog box to place your Quick Access Toolbar tools in the order desired.
  8. Click OK to save your changes.

At this point you can use the Multiple Pages tool that you just added in order to see multiple pages, as you had desired.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13901) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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What is 2 + 5?

2023-07-18 10:05:38

Paul Stregevsky

I think you've accidentally selected Side to Side mode. Select Vertical to reclaim your other viewing options: (see Figure 1 below)

Figure 1. Side to Side mode selected


2023-07-15 05:06:45

Janet Neubecker

The options you propose to fix the VIEW issues did not work for me. I also lost a range of VIEW options last week. All I have now is thumbnails. Zoom, 100%, one page, multiple pages and page width are greyed out.

I have looked at the OPTIONS possibilities but trying to add multiple pages back in seems impossible. Should I just try to refresh the whole application of Word?


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