Document Map in MS Word 2007 going bonkers
I’m working on a large project report in Microsoft Word 2007 and have been using the document map to generate the index. I have been carefully selecting the headers that need to be added to the document map, but I saved the document and opened it up today to work on it – the document map has added whatever it pleases there.
The following is a temporary fix from a post that I found (The above image is also copied from that page) after extensive searching that works, but when I save and close the document and open it up again I face the same dilemma:
I have noticed that when Word stuffs up the document map after opening the file, I can undo this by using the UNDO button. Word calls it ‘Autoformat’.
I have also fixed a file that has had the document map screwed permanently (i.e., saved with it) by selecting all (Ctrl+A), selecting the PARAGRAPH drop down menu in the HOME TAB and in the OUTLINE drop down box, selecting ‘Body Text’. This removed all the problems and did not seem to affect my outline level paragraph headings.
This is also another temporary fix, but I have to be on my toes not to let Word auto format at the start of the document. I also can’t afford to entirely turn off auto format as I need it.
I’ve solved this problem for me.
When you open the file, a progress bar at the bottom first says Opening (ESC to Cancel) and then it says Word is formatting the document (ESC to Cancel). If I cancel the second process, TOC fine. No cancelling, TOC screwed.
Now, can anyone work out how to switch off the autoformatting?
Solution 1:
There's a problematic section in your Word file that’s causing this.
The part of your document with the most errors in the Document Map, is the one. Extract this to another file. Then copy & paste the remaining contents to a new document and it should be clean. :)
Solution 2:
If you have Table of Contents or Table of Figures and you update the entire table, the Document Map MUST BE OPEN when you update to maintain the same document map. If the Document Map button is not clicked and you cannot see the Document map, then when you update a table it will create a new document map and screw it up.
The same thing happens if the Word Application is closed while the Document Map is open. When Word launches the next time, it thinks it is supposed to create a Document Map for any file opened and screws it up. Instead, close the document map BEFORE CLOSING Word. Then when Word opens next time, it doesn't try to create the Document Map. When you click the Document Map box it will use the existing Document Map you expect.
Also do not save a document with a bad document map or it is the new document map.
Solution 3:
I encountered many errors like this while tracking changes. The document map attempts to parse the changes instead of ignoring them and can result in errors. If you are tracking changes, try accepting all, or turning off tracking and deleting any changes to headers or heading numbers.
Solution 4:
I solved this problem with the method
found here or here.
I couldn't find any other working workaround, and I didn't wanted to password protect just to stop auto-format, and didn't wanted to copy all the parts of the document into a new one, etc.
The trick is to create and apply an Outline Level 1 style to something which was Body Text before.
In my "corrupted" document with this behavior (always showing corrupted document map after reopening the document, no matter what formatting or other proposed trick), I saved a new style called "Title 2" (Title was the original, and was "body text" outline) and applied to the "Title" text "Table of Contents". After that I re-applied the style to every "corrupted" parts pressing Ctrl+Q. Now the Document Map works OK.
Solution 5:
In MS Word 2007, open the document, press Ctrl+A (to select the entire document), right-click and choose “Paragraph”. In the “Paragraph” dialog box, “Indents and Spacing” tab, click the “Outline Level” down arrow, choose “Body Text”, and click “OK”. (This will not change your heading levels.)
"Save As" the document to a Rich Text File (.rtf) then save it back as an MS Word .docx. This has fixed my problem. Hope it helps you!