Master Doc and deleting Section Breaks

yepp

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Dec 30, 2005, 4:55:08 PM12/30/05

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I read from a reference here that section breaks are the major cause
(or A major cause) of Master corruption. Instructions said to delete
all section breaks, but.... that is not allowed on Master Documents.
You can't delete the section breaks. Do you have to create a macro or
something to do this?

I am resorting to Master only because I have about 15000 page document
and the "customer" wants it in one Master Document.

Cindy M -WordMVP-

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Dec 31, 2005, 10:51:43 AM12/31/05

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Hi Yepp,

Does the customer really want a Master document, or just a "master"
document? If he's certain he wants a Word Master Document, which
features available ONLY in Master Docs does he hope to use?

I generally have no problem removing section breaks in a Master
document... Which version of Word are you using? How are you trying to
delete the section breaks?

Note that the section breaks are necessary if you need to retain
individual page setup information or headers/footers from the
sub-documents.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question
or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-)

yepp

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Jan 3, 2006, 9:30:39 AM1/3/06

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Hi. I'm using Word2002. If I right-click and try to cut the break or
press delete, it will not let me do that.

Message reads "You cannot change a locked subdocument or Master
document." I do not see the section breaks in expanded mode. Only on
the outline view.

Cindy M -WordMVP-

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Jan 3, 2006, 10:50:20 AM1/3/06

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Hi Yepp,

> I'm using Word2002. If I right-click and try to cut the break or
> press delete, it will not let me do that.
>

Try positioning the cursor just before (or, in the Outline view "on")
the section break. Shift+Right arrow to select it. Now press Delete.

> Message reads "You cannot change a locked subdocument or Master
> document." I do not see the section breaks in expanded mode. Only on
> the outline view.
>

Cindy Meister

yepp

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Jan 3, 2006, 11:36:24 AM1/3/06

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I still get the same message.... "You cannot change a locked
subdocument or Master document."

Cindy M -WordMVP-

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Jan 4, 2006, 12:29:18 PM1/4/06

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Hi Yepp,

> I still get the same message.... "You cannot change a locked
> subdocument or Master document."
>

Have you expanded the Master document to display the full
document texts? You do need to do that in order to make any
changes...

yepp

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Jan 4, 2006, 1:13:46 PM1/4/06

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Yes, I have them expanded.

I am inserting subdocuments (other word documents) From the
instructions on the Help menu, it says

"Microsoft Word inserts a next page section break before the
subdocument and a continuous section break after it."

Since MS inserts these page breaks, maybe that is why I cannot delete
them??

Cindy M -WordMVP-

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Jan 6, 2006, 9:08:21 AM1/6/06

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Hi Yepp,

> I am inserting subdocuments (other word documents) From the
> instructions on the Help menu, it says
>
> "Microsoft Word inserts a next page section break before the
> subdocument and a continuous section break after it."
>
> Since MS inserts these page breaks, maybe that is why I cannot delete
> them??
>

Well, *I* can delete them, so that's not the issue...

Best guess, in this case, is that the file structure has been damaged -
not so unusual for a Master Document (which is why one discourages
their use).

If you start over with a new Master document and insert a couple of
documents can you delete these section breaks?

And, I'll come back again to a question I asked right at the beginning
of this discussion: Are you absolutely sure the customer wants to use
this feature? WHY does he insist on it? What does it offer him that's
not otherwise available? How is he planning to use it?

yepp

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Jan 6, 2006, 5:24:24 PM1/6/06

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Hi Cindy,

Yes, I started several new "Masters" and the same thing happens on all.
Even one with only 1 sub document added.

The finished file is to put into PDF format and sent to the customer.
Also, that is what they requested. But, I have had so much trouble, I
started to make files of 500 pages each and will do a separate TOC in a
document and reference them.

After I am finished with the separate 500 pages, I will *TRY* to
incorporate them into a Master file, but I have doubts.

I don't know why you can delete section breaks and I can't. I am using
XP.

Jonathan West

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Jan 7, 2006, 5:27:44 AM1/7/06

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If you want to keep the chapters in separate files but don't want to use a
Master Document, take a look at this article

Creating a Table of Contents Spanning Multiple Documents
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=148

--
Regards
Jonathan West - Word MVP
www.intelligentdocuments.co.uk
Please reply to the newsgroup
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Cindy M -WordMVP-

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Jan 9, 2006, 11:07:02 AM1/9/06

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Hi Yepp,

> The finished file is to put into PDF format and sent to the customer.
> Also, that is what they requested. But, I have had so much trouble, I
> started to make files of 500 pages each and will do a separate TOC in a
> document and reference them.
>

If what's being delivered to the customer is a single PDF file, I can't
understand why they'd insist (or care) how you produce it... You should
definitely take a look at the link Jonathan has pointed you at.

> After I am finished with the separate 500 pages, I will *TRY* to
> incorporate them into a Master file, but I have doubts.
>

So have I :-)

Charles Kenyon

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Jan 11, 2006, 11:44:19 AM1/11/06

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You do _not_ need to use the Master Document "feature" and should avoid
doing so. "Master Document" is a term of art in Word referring to a
"feature" that not only doesn't work but also destroys documents. The
consensus (with the limited exception of Steve Hudson) among those offering
advice on these newsgroups is that using the Master Document feature is a
good way to
destroy your document. It can destroy parts of your document that you are
not even working on! I think John McGhie said it succinctly when he said
that there are two kinds of Master Documents: Those that are corrupt and
those that will be corrupt soon. See
http://www.addbalance.com/word/masterdocuments.htm for information on the
Master Document feature and workarounds. See
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/WhyMasterDocsCorrupt.htm for more
information on what goes wrong, and
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/RecoverMasterDocs.htm for ideas on how
to salvage what you can. See
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/magazine/technical/masterdocs.doc for
Steve Hudson's instructions if you are willing to follow them very
carefully.

--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/ which is awesome!
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