Need help undoing what i goofed on Office 97

['69Custom]

Office 97 being run through Windows 98.

I don't know exactly what I did so I don't understand how to reverse it. I was creating a Word document and tried adding some clip art. When it posted on the page, a second page was created below and all of my text was bumped down to that second page. I attempted to figure out why this was happening and get everything to co-exist. I thought I was successful when I grouped the clip art and a rectangle through the drawing format. However, as I continued on, I discovered that all of a sudden now when I add any drawing object or word art, the same thing occurs and my text gets bumped down to a second page. This never happened until I played with the clip art.

Anyone have any suggestions on what I did and how to reverse it so I won't have to reinstall? I have my Word software very customized as far as tool bars go and I don't want to have to recreate it all.

Thank you.

[flagstar]

Which office version are you using now?

Literally, inserting a clip art will also automatically create a gap (around 1.5) and if you don't use text warp, text below the clip art will be pushed down further and possibly to second page.

['69Custom]

I'm using Office 97 Professional Edition.

I understand what you're saying. What do you think I could've done though to affect Word Art and Drawing objects to have the same impact on the page when they didn't before?

[flagstar]

By default, anything that wasn't text (pictures, wordart etc.) will force push text for itself to be in the page. It also happen in Office '03 and '07 because it was set to be like that.

To bypass, you have to simply right click the clip art, select Text Wrap and select Through. That way, your clip art will be like a background (behind the text) and it's free to move anywhere you want in the page.

['69Custom]

That's really odd. I've been using Word 97 almost since it was new (different copies on different PCs), and never have I had Word Art, Drawing objects or text boxes do that. For years, when I insert any of these, they have always automatically floated over anything already on the page.

Still, I'll give that a shot and see what happens. I just find it strange that my experience has been just the opposite of what you describe the "default" to be.

[flagstar]

Well that's the case for most msoffice. It was defaulted to set as 'between text'. If you've changed the default setting to 'Above text', i think it may have reverted back to 'between text'

Also office '97 can't handle so many clip art layering on each other. When you do that, instead of layer it on top of another clip art, it'll push below clip art. Think of this as 97 curse

['69Custom]

Before this happened to me yesterday, I have never altered any default setting to allow Word Art or the like to float above the text. I wouldn't know how but it sounds like that is what I need now. Honestly, it has just always done that all by itself. Even when I tried upgrading to Office 2003, it still floated automatically. I didn't like that version though so I went back to 97.

I don't really ever mess with Clip Art. Yesterday was an experiment and I only added one item when this occurred. I do regularly add many Word Art and Drawing objects to my documents but they've never led to any issues, and I wasn't loaded down this time around either. So this wasn't the result of the curse.

I made the attempt suggested and it both worked and didn't work. I inserted Word Art into the same document I had been preparing yesterday. Same result: text was bumped down to a second page. I tried the text wrapping and it restored my text while placing my Word Art beneath. From there I couldn't drag and drop it. To solve this I changed the order to bring it in front of the text. Bingo!

BUT, I tried it a second time with more Word Art and an inserted rectangle. It didn't work for either. So, I closed down the document, re-opened it, and did it again. It worked three times in a row. Still, I'd rather not have to go through this added step if someone knows how I can restore the original function.

UPDATE:Success!! Random inspiration hit so I tried something that so far seems to have solved my problem. I tried the text wrapping again, except this time, instead of selecting "through" wrapping, I selected "none." I did it once and since then all Word Art and Drawing objects are floating like they always have before. I've closed and opened several documents and made repeated attempts. The fix seems to be holding.

Thanks for leading me in this direction! I wouldn't have thought of it without you.

[flagstar]

Glad to see you've solved your problem. I haven't help much, just telling you what I've done before to solve it.

['69Custom]

You got me headed in the right direction and that's what matters. Before that, I had exhausted all my own ideas.

['69Custom]

Well, dag nabbit! Looks like my problem wasn't completely solved after all!

Getting further into my project, it appeared all was well, yet, as I worked formatting inserted Word Art and Text Boxes, it started happening all over again. Sure, I can correct it via Text Wrapping, but doing so each time is time consuming. Even after I correct the matter, if I do anything with Grouping, it just repeats.

What I have noticed is that this seems directly tied to the Grouping feature. Any new Drawing item I insert on the page is immediately given the option to Regroup, even when it has never been grouped before.

[flagstar]

Lets see. It looks like it wasn't text wrapping problem at all... Something inside office that change how it works normally.

To correct this, you'll have to reset the setting used in your office but it'll have to do it from registry but i'm not really familiar with office 97 system (registry and stuff) so I can't help you to reset it step by step.

I'll look out for anything that might help you solve your problem.

Did you remember what you did to your computer the last time you use it (it doesn't have to be office) like games or stuff?

['69Custom]

I agree with you. I had never used Text Wrapping so I never considered the problem originated from there. I've always associated it with Clip Art/Drawing.

A new aspect of the issue presented itself while working tonight: the defaults for inserting Drawing objects have also changed, but actually did so tonight while working on a document. Bear in mind that I have changed no settings while working, but out of nowhere when I drew a line or inserted a rectangle, each came out light grey in color instead of traditional black, and the rectangle was filled with color. Why this happened and when, I don't understand. The problems are strange enough but the fact that they are continuing to manifest themselves is even more so.

As for what I did when this problem began, all I can tell you was that I was working on a Word document and everything was functioning normally as it always did. When I chose to insert Clip Art for the first time, it was bumping my text off the page. I played with trying to mix it with and group it with Drawing objects in a new, separate document and then cut and paste it to where I wanted to apply it. I remember right clicking the Clip Art and playing with the options there as well.

Eventually I got the grouping to work and went about my business. It was the next Drawing object I inserted afterward that this new bumping issue began.