Shifting Margins Evident in Word 2002

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 23, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2000, 2002, and 2003


Matt is experiencing a problem with documents created in Word 2000 and then viewed in Word 2002. He's noticing a shift in the top and bottom margins of the pages. When he opens a document that was created in Word 2000 on a Word 2002 system, the two margins are shifted upwards, even though the margin settings are the same.

This is caused by different ways in which the two versions of Word calculate the effect that line spacing has on the margins. The easiest way to make sure that the two versions handle margins the same is to follow these steps:

  1. Open the document in the Word 2000 system.
  2. Choose Options from the Tools menu. Word displays the Options dialog box.
  3. Make sure the Compatibility tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.)
  4. Figure 1. The Compatibility tab of the Options dialog box.

  5. Note which compatibility options are selected. Pay particular attention to the settings entitled Suppress Extra Line Spacing at Bottom of Page and Suppress Extra Line Spacing at Top of Page.
  6. Close the Options dialog box.
  7. Open the document in the Word 2002 system.
  8. Choose Options from the Tools menu. Word displays the Options dialog box.
  9. Make sure the Compatibility tab is displayed.
  10. Make sure the compatibility options are set the same as they are on the Word 2000 system.
  11. Close the Options dialog box.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (297) applies to Microsoft Word 2000, 2002, and 2003.

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Opening a Workbook but Disabling Macros

Macros that run automatically when you open or close a workbook are quite helpful. You may not want them to run, however, ...

Discover More

Renaming and Deleting Icons

Want to change the name of a desktop icon or get rid of it entirely? It's easier to do than you probably think!

Discover More

Multiple References to an Endnote

Adding endnotes in a document is easy in Word. If you want to create multiple references to a single endnote, you can do ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! Are you ready to harness the full power of Word 2013 to create professional documents? In this comprehensive guide you'll learn the skills and techniques for efficiently building the documents you need for your professional and your personal life. Check out Word 2013 In Depth today!

More WordTips (menu)

Getting Rid of the Task Pane on Startup

Tired of the task pane appearing every time you start Word? Here's how to get rid of it.

Discover More

Automatically Updating Fields and Links

You can update fields and links automatically when you print your document, but what if you want them updated when you ...

Discover More

Misbehaving Rulers

When upgrading from Word 2000 to 2002, many people have a problem with the Ruler function. This tip explains how to fix ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 7 + 9?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.