Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Turning Off Background Repagination.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 25, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
By default, Word automatically repaginates your document as you work. At times, this may slow down the program to the point where you consider it unacceptable. The solution is to turn off the background repagination. Word will then only paginate the document when you print or perform some other action that requires pagination (such as using Print Preview). To turn off background repagination, follow these steps:
Figure 1. The General tab of the Options dialog box.
You should note that the background repagination option is not applicable in Print Layout or Page Layout view. (The name of the view depends on your version of Word.) This is because Word must automatically repaginate in that view to enable the proper display of information on the screen.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1261) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Turning Off Background Repagination.
The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2019. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2019 For Dummies today!
One of the formatting attributes you can add to text is to make it "hidden," which means you can control whether it is ...
Discover MoreWord automatically maintains a number of properties for each document you create. As part of those properties you can ...
Discover MoreWhen working with printed documents, many people prefer to see the document double-spaced. If you have a single-spaced ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here:
Comments