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: Jumping to the End of Page after Enter.
Gretchen is experiencing a problem that just started happening in Word. When she types a line of text and presses Enter, the cursor automatically skips to the end of the page. She has re-set the defaults, restarted the computer, even re-installed the software, but it is still happening.
The problem is probably because of a setting in the layout of the page, as defined in your Normal.dot file. (When you reinstall the software, the installer doesn't overwrite an existing copy of Normal.dot, so any settings it contained before are still there after the reinstall.) Here's what to do:
Figure 1. The Layout tab of the Page Setup dialog box.
This will help correct the problem in future documents. If the problem exists in documents you previously created, you'll need to load the document and perform the same steps on them individually.
If you have the vertical alignment (step 4) set to some other value, then Word tries to distribute your text across the page vertically according to the setting. This can make it seem like the cursor jumps to the end of the page when you press Enter; if the Vertical Alignment drop-down is set to Justified, then the jump would be exactly as described after pressing Enter.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (3530) 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: Jumping to the End of Page after Enter.
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 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!
The strikethrough text feature in Word can be used as part of your document or to indicate that changes have been made to ...
Discover MoreIt is a good idea to make sure that the spacing following each sentence in your document is consistent. Here's a handy ...
Discover MoreVertical lines are even easier to add around a word than are horizontal lines. There are a variety of methods you can use ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2017-09-01 03:05:01
Sonjit
Thank you so much...It is really working
2017-02-11 02:55:44
susil
i am very happy. the instruction given above solved my problem better. Thanks you so much.
2017-02-05 16:27:11
Me
What do you mean by load the normal.dot file? How do you load a file?
2016-09-27 08:12:43
MickMMM
your tip did not help but I found another one that kind of did!
It is simpler - get the Paragraph dropdown list (little arrow @ bottom corner of status bar paragraph section, home tab.
Then in the left tab "Line and Page breaks" uncheck the last 3 boxes of "Pagination" ...That should be it.
"should be" because it did not work either for me at first and for some unknown reason I had to do and undo it a few times Then the miracle came! and it did when I checked them back??? And to make it more bizarre now these 3 are unchecked.
Why they also were checked when I had the problem after using this particular document for at least one month without a glitch is a mystery. But all of the sudden it drove me crazy yesterday.
2016-09-26 18:41:44
Mick MMM
I too think I followed your steps to correct this unwanted event.
second last step (Vertical alignment was already "top"
but I didn't know how to save as (normal dot) so just saved...And the problem is still there!
2016-05-19 01:40:28
Sud
Thank you very much.. it works
2016-03-03 13:54:08
Jill
Did that. Didn't help. Word 2013 is driving me crazy.
2015-11-03 15:46:25
Rebekah Seagraves
Thank you so much for your help! I was at a loss. Normally I can figure it out, but it's people like you who make life easier. Thank you again!
2015-09-01 06:48:02
Carol
Thank you so much. I was having a horrible time typing my assignments because the sudden unwanted formatting was such a pain. Among the 10 articles I read to solve my problem, yours is the only one that helped.
2015-08-21 03:50:04
Kit
Thank you so much!
2015-07-10 03:17:01
danny c s
Thank you so much. :)
2015-05-16 23:57:51
Subir
Thank you Team. Thank You very much. Problem solved.
2014-08-03 16:25:35
Tim
Awesome! Thanks for this info!
2014-04-30 12:30:27
super job................done 100%
2014-03-24 00:17:49
I have a similar problem. When I type say about four lines of text and hit Enter at the end of each one, for the first say three all is good but on the fourth the text just typed proceeds up the page and out of view. I then have to scroll back up to it via the scroll bars on the RHS. From this point it seems to work normally.
2014-03-17 11:28:53
Ena
Thank you so much, problem solved! :)
2014-01-07 01:02:52
Thank you very much for the online support. I had the same problem this morning and I was confused!
thank you again for your help
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2021 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