# MS Word: "top margin" missing for new documents



## trevexcel2 (Dec 9, 2009)

(Windows XP, Office 2003) 

Please help, I'm a bit baffled! When I choose {file \ new}, or press ctrl + n, it creates a new blank document as one would expect, using as template {C:\Documents and Settings\ MyUserName\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates\Normal.dot}.

But the first words I type starts right at the top edge of the page, not below a (e.g. 1 inch) top margin. My menu has \ view \ ruler = yes. At the left of the Word editor, the ruler has no grey part at the top left as usually: All of it is white. (Inside a correct document, when I hold the mouse over the edge between the grey and white in the vertical ruler on the left, the yellow tooltip says 'top margin'.)

My {file \ page setup \ margins} all look normal: top margin = 2.54cm (=1 inch), bottom margin = 2.54cm also. The settings are like this for normal.dot also. When I open normal.dot on its own as a template (.dot) file, the first words correctly start below the 1 inch margin. But when I close normal.dot and press ctrl + n again for a new document, the first words are at the top again.

When I choose {view \ header and footer}, so that the cursor goes inside the header, and then toggle {view \ header and footer} off again, the first words indeed now correctly start below the 1 inch margin i.e. for some reason it is now correct. But the problem cannot be because my cursor simply starts off inside the header for a new document: When I'm first type some first words and then edit the header, my first words show outside the header while the cursor is inside the header.


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## trevexcel2 (Dec 9, 2009)

It now worked when I added this sub to my normal.dot.
But it's not really ideal is it?


```
Sub autoNew()
   ActiveWindow.ActivePane.View.SeekView = wdSeekCurrentPageHeader
   ActiveWindow.ActivePane.View.SeekView = wdSeekMainDocument
End Sub
```


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## starl (Dec 9, 2009)

sounds like you clicked on the space between pages. Nice little feature that makes it look like your top margin is gone.
Move your cursor to the space between pages until it turns into an up/down double arrow. At that point - click. Should "separate" your pages again.


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## trevexcel2 (Dec 10, 2009)

Wow it worked! Thanks so much. Incredibly subtle...


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## Dutchess (Aug 26, 2010)

wow, thank you, I had the same problem, and had before. thinking my template was corrupted.
solved the problem WITHIN 2 SECS. THANK YOU


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