The NumberPosition property does not retain a set value when you use Word 2002 or Word 2003 to open a Word 97 document

When you open a Microsoft Word 97 document in Microsoft Word 2002 or in Microsoft Office Word 2003, numbered lists may not appear as indented.

This problem occurs because the values for the NumberPosition properties, TextPosition properties or the TabPosition properties are not maintained when you open the Word 97 document in Word 2002 or in Word 2003.

Word 2003

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

To resolve this problem in Word 2003, add the following registry key. The fix is included in the initial release of Word 2003. Therefore, there is no hotfix to download for Word 2003.

1. Quit Microsoft Word
2. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. Locate and then click the following registry key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Options
4. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD value.
5. Type FavorWord97ListIndents to name the new value, and then press ENTER.
6. Right-click FavorWord97ListIndents, and then click Modify.
7. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
8. Quit Registry Editor.

Word 2002

Service Pack Information

This problem is corrected in Office XP Service Pack 3. To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Office XP. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Hotfix Information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.
The English version of this fix has the following file attributes or later: After the hotfix is installed, the English version of this fix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel. After you install this fix, follow the steps that are listed later in this section of this article to set the FavorWord97ListIndents registry key and to turn on the fix.

How to Enable the Hotfix by Using the FavorWord97ListIndents Registry Key

To turn on the product fix listed in this article, enter the following registry key and value.

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

1. Quit Microsoft Word if Word is running.
2. Click Start, and then click Run.
3. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
4. Locate and then select the following registry key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Word\Options
5. On the Edit menu, click New, and then click DWORD value.
6. Type FavorWord97ListIndents for the new value.
7. Press the ENTER key.
8. Right-click the FavorWord97ListIndents registry key, and then click Modify.
9. In the Value data box, type 1.
10. Click OK, and then quit Registry Editor.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. This problem was first corrected in Office XP Service Pack 3.

In Word 97, you can set the indent by using the Bullets and Numbering dialog box or, for example, by using the following line of code: For Word 97 documents, you can save the file, reopen the file, and see that the NumberPosition value is retained.

When you open these documents in Word 2002 or in Word 2003, the indents do not appear and the NumberPosition value is not retained.