In Word 2003, a decimal tab stop that aligns numeric data in the cells of a table column with the right border of the cells may cause the rightmost digit to not be visible

Consider the following scenario:

• A Microsoft Word 2000 document contains a table.
• A column in the table contains numeric data.
• The column contains a decimal tab stop that aligns the numeric data in the cells of the column with the right border of the cells.
• The document is saved and closed.

When you use Microsoft Office Word 2003 to open this document, the rightmost digit of the numeric data is not visible.

This problem may occur even after you install the hotfix that is described in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

This problem was first fixed in a hotfix that is now contained in a service pack. If you installed the latest Office 2003 service pack, you do not have to install the hotfix.

Service pack information

This problem is corrected in Office 2003 Service Pack 3.

After you install the service pack, follow the steps that are listed in the "How to enable the hotfix" section of the article to set the AlternateBreakThroughTab registry key and to activate the hotfix.

Hotfix information

How to obtain the hotfix

This issue is fixed in the Word 2003 post-Service Pack 2 Hotfix Package that is dated November 28, 2005. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

How to enable the hotfix

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 Word 2003.
2. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
3. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Options
4. After you select the subkey that is specified in step 3, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click DWORD Value.
5. Type AlternateBreakThroughTab, and then press ENTER.
6. Right-click AlternateBreakThroughTab, and then click Modify.
7. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
8. On the File menu, click Exit to 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 2003 Service Pack 3.