Strange symbol in a strange box

I've been given a Word 2003 DOC to edit. Most of the document is normal
text. However, in the right edge of the pages, outside of the right margin
indicator, is a column of boxes drawn with dashed lines. In two corners of
each box is a symbol that looks like an "O" with four short "rays" or dots
around it, spaced at about 1, 4, 7, and 10 o'clock. The column looks like a
film strip with sprocket holes. I wish I could draw it for you.

I need to insert short text strings in these boxes, for example "2468".
However, the boxes are not live for me - I can't move a cursor into them or
insert text.

Can anybody tell me what is going on, and how to edit these boxes?

It sounds like it's a table that's been made floating, anchored in the header
(or maybe in the footer, but the header is more likely) and dragged into the
margin. The symbol you describe is what Word uses for the end-of-cell and
end-of-row markers, although those usually aren't visible unless you turn on
nonprinting character display by clicking the ¶ button, and there would be only
one in each cell.

Try double-clicking in the header area to open it, and then see if you can get
the cursor into the boxes then.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all
may benefit.

On Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:47:26 -0500, "Peter Rooney"
wrote:

I've been given a Word 2003 DOC to edit. Most of the document is normal
text. However, in the right edge of the pages, outside of the right margin
indicator, is a column of boxes drawn with dashed lines. In two corners of
each box is a symbol that looks like an "O" with four short "rays" or dots
around it, spaced at about 1, 4, 7, and 10 o'clock. The column looks like a
film strip with sprocket holes. I wish I could draw it for you.

I need to insert short text strings in these boxes, for example "2468".
However, the boxes are not live for me - I can't move a cursor into them or
insert text.

Can anybody tell me what is going on, and how to edit these boxes?

Yes, that was it. A table anchored in the header. Now I can write in the
boxes. For what mysterious reason, I have still to learn.
Thanks.

"Jay Freedman" wrote in message
...
It sounds like it's a table that's been made floating, anchored in the
header
(or maybe in the footer, but the header is more likely) and dragged into
the
margin. The symbol you describe is what Word uses for the end-of-cell and
end-of-row markers, although those usually aren't visible unless you turn
on
nonprinting character display by clicking the ¶ button, and there would be
only
one in each cell.

Try double-clicking in the header area to open it, and then see if you can
get
the cursor into the boxes then.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup
so all
may benefit.

On Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:47:26 -0500, "Peter Rooney"

wrote:

I've been given a Word 2003 DOC to edit. Most of the document is normal
text. However, in the right edge of the pages, outside of the right margin
indicator, is a column of boxes drawn with dashed lines. In two corners of
each box is a symbol that looks like an "O" with four short "rays" or dots
around it, spaced at about 1, 4, 7, and 10 o'clock. The column looks like
a
film strip with sprocket holes. I wish I could draw it for you.

I need to insert short text strings in these boxes, for example "2468".
However, the boxes are not live for me - I can't move a cursor into them
or
insert text.

Can anybody tell me what is going on, and how to edit these boxes?