Have you ever created a document in Microsoft Word only to find that there’s an extra blank page at the end? It can be incredibly frustrating, especially if you don’t know how to get rid of it! If that sounds like a familiar problem, you’ll be glad to know that there are several ways you can delete a blank page in Microsoft Word.
In this article, we’ll go through the three simple steps you can take to get rid of that pesky extra page.
We’ll also discuss why deleting a blank page is necessary, what a page break is, and troubleshooting tips in case the delete key doesn’t work.
Ready to get started? Read on!
Table of Contents
Short Answer
To delete a blank page in Microsoft Word, go to the Page Layout tab and click on the Page Setup dialog box launcher.
In the Page Setup window, go to the Layout tab and under the Section start dropdown menu, select the option that is appropriate for your document.
You can then click OK.
This should delete any blank pages in your document.
You can also delete a blank page by pressing the Backspace key if the page is the last page of the document.
Why Deleting a Blank Page in Microsoft Word is Necessary
When it comes to creating documents in Microsoft Word, being able to efficiently delete a blank page is a necessary skill.
Unexpected blank pages can occur due to formatting errors, extra line breaks, or copy-pasting from another document.
Without this knowledge, deleting a blank page can be a time-consuming and frustrating process.
Fortunately, with a few simple steps, anyone can delete a blank page quickly and easily.
Having the ability to quickly remove a blank page is essential for achieving professional-looking documents.
Being able to make visual adjustments quickly and efficiently is also important if youre trying to create a consistent overall format and design.
Being able to delete a blank page also ensures that any important sections or information dont get lost due to blank pages.
Regardless of the reason, being able to delete a blank page is a basic skill that everyone should know in order to properly use Microsoft Word.
What is a Page Break in Microsoft Word?
A page break in Microsoft Word is a feature that allows you to divide your document into separate pages.
When you insert a page break, all content after that point will be located on a new page.
This is particularly helpful when you want to ensure that certain sections of your document appear on their own page.
For instance, if you want a title page, table of contents, or other information to appear on its own page, you can use a page break to accomplish this.
It’s also possible to manually insert page breaks into your document, and this is often necessary when dealing with large documents.
Page breaks are also helpful for formatting purposes, such as creating columns or ensuring that a particular page contains a certain amount of text.
Identifying the Page Break at the End of the Preceding Page
Identifying the page break at the end of the preceding page is the first step to deleting a blank page in Microsoft Word.
To do this, you’ll need to open the document and scroll down until you find the page break at the end of the preceding page.
The page break is usually indicated by a small line or a dotted line at the end of the page.
It’s important to note that the page break will only be visible if you are in Print Layout view.
To switch to Print Layout view, simply go to the View tab and select Print Layout.
Once you have identified the page break at the end of the preceding page, you can move on to the next step – highlighting the page break.
Highlighting the page break is important because it will allow the delete key to work properly.
To highlight the page break, simply click on it with your mouse.
It will become highlighted in blue, indicating that it is selected.
Once the page break is highlighted, you are ready to move on to the next step – pressing the delete key on your keyboard.
This will remove the blank page and you should be able to see the changes in the document.
It’s important to note that if the page break is not highlighted, the delete key won’t work.
So make sure that you have highlighted the page break before pressing the delete key.
Now that you know how to identify, highlight, and delete a blank page in Microsoft Word, you can easily remove any unwanted blank pages in your document.
Just remember to always check for the page break at the end of the preceding page, highlight it, and press the delete key on your keyboard.
With these simple steps, you can delete a blank page in Microsoft Word in no time.
Highlighting the Page Break
Highlighting the page break is the first step in deleting a blank page in Microsoft Word.
The page break is an invisible line that tells Word where one page ends and another begins.
To highlight the page break, simply click on the end of the preceding page.
This will select the page break and make it visible.
You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + 8 to toggle the page break visibility.
This can be useful if the page break isn’t visible or if you’re having trouble finding it.
Once the page break is highlighted, you can press the delete key on your keyboard to remove the blank page.
It’s important to make sure the page break is highlighted before pressing the delete key, as the delete key won’t work if the page break isn’t highlighted.
The Delete Key and Removing the Blank Page
The delete key is essential to removing a blank page in Microsoft Word.
The delete key on your keyboard is the key with the back arrow on it and is usually located near the backspace key.
When deleting a blank page, you’ll need to first click on the page break at the end of the preceding page.
This will highlight the page break and make it easier to delete.
Then, press the delete key on your keyboard and the blank page will be removed.
It’s important to note that the page break must be highlighted for the delete key to work.
If the page break isn’t highlighted, the delete key won’t remove the page.
To make sure the page break is highlighted, you can click on the page break with your mouse and the highlighting should appear.
If you still can’t get the page break to highlight, you can try using the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the cursor to the page break.
When you are deleting the blank page, it’s also important to make sure there is no text or content on the page.
If there is text or content on the page, you won’t be able to delete the page using the delete key.
You’ll need to manually delete the text or content before you can delete the page.
It’s also important to note that the delete key will not delete a page that is not blank.
If you try to delete a page that is not blank, the page will not be deleted and you will need to manually delete the content or text on the page.
Finally, the delete key will not delete a page that is part of a header or footer.
You’ll need to manually delete the page break from the header or footer in order to delete the page.
The page break in the header or footer can be deleted by clicking on the page break with your mouse and then pressing the delete key on your keyboard.
Troubleshooting Tips for When the Delete Key Doesn’t Work
It is possible to encounter a situation where the delete key will not delete a blank Microsoft Word page, even if the page break is highlighted.
This can be a frustrating experience and can make it difficult to get the desired results.
Fortunately, there are a few troubleshooting tips that can help you troubleshoot this issue and get the page removed.
First, be sure to check the page break.
It should be highlighted blue if it is selected.
If not, click on the page break to select it and then try the delete key again.
Second, check to make sure that the blank page is actually a page break.
It is possible that a blank page could be the result of a formatting issue or an extra space inserted into the document.
If this is the case, you can select the blank page by double-clicking it and then use the delete key to remove it.
Third, check to make sure that the delete key is functioning properly.
If the delete key is not working, try restarting your computer or checking to make sure that the delete key is not disabled in your Windows settings.
Finally, if all else fails, you can try using the Find and Replace feature in Microsoft Word.
Simply type a space in the Find field and nothing in the Replace field, and then click Replace All.
This will remove all blank pages from the document.
These are some tips to help you troubleshoot when the delete key fails to delete a blank Microsoft Word page.
Remember that the page break must be highlighted for the delete key to work and that it is possible that the page could be a formatting issue or an extra space inserted into the document.
If all else fails, try using the Find and Replace feature to remove the page.
Alternative Way to Remove a Blank Page in Microsoft Word
In addition to the simple steps outlined above for removing a blank page in Microsoft Word, there is an alternative way to delete an empty page.
This is by using the Go to command.
First, click the Home tab in the toolbar at the top of the document.
Select the Find option and enter ^13 in the Find What field.
Click Find Next to locate the page break.
This will highlight the page break.
Next, press the Delete key on your keyboard to remove the page.
This method of removing a blank page is especially useful if the page break is not visible.
Another way to remove a blank page in Microsoft Word is to adjust the page margins.
To do this, click the Page Layout tab in the toolbar and select the Margins section.
Adjust the top and bottom margins to be slightly smaller than the margins for the other pages in the document.
This will cause the blank page to be removed.
Finally, if all else fails, you can select the text on the page and copy it to a new document.
This will remove the blank page from the original document.
No matter which method you choose, deleting a blank page in Microsoft Word is a relatively easy task.
Following the simple steps outlined above or using one of the alternative methods, you can quickly and easily remove any unwanted blank pages from your documents.
Final Thoughts
Deleting a blank page in Microsoft Word is an easy and essential task.
By following the simple steps outlined in this article, you can quickly and easily remove any unwanted blank pages in your document.
Now that you know how to delete a blank page in Microsoft Word, why not give it a try and see for yourself just how simple the process is?