Fix: Table Formatting Not Working in Word

Fixing Table Problems

Tables in Word can become difficult to manage, especially when cells won’t resize, borders disappear, or alignment goes wrong.

Step-by-Step Fix

Problem: Columns Won’t Resize

1. Select the entire table
2. Right-click > AutoFit > AutoFit to Contents or AutoFit to Window
3. For manual control: right-click > Table Properties > Column tab
4. Set specific widths for each column

Problem: Table Extends Beyond Page Margins

1. Select the table
2. Right-click > AutoFit > AutoFit to Window
3. Or: Table Properties > Table tab > set Preferred width to 100% in percent

Problem: Cell Text Not Aligning

1. Select the cells
2. Go to Table Layout > Alignment group
3. Choose from the 9 alignment options (top-left, center-center, etc.)

Problem: Borders Missing or Wrong

1. Select the table
2. Go to Table Design > Borders dropdown
3. Click All Borders to reapply standard borders
4. For custom borders: Borders > Borders and Shading dialog

Problem: Table Splits Across Pages

To keep a row from splitting:

1. Select the table
2. Right-click > Table Properties > Row tab
3. Uncheck Allow row to break across pages

To repeat header row on each page:

1. Select the header row
2. Go to Table Layout > Repeat Header Rows

Problem: Can’t Select or Edit Table

1. Try clicking in the margin to the left of the table
2. Use Alt+5 on the numeric keypad (with Num Lock off) to select the table
3. Or use Table Layout > Select > Select Table