Word: Pasting a row into a table doesn’t keep the column widths
October 21, 2010Problem
You have a Word table with several rows. You cut a row from the table and paste it into another position within the same table. The column widths don’t ‘honor’ the widths of the original row.
You figure out you can get around it by any of these methods:
- split the table, resize the column widths, then join the table back together again
- convert the table to text, then convert it back to a table again
- drag the columns to lock them into the previously established positions
- insert a blank row into the main table, then copy/paste the content from the cut row into the table cells.
But all of these solutions are painfully tedious and time-consuming. You should ask my husband just how painful — he had this problem and I heard him complain long and loud in frustration (he works with Word tables ALL the time)!
Solution
Check your Smart Cut and Paste settings and make sure the Adjust table formatting and alignment on paste check box is selected.
- Check the Smart cut and paste settings:
- Word 2003: On the menu, go to Tools > Options. Click the Edit tab.
- Word 2007: Click the Office button, then Word Options. Click Advanced in the left panel and scroll down to the Cut, copy and paste section.
- Make sure the Smart cut and paste check box is selected.
- Click the Settings button next to that check box.
- Make sure the Adjust table formatting and alignment on paste check box.
- Click OK to exit both windows.
Word 2003 window; the Word 2007 selections are the same, but the window is different
CyberText Newsletter 
I have Word 2010. The box in Settings was already checked and it still doesn’t work. I am copying from a large table of food properties (calories, fat, etc.) to a smaller table of daily food intake to keep track of calories, etc. The tables have the same exact format. When a new row is copied from the large table and pasted into the smaller table, the columns for that row are offset. The problem is that if the columns aren’t aligned exactly, the Sum Function won’t work properly. It is too much work and not always possible to align the width of each cell for these rows by hand.
Hi Linda
Are the tables you’re copying AND pasting into set to autofit the window? If not, try that for both the source and destination tables, then copy in the rows and see if that makes any difference. You can always take off the autofit setting later if you don’t want it.
One other trick I learned the other day from here (#8): http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-tips-for-working-with-word-tables/3594 is to move rows using Shift+Alt+(up or down) arrow key. This works for single or multiple rows. It *might* be of use.
Otherwise, I’m out of ideas.
–Rhonda
THANK YOU. Very helpful!
Hi Rhonda,
I am having the same problem copying and pasting rows *within the same table*. I am even experiencing this problem in a very simple table with just two rows and one column. I am using the current version of Word for Microsoft 365.
I tried applying your solution regarding the smart cut and paste but the column widths are still different. I also tried your suggestion of auto-fitting the table to the window, and also setting the preferred width of the table and column to 100%, but with no success. Do you have any further suggestions for stopping this very annoying experience?
Many thanks in advance!
Graham
Hi Graham
I certainly understand your pain, having had to deal with something similar recently. One thing I’ve found that may help is to create a new (blank) row within the table using the Insert Above or Insert Below commands, then copy just the CELLS of the row (DO NOT copy the entire row otherwise you’ll copy the end of row marker too), then pasting those cells into the first cell—the others will fill up the other cells. Be careful if it’s more than one row of cells—if it is, create enough empty rows before you copy/paste the cells otherwise the pasted cells will overwrite the existing ones.
–Rhonda
Hi Rhonda,
Thanks for the suggestion, it is certainly a good fix for one-off operations. However I am constantly working with Word tables, copying/moving rows and content, and need a permanent solution to this problem. Will update here if I ever find something!
Thanks
I was having the same issue with all the options recommended. The following worked today in Microsoft® Word for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2208 Build 16.0.15601.20540) 64-bit.
1. Select the row to copy.
2. Hold Ctrl.
3. Drag selected row to the left-most position of the row above which you would like your row to appear.
This worked with a one cell row and a merged cell row in an irregular (various merged cells) table. It also worked in Fit to Window or Fixed Width (it will likely work in Fit to Contents but my table was freaking out for other reasons and can’t say definitively).
Hi Nick, many thanks for your post – your technique worked for me too :)