Windows 7: Pages not automatically numbering in ms 2007

I have spent weeks trying to number an almost 200 page thesis, to no avail. I have the first several pages with roman numerals and the the rest should be in arabic. At first I thought it might be because of the page break I inserted to change the numbering of the second section. But I just did a "dummy" document, and the only page that is numbering is number 1. None of the others. (I checked in print preview--there are no other numbers there.) This, like so many 2007 things is driving me INSANE. I have wasted more than 40 hours on this, and the idea of manually numbering a 200 page document is not good. PLEASE can someone tell me why it is not automatically numbering? (I have made other numbered documents prior to this. It just started with this particular one.) And now, even the first page, thanks to someone else's sugggestion says {pagemergeformat} instead of 1! I have word 2007, and it says "compatibility mode" even though this is the only program I have ever had on this Toshiba. (had xp on another computer).

Hopefully, these two links will help:
Use Word 2007 to open documents created in previous versions of Word - Word - Office.com

How to number chapters, appendixes, and pages in documents that contain both chapter and appendix headings in Word

Please let us know how you get on.

Welcome to Windows Seven Forums.

In addition to Irene's excellent help, how are you saving the document? You'll be notified it's in compatibility mode if the document was originally saved in an earlier version of Word.

Click the Office button and choose Save As, and then choose Word Document, which will save it in Office 2007 format whilst keeping a copy in its original format.

You should then get full Office 2007 functionality including page numbering format.

Also take a look at these tutorials:

Number pages differently in different sections
Insert or delete a section break - Word - Microsoft Office

I relpied to a similar post a while back. Take a look at this thread and see if it helps:

FOOTER PROBLEM in Word 2007

Regards,
GEWB

well, I was just about to try some of your suggestions---and now I can't open the doc---or any doc. I was just editing it last night, and yet today every doc I try to open brings up a window that has "user account control" on top and then says"do you wantto allow the following program to make changes?" First it tells me there is nopreview available and then it says there was a problem sending command. I cannot open any of my documents. I have spent over two years on this thesis and it is due next month. I have a ton of corrections to make, and I am stymied constantly by windows 7 problems that I never had in xp. Having a meltdown here...any suggestions on how I get into my docs so I can try the OTHER suggestions?

Me again. Found out I can open docs if I go into windows 7 first instead of the shortcuts---will deal with that annoyance later. I didn't try Irene's because it said it would change layout and I have months of painstaking worth with indented lists (which also had to be done manually). I tried the suggestion of seavixen, saving it as word doc. still won't number. Imperfect one--yes, thank you, I am aware of the whole secition break thing. Not the problem, but I appreciate your post. Thank you all so much for suggestions. Still stumped. Will try Irene's if nothing else works. Sigh.

Irene---tried the "convert"---still no page numbers after the first

2 suggestions: First, before you either get yourself in serious trouble or have a heart attack, make some backup copies on an external disk so you never again have to worry about not being able to access the document!

Then, try GEWB's suggestion: FOOTER PROBLEM in Word 2007 I thought it was brilliant and it solved the original poster's problem, which as I remember, was pretty much the same as yours.

Yes, I already made a backup. And yes, I am aware of the whole page break and the need for sections. That is not the problem. The problem is that the number is only appearing on one page, and not the rest of them. But thanks for taking the time to respond.