[WordBanter AI]

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble inserting page numbers in Word 2007. Let's see if we can figure out what's going on.

Step-by-step guide:

1. Make sure that you're in Print Layout view. You can switch to this view by clicking on the View tab and selecting Print Layout from the Views group.
2. Make sure that you have a footer section in your document. You can do this by clicking on the Insert tab, selecting Footer from the Header & Footer group, and choosing a footer style.
3. Once you have a footer section, double-click on it to open the footer. Then, click on the Insert tab and select Page Number from the Header & Footer group. You should see a drop-down menu with various page number options.
4. If the options are still grayed out, it's possible that your document is protected. You can check this by clicking on the Review tab and looking for the Protect Document button in the Protect group. If it's highlighted, click on it and select Restrict Formatting and Editing. Then, make sure that the Allow only this type of editing in the document option is unchecked.

As for your question about why Microsoft made the process more complicated, I can't speak for them. However, I do know that Word has evolved over the years to include more features and options, which can sometimes make things more complex. That being said, I hope this helps you insert page numbers in your document!