First, I have to admit that I'm using Word '97 because this is the version my
client has. I know it's not officially supported. But I'm hoping someone here
might know whether this is a) something I'm doing wrong that I can address,
b) something wrong with Word that I can work around, c) something that is
fixed in a newer version of Word.

I have a complex, 400-page document that includes both portrait and
landscape pages. I have page numbering in the footer. The footer has a
colored bar separator. I didn't set this up but I think it's a Text Box. I
know it can be re-sized to be thicker and longer, and I know that the cursor
sometimes hops into it and text sometimes mysteriously appears there (but
that's another issue altogether).

The page number format is: chapter number, hyphen, page number (e.g., 1-1,
1-2, 1-3, etc.).

I use a New Section page break when I change orientation from portrait to
landscape. When I do this, the pagination on the landscape page restarts
(i.e., portrait page is 4-3, landscape page becomes 4-1). So I use Format
Page Number to force the page number to be 4-2 (for example).

Sometimes (not always) the page number in the footer in the document is not
the number I set in "Start at:." For example, I set the "Start at:" number to
be 2. It should display as 4-2, but it displays as 4-3. So I tried setting it
to different values. 4-1 displays 4-1. 4-2 displays 4-3. 4-3 displays 4-3.
4-4 displays 4-5. 4-5 displays 4-6.

When I go from the landscape page to the next portrait page and use "Start
at:" to force the page numbering, it works fine.

And, again, the odd thing is that forcing the "Start at:" page numbering
works on most of the landscape pages. I haven't been able to figure out
what's different about the ones on which it doesn't work.

I've tried toggling "Same as previous" in the footer. Makes no differences.
I've tried not using the Section page break. No difference.

I can't reason out what's happening to make the pagination apparently
dislike certain forced starting numbers.

Any ideas, suggestions, comments would be appreciated.

I'm pulling out my hair at this point.