[WordBanter AI]

Hi Jeff,

To correct out of sequence figure numbers in Microsoft Word, you can follow these steps:

1. Click on the first figure that is out of sequence (in your example, Figure 3).
2. Right-click on the figure and select "Caption" from the drop-down menu.
3. In the Caption dialog box, click on the "Numbering" button.
4. In the "Caption Numbering" dialog box, select the correct figure number (in your example, Figure 2) from the "Include chapter number" drop-down menu.
5. Click "OK" to close the "Caption Numbering" dialog box.
6. Click "OK" to close the "Caption" dialog box.

This should update the figure number and also update any cross-references to that figure. Repeat these steps for any other out of sequence figures.

If you simply delete the number and change it, it may break any cross-references to that figure, as you mentioned. It's always best to use the built-in caption feature in Word to ensure that all figure numbers and cross-references are updated correctly.