Locate and open your normal.dot file as described in Method 1 in
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/...ocNotBlank.htm . Click
on Format | Columns | One | Apply to: Whole document. Even if
"One" already appears to be selected, click on it anyway. The
"Equal column width" box should be checked and grayed out. Click
on OK. Type a character or two and delete what you just typed.
Save the normal.dot file and close it.

Frances wrote:

I need to change my default margins. Being visually impaired, I need as
much writing space as possible to get the very large text on, and anyway,
don't see the point in wating an inch all round for casual files. but the
damn system tells me that changing the right margin might give uneven colums,
like I give a toss! and I can't find a way round that to set the margins as I
want them. Help, polease????