Hi Marie

Strictly speaking, you can't delete a section. You can only delete its
.Range:

The section's .Range includes the section break at the end of the
section which holds the section's properties, including its headers and
footers. So, as an example, you could have a document with three
sections, the middle one of which is landscape. The following code would
delete the content within the second section and the section break
following it, leaving two sections, both portrait:

Sub DeleteSection2()

Dim oSec As Word.Section

   Set oSec = ActiveDocument.Sections(2)
   oSec.Range.Delete

End Sub

I'm not aware of "the header and footer problem that occurs when
deleting section breaks". I find Word's behaviour to be consistent: when
you delete the .Range of a section, Word deletes the section's headers
and footers, which is what I would expect.

If that does not suit your particular business needs, you may need to
make adjustments.

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly.  Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word

Marie,

Are you speaking of deleting a section break, and then the header/footer in
the area ABOVE that section break you just deleted changes into the
header/footer of the section BELOW the deleted section break?

If so, the following subroutines will delete the section break of the
CURRENT section (i.e., BELOW the cursor) and change the header/footer of the
what had been the NEXT section into the current section's header/footer.

The result is the merging the CURRENT and NEXT sections into one larger
section that retains the formerly NEXT section's header/footer.

ReplaceSectionBreakNext is the macro that you execute.   Recommend that you
assign to a menu button with title something like "Merge NEXT Section into
CURRENT".

  *** BEGIN CODE ***
Sub ReplaceSectionBreakNext()
'
' ReplaceSectionBreakNext Macro
'
' (c) John A. Young, Jr.
'
' Replaces the NEXT Section's (i.e., the Section BELOW the Current Section)
'   Section Break with a copy of the Current Section's Section Break, and
'   deletes the Current Section's Section Break, merging the NEXT Section
'   with the CURRENT Section
' NOTE: The new, expanded CURRENT Section retains the original CURRENT
'       Section Page Format!
' Shortcut Key : None
' Menu Text = Merge NEXT Section into CURRENT
' Menu Image = MergePrevButton.bmp
'
' Declare & Define Variables
'
' ** START **
'
' Store CURRENT Section Page Format parameters
   With Selection.PageSetup
       PSize = .PaperSize
       LineNum = .LineNumbering.Active
       POrient = .Orientation
       TMar = .TopMargin
       BMar = .BottomMargin
       LMar = .LeftMargin
       RMar = .RightMargin
       GMar = .Gutter
       HDist = .HeaderDistance
       FDist = .FooterDistance
       PWidth = .PageWidth
       PHeight = .PageHeight
       FirstTray = .FirstPageTray
       OtherTray = .OtherPagesTray
       SectType = .SectionStart
       OddEven = .OddAndEvenPagesHeaderFooter
       DiffFirst = .DifferentFirstPageHeaderFooter
       VAlign = .VerticalAlignment
       SupNotes = .SuppressEndnotes
       MMar = .MirrorMargins
       TwoPage = .TwoPagesOnOne
       GPos = .GutterPos
   End With
'
' Get Total Number of Sections in Document
LastSect = ActiveDocument.Sections.Count
'
' Find Current Section Break (i.e., nearest BELOW Cursor)
Call FindSectionBreakNext
'
' Copy it
Selection.Copy
'
' Get Current Section Number
   With Selection
       .Collapse Direction:=wdCollapseEnd
       SectNum = .Information(wdActiveEndSectionNumber)
   End With
'
' we're now in NEXT Section - Is it the LAST Section?
If SectNum = LastSect Then
' YES - LAST Section - Reformat to match CURRENT
   With Selection.PageSetup
       .PaperSize = PSize
       .LineNumbering.Active = LineNum
       .Orientation = POrient
       .TopMargin = TMar
       .BottomMargin = BMar
       .LeftMargin = LMar
       .RightMargin = RMar
       .Gutter = GMar
       .HeaderDistance = HDist
       .FooterDistance = FDist
       .PageWidth = PWidth
       .PageHeight = PHeight
       .FirstPageTray = FirstTray
       .OtherPagesTray = OtherTray
       .SectionStart = SectType
       .OddAndEvenPagesHeaderFooter = OddEven
       .DifferentFirstPageHeaderFooter = DiffFirst
       .VerticalAlignment = VAlign
       .SuppressEndnotes = SupNotes
       .MirrorMargins = MMar
       .TwoPagesOnOne = TwoPage
       .GutterPos = GPos
   End With
'
   ' Link Header & Footer to Previous to copy CURRENT's Header & Footer
   With ActiveDocument.Sections(SectNum)
       .Headers(wdHeaderFooterPrimary).LinkToPrevious = True
       .Footers(wdHeaderFooterPrimary).LinkToPrevious = True
   End With
'
   ' Got Header & Footer from CURRENT - Now Unlink 'em per SOP
   With ActiveDocument.Sections(SectNum)
       .Headers(wdHeaderFooterPrimary).LinkToPrevious = False
       .Footers(wdHeaderFooterPrimary).LinkToPrevious = False
   End With
Else
' NO - NOT LAST Section - Find NEXT Section Break
   Call FindSectionBreakNext
'
   ' Paste Current Section Break over it
   Selection.Paste
'
   ' Pasting Section Break moved Cursor DOWN off of it - Go find it again
ABOVE you
   Call FindSectionBreakPrev
End If
'
' Go back to Original Current Section Break and delete it!
Call DeleteSectionBreakPrev
'
' ** END **
'
' End Sub ReplaceSectionBreakNext
End Sub
Sub FindSectionBreakNext()
'
' FindSectionBreakNext Macro
'
' (c) John A. Young, Jr.
'
' Finds NEXT Section Break BELOW current Cursor Location
'  (i.e., At END of CURRENT Section)
'
' Declare & Define Variables
'
' Set Search Direction DOWN (i.e., Forward)
   DirFlag$ = "Down"
'
' ** START **
'
' Search for Next Section Break
   Call FindSectionBreak_x(DirFlag$)
'
' ** END **
'
' End Sub FindSectionBreakNext
End Sub
Sub FindSectionBreakPrev()
'
' FindSectionBreakPrev Macro
'
' (c) John A. Young, Jr.
'
' Finds PREVIOUS Section Break ABOVE current Cursor Location
'  (i.e., At END of PREVIOUS Section)
'
' Declare & Define Variables
'
' Set Search Direction UP (i.e., Backward = NOT Forward)
   DirFlag$ = "Up"
'
' ** START **
'
' Search for Previous Section Break
   Call FindSectionBreak_x(DirFlag$)
'
' ** END **
'
' End Sub FindSectionBreakPrev
End Sub
Sub DeleteSectionBreakPrev()
'
' DeleteSectionBreakPrev Macro
'
' (c) John A. Young, Jr.
'
' Deletes PREVIOUS Section Break ABOVE current Cursor Location
'  (i.e., At END of the Previous Section)
' NOTE: Deleting the PREVIOUS Section Break merges the PREVIOUS Section with
'       the CURRENT Section, thus changing the PREVIOUS Section to match the
'       CURRENT Section's Page Format!
' Shortcut Key : None
' Menu Text = Merge PREVIOUS Section into CURRENT
' Menu Image = MergeNextButton.bmp
'
' Declare & Define Variables
'
' ** START **
'
' Search for Previous Section Break
   Call FindSectionBreakPrev
'
' Delete it!
   Selection.Delete
'
' ** END **
'
' End Sub DeleteSectionBreakPrev
End Sub
Sub FindSectionBreak_x(DirFlag$)
'
' FindSectionBreak_x Macro
'
' (c) John A. Young, Jr.
'
' Finds Nearest Section Break based on Direction argument DirFlag$ where:
'   DirFlag$ = "Down" => Direction is DOWN (i.e., Forward = True)
'               (OR)
'   DirFlag$ = "Up" => Direction is UP (i.e., NOT Forward => False)
'
' Declare & Define Variables
'
Down$ = "Down"  ' Search Forward for CURRENT Section Break
Up$ = "Up"      ' Search Backward for PREVIOUS Section Break
'
' ** START **
'
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
'
' Decode DirFlag$ into True or False and set Search Direction accordingly
   If LCase(DirFlag$) = LCase(Up$) Then
       Direction = False
   Else
   ' If DirFlag$ not UP, ALWAYS assume DOWN!
       Direction = True
   End If
'
' Are we in Main Document Window or Header/Footer?
   If Selection.Information(wdInHeaderFooter) Then
   ' YES - In Header/Footer - Can't search for Section Break - Notify User!
       Sp11$ = Space(11)      ' Add 8 spaces for 'centering'
       Sp32$ = Space(32)      ' Add 28 spaces for 'centering'
       ErrMsg1$ = Sp32$ & "NOTICE!"
       ErrMsg2$ = "Can't search for Section/Page Break while in
Header/Footer!"
       ErrMsg3$ = Sp11$ & "Close Header/Footer Window and try again!"
       ErrMsg$ = ErrMsg1$ & vbCr & ErrMsg2$ & vbCr & ErrMsg3$
       ErrStyle = vbExclamation
       ErrTitle$ = "FindSectionBreak_x Macro"
       ErrMsgBox = MsgBox(ErrMsg$, ErrStyle, ErrTitle$)
       End
   End If
'
' OK - In Main Doc Window - Search Direction for nearest Section Break
'
' MUST Collapse Selection before starting Search!
   Selection.Collapse Direction:=wdCollapseStart
'
   With Selection.Find
       .Text = "^b"
       .ClearFormatting
       .Format = False
       .Forward = Direction          ' True = Down / False = Up
       .Wrap = wdFindStop
       .MatchCase = False
       .MatchWholeWord = False
       .MatchWildcards = False
       .MatchSoundsLike = False
       .MatchAllWordForms = False
       .Execute
       ' Did we find it?
       If .Found Then
       ' YES - Found Section Break - Select it!
           With Selection
               .Find.Parent.Expand Unit:=wdParagraph
'                .Delete Unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=1
           End With
       Else
       ' NO - Section Break NOT Found - Notify User & Quit!
           ' Determine if Section Break missing from 'Above' or 'Below'
           If Direction = True Then
               SearchDir$ = "BELOW"
           Else
               SearchDir$ = "ABOVE"
           End If
           ' Build Error Message, Notify User and Quit!
           Sp17$ = Space(17)
           ErrMsg1$ = Sp17$ & "NOTICE!"
           ErrMsg2$ = "No Section Break " & SearchDir$ & " Current Section!"
           ErrMsg$ = ErrMsg1$ & vbCr & ErrMsg2$
           ErrStyle = vbExclamation
           ErrTitle$ = "FindSectionBreak_x Macro"
           ErrMsgBox = MsgBox(ErrMsg$, ErrStyle, ErrTitle$)
           End
       End If
   End With
'
' ** END **
'
' End Sub FindSectionBreak_x
End Sub
  *** END CODE ***

If this does not solve your problem, e-mail me at jayoung@hal-pc.org.

John Young