I tested this suggstion several times but it did not work. Here are my exact
steps and results.

TEST ONE
1. Start Word
2. Open new blank document
3. In "Page Setup" set left and right margins to 1".
4. Click "Insert Table" icon on Standard toolbar.
5. Insert a 3 x 3 table
6. Select the center cell in the top row (when the cursor becomes a litle
selection arrow).
7. Go to Cell tab in properties dialog, the default width of the cell is
shown as 2.22 and preferred width is checked.
8. Change width setting to 1.0 and click OK.
9. Result, nothing happens.

TEST TWO
1. perform the exact same steps as in TEST ONE except on step 8 change the
width setting to 3."
2. Result, the entire column width changes to 3".

TEST THREE
1. Same as TEST ONE steps 1 through 7
2. Change width setting to 1".
3. Go to Column tab and uncheck "preferred width"
4. Click OK
5. Result, entire column is resized to 1".

TEST FOUR
1. Same as TEST ONE steps 1 through 6 (default cell width is left unchanged)
2. Go to Column tab and uncheck "Preferred width"
3. Click OK
4. Result, the entire center column collapses even though the "Cell width"
was still set at 2.2".


Please try these same EXACT steps and see how it works for you.

--
2dogs in Oregon USA


"Herb Tyson [MVP]" wrote:

If you completely select one or more cells before adjusting the width, then
only the width of the selected cells will be changed. If no cells are
selected, then Word assumes that you want to adjust the width of the entire
column.

To select a cell, move the mouse pointer to the left side of a cell so that
an arrow pointing northeast appears, then click.

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP