Insert field (page number or page count) stopped working

[client100]

I am using Apache 2.4 for years. Did not account problems. Now, the insert page number or page count is not working. I have all set up right. The footer is ready. I try to "insert"/fields for page number, instead the word "page number" is being inserted in the footer field. I try to insert "page count", instead the word "statistics" is being inserted in the footer. Is this a bag or something?

[FJCC]

You need to remove the selection from the menu item View -> Field Names.

[RusselB]

Welcome to the Forums.
While OpenOffice 2.4 may have worked for you for a long time, it is an extremely old version. It was released Mar 27, 2008. Over 11 years ago.
That said, I'd like to recommend that you consider upgrading to the current version, which is 4.1.7 or go to LibreOffice, which has a more active development.

In regards to your actual question, usually when OpenOffice suddenly stops working as we're used to, it's due to a corruption of the OpenOffice User Profile.
More information is in this tutorial

If you do decide to upgrade, due to the differences in the location where the OpenOffice User Profile is stored, an upgrade from 2.x to 3.x or 4.x will generate a new user profile.
Normally this is not the case as the profile location is specific to the major release number.

[client100]

Actually, I erred. Mine is Open office 4.3. I want to amend my question. If I open the document in open office format, the page numbers in the footer show the word "pagenumber" instead of numbers. But when I open the same document in Libre, it shows the page numbers. What can I do to heal Open Office?

[Hagar Delest]

Just follow the advice provided:

You need to remove the selection from the menu item View -> Field Names.

Please add [Solved] at the beginning of the title in your first post (top of the topic) with the *EDIT button if your issue has been fixed.

[RoryOF]

It is useful to turn on /View /Field shadings; this is an onscreen display only - i.e., non printing, but it would immediately have informed you that "page number" was a field name, which might have encouraged you to toggle /View /Field Names to cure your problem.