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Random Tip: Getting MS Word 2007 To Default To .doc, not .docx
Random tip for Microsoft Office Word 2007 users that I just learned: MS Word defaults to saving documents in the new .docx format, which is incompatible with all the existing versions of Word that are out there. So, to send a file to someone who has the older version, you have to go through an annoying "Save as..." loop every time (which you'll invariably forget when it's most important).
However, my friend Korbett just alerted me to the fact that there is a four-levels-deep setting that can make Word 2007 default to save in the friendlier .doc format instead of .docx. Here's the sequence:
"Office" button =>
"Word Options" button (it's hidden down at the bottom) =>
"Save" link =>
"Save Files in this Format" = Word 97-2003
There ya go.
November 29, 2007 | Permalink
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According to a post by Christopher Carfi on the blog Social Customer Manifesto, Word 2007 saves files in a .docx format, making it incompatible with previous versions of Word. I dont have Office 2007 yet, so havent run into this problem,... [Read More]
Tracked on Dec 6, 2007 6:26:47 AM
Comments
Chris
Same for PPT and Excel BTW. Thanks for the tip.
Posted by: Mukund Mohan | Nov 29, 2007 9:08:04 PM
cool. thx, mukund!
Posted by: christopher carfi | Nov 29, 2007 9:12:47 PM
Chris, nice of you to give the tip. For me, it's too late, I completely gave up on Word 2007 a couple of weeks back. Found it absolutely appalling.
OpenOffice Writer is actually a pretty good app nowadays, and it's what I'm using, as long as my clients will let me get away with it.
As I put it in a post on my own blog, using Word 2007 is like going to prison in Louisiana. (or at least as close to that experience as I ever want to get.)
Posted by: Max Hansen | Nov 30, 2007 12:36:25 AM
Yeah, it can cause a lot of problems when you need the file most. This actually happened to me a few months ago. It was probably the most unprepared day I had. Not only did I mistakenly save it to docx, I couldn't even access the original file at home. As a last desperate effort, I typed my report from scratch. It wasn't pretty, I tell you.
Posted by: jen_chan, writer SureFireWealth.com | Nov 30, 2007 7:41:44 AM
Mac and P.C. users that do not own Microsoft Office or users of earlier versions of Microsoft Office that are not covered by Microsoft compatibility pack, but still want to convert, open and use Word 2007 DOCX or Excel 2007 XLSX files on their own computer and not email the files to be converted, can use docxconverter. See:
http://www.panergy-software.com/products/docxconverter/features.html
Posted by: Panergy | Dec 1, 2007 11:09:16 PM
For some reason I can't find the "Office" button =>
that you're referring to when I click on 'start.' Am I missing something or are my menu choices incomplete?
Thanks... Jim Turner
Posted by: Jim Turner | Dec 4, 2007 9:05:49 AM
Hi, Jim...the "Office" button is the colored circle in the upper left. Hope this helps...
Posted by: christopher carfi | Dec 4, 2007 9:09:41 AM
Or, you can simply download the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats from Microsoft at:
This is free, and will allow your older versions of Office to work with the new file formats.
Posted by: Fred | Dec 6, 2007 6:27:24 AM
Thank you.
Is there any viable avenue one can use to complain to MS and have it actually make a difference?
Posted by: Mark Spearin | Feb 24, 2008 4:06:58 PM
