Whether you have used Microsoft Word for years, have just switched from WordPerfect or are new to word processing, try these easy steps to save time and simplify your work in Word:
Turn off Personalized Menus and Toolbars
Although it is a default, Personalized Menus and Toolbars is a terrible "feature" which limits your initial view to select toolbar buttons and menu commands. Do you only have one row of toolbars at the top of the screen? When you click on a menu, does it expand only after a few seconds? If so, you will save yourself a lot of frustration by turning off this personalized display:
1. Choose Tools > Customize, and click on the Options tab.
2. For the section, Personalized Menus and Toolbars, check/select the options "Show Formatting and Standard toolbars on two rows" and "Always show full menus." Note: in Microsoft Word 2000, you will need to UNcheck each of these options (the descriptions are a bit different too).
3. Pick Close to see a full display of your main toolbars and your menus.
Stop Automatic Text Changes
Does it seem like Word randomly changes the capitalization or spelling of text in a document? AutoCorrect is to blame. As the name indicates, AutoCorrect automatically corrects the spelling of common misspelled words but also makes other changes including capitalizing the first letter in a sentence, table cell, or line of text. To review your choices, pick Tools > AutoCorrect Options, choose the AutoCorrect tab and uncheck any option that gets in the way of typing your text.
Stop Automatic Numbered Lists (and More)
Have you ever tried to create your own numbered list or outline and watched the numbering or formatting change once you press [Enter] for the next line? This is a huge annoyance for anyone that wants to build their own custom layout for an outline rather than working with the choices in Word. Do you type your e-mail address or website into a document and then watch as it suddenly changes to blue underlined text (a hyperlink)? Do you ever enter fractions or quotes that automatically re-format? You are a victim of AutoFormat As You Type. To customize Word so that it works for you and not against you:
1. Choose Tools > AutoCorrect Options
2. Select the AutoFormat As You Type tab. I recommend that you uncheck all of the options in the last 2 sections including Automatic numbered lists. Turn off choices in the 1st section as desired.
3. Pick OK to finish.
Each of the formatting options that you turn off can still be added when you want them. For instance, automatic numbered lists can be created via a toolbar button or under the Format menu.
Modifying Your Default Font
Are you frequently changing the font in your documents? Take a few minutes to change the default font used for new documents:
1. Create a new, blank document.
2. Choose Format > Font. Change the font from the standard Times New Roman 12 point to the style and size you want such as Arial 12 point.
3. Next, don't pick OK which only changes the current document. Instead, choose Default.
4. You will see a prompt asking if you want to change the default font. This change will modify the normal template also known as the normal.dot file which stores many of the Microsoft Word settings. Select Yes to confirm the changes.
Customizing Page Layout and Margins
Ever since the days of Word 1.0, the default margins for a document have been 1" for the top and bottom and 1.25" for the left and right margins even though most people prefer 1" margins for each side. It's also easy to change the settings for margins regardless of what you like to work with:
1. Continue with a new, blank document.
2. File > Page Setup, and pick the Margins tab.
3. Change the margins to 1" all around or your most frequently used choices.
4. Make other changes in these dialog tabs. For instance, you might want to set a custom footer or make changes to the Paper source.
5. To set your custom defaults for all new, blank documents, pick the Default button.
6. As before, you will be prompted to confirm the change to the normal template. Choose Yes to continue.
Once your preferences are in place, you won't have to repeat these steps but you do have the flexibility to customize individual documents.
? 2004 by Dawn Bjork Buzbee
Dawn Bjork Buzbee is The Software Pro? and a certified Microsoft Office Expert and Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor. Dawn shares smart and easy ways to effectively use software and technology through her work as a speaker, trainer, and consultant. Visit http://www.softwarepro.com for great Microsoft Office software tips and tricks or to contact Dawn.
Benton shuttle to Midway .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HarePreventive Maintenance (PM) is defined as scheduled work done on... Read More
Now that spyware is the single most dangerous threat to... Read More
There are many commands that are used in linux on... Read More
Microsoft CRM was designed to be easily customizable. Microsoft CRM... Read More
While Ukraine is becoming a new popular IT outsourcing destination,... Read More
This is the tutorial where we really get into programming.... Read More
Looks like Microsoft Great Plains becomes more and more popular,... Read More
Several years ago Microsoft purchased Great Plains Software, then Navision... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains, designed back in 1990th as database transferable... Read More
The fact that a software tester is a most infamous... Read More
TikiWiki is open source software - it is written in... Read More
Great Plains Accounting, accounting package for mid-size and small companies... Read More
I provide, here clear explanations and a count of function... Read More
Professional services firm cuts costs and improves productivity with integrated... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is very popular ERP/MRP applications... Read More
Using professional icons in your application or website can bring... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, former Great Plains Software Dynamics... Read More
In the previous ISDN article, we looked at how and... Read More
Whether you need to close a sale, gather end-user feedback,... Read More
The world of small business accounting software can be a... Read More
Current Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains has more that 10... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains has substantial market share among... Read More
You have gotten those E_Mails buy software at deep discounts.... Read More
Software Engineering is the Systematic Approach for analysis design implementation... Read More
Microsoft CRM is new player on the CRM software... Read More
limousine Chicago airport Arthur ..Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains was historically designed to serve... Read More
If you have Microsoft Great Plains and support it... Read More
Stealing company information used to be the specialty of spies... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions main middle market ERP application - Microsoft... Read More
We've all seen the ads on TV for Netzero 3G.... Read More
Microsoft CRM is new player on the CRM software... Read More
Microsoft CRM and IBM Lotus Notes Domino seem to be... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains serves multiple industries in the... Read More
Which Type of Shop Can Rely On A Home Built... Read More
Microsoft Outlook is one of the most widely used software... Read More
Microsoft CRM is relatively new player on the now becoming... Read More
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a way for a site... Read More
In this article you will find some background information about... Read More
Microsoft bought Navision, Denmark based software development company, along with... Read More
The title of "software engineer" has got to be among... Read More
One day, you suddenly realize that your computer started to... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains and MS CRM (client relation... Read More
In this small article we will show you the possible... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions ? Great Plains is designed to meet... Read More
Enabling Chinese input is quick and easy, there are only... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains was designed back in the... Read More
Microsoft CRM was designed to be easily customizable. Microsoft CRM... Read More
Lotus Notes Domino is very efficient in electronic document workflow... Read More
The COSMIC FP (function point) software quality metric, is no... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains fits to majority of industries, in the... Read More
Software |