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Microsoft® Word 97 Quick Reference

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File Management

This part shows you how to work with files, or documents, in Word. The File menu provides several commands that perform more basic file management tasks, such as saving files, opening existing files, creating new files, and closing files. In addition, you can use Word to search for a file, add summary information to a document, and change the default folder used to open and save files.

Documents: Adding Summary Information

You can enter summary information and other file properties for each document you create. For example, the file name, date created, and file size are all file properties for a Word document.

You can also add your own descriptive information on the Properties, Summary tab; the data you supply in the File Properties dialog box enables you to more easily locate a file at a later time.

Use the Title field when you have a long description for the file. Subject, Manager, Company, and Category can all be used to group similar files together. The Author field is for the person who originally created the file. Keywords can be used for words that you may use when searching for the file. You can also add Comments to use when looking for the file or to relate information to others that may work on the same file.

Steps

1. Choose File, Properties.

2. On the Summary tab, enter the summary information you want to save with the document. You can enter notes on a document in the Comments list box, for example.

3. Click the other tabs in the File Properties dialog box to add, edit, or view other information about the current document. View the bottom of the Summary tab to see what template the document was based on. The Statistics tab shows you when the document was created, modified, accessed, and printed, who it was last saved by, the number of revisions, and total editing time. The Contents tab shows parts of the file. On the Custom tab you can select a field name from the Name list, then choose the Type of information to be stored in the field and type the Value information. Choose OK when you are finished.

Documents: Closing

When you have finished working with a Word document, you should close the document file to clear it from memory. You can close just the active document or all open Word documents at once.

Steps

1. If you want to close one document, display that document; then click the Close button in the upper-right corner of the window. If you want to close all open documents, hold down the Shift key, then choose File, Close All.

2. If you have made any changes to a document since it was opened or last saved, a dialog box prompts you to save the changed document. Click Yes to save changes and close the file, click No to cancel changes and close the file, or click Cancel to return to the document.

TIP: If you are accustomed to using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+F4 to close document windows, this shortcut is still available.

Documents: Deleting

If you no longer need a particular document, you can delete the entire file. Word prompts you for confirmation before deleting the document.

Steps

1. Choose File, Open to display the Open dialog box.

2. In the Look In drop-down list, select the drive and folder containing the document file you want to delete.

3. In the list box, right-click the file name of the document you want to delete.

4. Select Delete from the shortcut menu.

5. In the Confirm File Delete message box, click Yes to delete the file, or click No to return to the dialog box. Then click Cancel to close the dialog box.

NOTE: You cannot delete a document that is currently open in Word. Close the document, and then perform the previous steps.

Files: Changing the Default Folder

You can change the default folder used in Word so that when you open an existing document or save a new document, the folder you choose automatically appears as the current folder. You can change the default folder to the folder where you most often store your document files.

Steps

1. Choose Tools, Options; then click the File Locations tab.

2. In the File Types list box, choose Documents and click the Modify button.

3. In the Folder Name text box, type the full path name (including the drive letter) for the folder you want to use as the default; then choose OK twice to close both dialog boxes.

NOTE: You can also search for a folder by using the Look In drop-down list on the Modify Location dialog box.

Files: Displaying Quick View Information

You can use the Open dialog box in Word to preview a document before you open the document. When you are deciding which file you want to open, copy, print, or delete, it is helpful to see a file's contents quickly, without having to open the file first. This feature is also available in Windows Explorer and other Windows applications.

Steps

1. Choose File, Open to display the Open dialog box.

2. In the Look In drop-down list, select the drive and folder containing the document file you want to view.

3. In the list box, right-click the file name; then select Quick View from the shortcut menu. Word displays the document in the Quick View window. You can use the scroll bars (or the Page Up and Page Down keys) to scroll the window.

4. Click the Close button to close the Quick View window; or, if you want to open the file, click the Open File for Editing button.

CAUTION: In order for this procedure to work, you must have Quick View installed. If you don't see Quick View as an option, run Setup on the Windows 95 CD, and choose Add/Remove Software. From the Windows Setup tab, choose Accessories in the Components list, then click the Details button. On the Accessories dialog box, scroll down in the Components list to Quick View and select it by clicking in the check box. Choose OK twice to install the Quick View component.

NOTE: You can edit (not format) in Quick View. However, another option is to use the Preview button on the Open dialog box. Here you can only view Word files, but they will display as you move down the list of files.

Files: Searching for Files

When you want to work on a specific document, but can't remember exactly where you have stored it on disk or what you have named the file, you can use the Find File feature to help you track down the file.

You can look for the file by file name, extension, or by using summary information such as author, category, keywords, and even comments. For information on adding summary information, see "Documents: Adding Summary Information."

Steps

1. Choose File, Open; then click the Advanced button.

2. In the Property drop-down list, select the file property you want to search. In the Condition drop-down list, select the condition. In the Value text box, type the search value.

3. In the Look In drop-down list, type the drive letter and folder name where you want to begin the search. If you want to also search subfolders, select the Search Subfolders check box.

4. Click the Add to List button. If desired, define addition- al criteria to narrow your search by repeating Steps 2 and 3.

5. To begin the search, click the Find Now button. All files meeting the specified criteria will appear in the list box of the Open dialog box.

TIP: If you want to save the information you used to perform a search, click the Save Search button in the Advanced Find dialog box; then type a name for the search and click OK. To later reopen the search, click the Open Search button in the Advanced Find dialog box; then select the name of the search and click OK.

Saving the information you used to perform a search is useful in situations where files are possibly saved to many different locations, or you need to search often for files in the same category. If, for example, you use the Category field on the Properties, Summary tab to keep track of the Client name, you could then save a search that looks for the client name in the Category field on all drives and in all folders.

Files: Viewing Properties

File properties are optional pieces of information that you can store with your document. They include summary information, author, keywords, company, comments, and statistics such as number of words and characters in the file. To add properties, see also "Documents: Adding Summary Information."

Steps

1. To view properties of the open document, choose File, Properties. Look especially at the Summary and Statistics tabs.

2. To view properties of files on disk, click the Open button on the Standard toolbar and click the Properties button on the Open dialog box. As you choose each file in the list, the properties show in a scrollable window.

Grouping Documents: Using Office Binder

If you have related documents, whether they are in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, you can combine them all together in Office Binder. Think of Binder as a giant paper-clip linking your files together. A nice feature is that you can print all these documents at once with consistent headers, footers, and page numbers. If you want to work on individual files within the binder, choose the file in the pane on the left. The individual program opens and most of the File menu items for the individual products are on the Section menu.

Steps

1. From the Start button, choose Programs and Microsoft Binder.

2. In Binder choose Section, Add from File and find all the documents you want to add through the Add from File dialog box.

3. When you're finished adding documents, choose File, Save Binder to give the combined documents a name.

4. To print the documents, choose File, Print Binder.

NOTE: When a document is within a binder file and you edit the document, changes are saved to the binder file, not the original document you opened by choosing Section, Add from File.

Importing: From External Databases

You may need a table from Access or dBASE or another database source. If you want to get information from a database into a Word document, you have to use a hidden toolbar. There isn't a choice on a menu (unless someone has customized the menus).

Steps

1. Right-click any toolbar to bring up the list of toolbars and choose Database; choose the Insert Database button.

2. On the Database dialog box choose Get Data. Find your database file by using the File dialog box and changing the Files of Type option to your database.

3. Depending on your file type, you may be prompted for tables or queries within the database file or a range within a spreadsheet file.

4. After you choose the file and portion of the file and return to the Database dialog box, you can click Query Options to decide which records to import.

5. When you've finished choosing the file and options, click the Insert Data button on the Database dialog box.

For more detail on Step 4, see "Importing: Selecting and Sorting Data."

Importing: Selecting and Sorting Data

While you are importing a database or spreadsheet, you can filter which rows you want to bring into your Word document and how you want the information sorted. To start this task, you need to be in the Database dialog box and have selected your database or spreadsheet as shown in the previous task "Importing: From External Databases."

The data in a spreadsheet needs to be in standard database format: the first row of the spreadsheet (or range) needs to have field names and the rows immediately below contain the data.

Steps

1. From the Database dialog box, click the Query Options button.

2. On the Select Fields tab, remove fields to display in the Word document by double-clicking a field from the Selected Fields list, or add fields from the Fields in Data Source list.

3. On the Sort Records tab, choose the first column to sort by from the Sort By drop-down list. If you have additional sorts, choose the other two Then By and Then By drop-down lists.

4. On the Filter Records tab, choose the field name in the Field drop-down list and the Comparison operator (such as Equal to, is not blank, or Greater than). Type the value in the Compare To text box. If you have more criteria, select And or Or in the second row and repeat this step for Field, Comparison, and Compare To.

5. When finished with the Query Options dialog box, choose OK and then click the Insert Data button on the Database dialog box. If desired, choose All or which record numbers you want in the Insert Data dialog box and choose OK.

NOTE: On the Insert Data dialog box in Step 5, you can check the Insert as Field check box to link your database to your Word document. If you change the data in your database, the result will show up in Word (when you print, open, or recalculate with F9).

Opening: Documents from Within Explorer

In addition to opening a file from the Open dialog box, you can open a file from the Windows Explorer. This is true not only of Word documents, but any application file you have registered.

Steps

1. Right-click the Windows Start button and choose Explore to open Explorer.

2. Navigate to the file you want by selecting the drive and folder in the left window, then double-click the file in the right window.

NOTE: You can also choose the drive and folder by using the Go to a Different Folder drop-down list on the Explorer toolbar, and the Up One Level button. If the toolbar is not visible, choose View, Toolbar.

Opening: Files Saved in Other File Formats

The easiest way to import data from a non-Word format into Word is to import the data directly by using the Open dialog box. Word can read many different file formats, such as WordPerfect, text files, Works, Write, Outlook Address Book, Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, older versions of Word for Windows and DOS, and even HTML. In most cases, you will want to resave the data in Word format after you open the file.

Steps

1. Click the Open button on the Standard toolbar.

2. In the Files of Type drop-down list, select the type of file you want to open.

3. In the Look In drop-down list, select the drive and folder containing the file you want to open.

4. In the list box, select the desired file; then choose Open.

CAUTION: Saving a file to a non-Word format can result in the loss of special features and formatting that are unique to Word. To save the original non-Word file in Word document format, be sure to choose Microsoft Word Document in the Save as Type drop-down list box when you choose File, Save As.

(See also "Saving: Documents as Different File Formats.")

Saving: Automatically Saving Documents

Word includes the capability to temporarily save your documents for you, as you are working on them. With the Auto-Recover option, Word will save your document at an interval you specify. If the power goes off for some reason, when you restart Word, the files you were working on return to the screen. You will have your last saved version on disk and this AutoRecover version on-screen. Make sure you compare which version you want to keep. You can save the AutoRecover version with the File, Save As command.

Steps

1. Choose File, Save As; then click the Options button. The Save Options dialog box appears.

2. Select the Save AutoRecover Info Every check box and fill in the number in the Minutes spin box; then choose OK.

3. If you don't need to save a file at this point, click Cancel to get out of the Save dialog box, keeping the changes you made intact.

(See also "Saving: Documents.")

Saving: Creating Automatic Backups

Word can create a backup copy of your document every time you save the document. When you choose this option, Word saves two copies of the file--one uses the file name you enter, and the other is named Backup of file name and has a file extension of .WPK. If the original document is lost or damaged, you can use the backup copy so that you can at least recover all the work you did up until you last saved the file. You must save a file more than once before a backup file is created. Word stores the backup file in the same folder as the original document.

Steps

1. Choose File, Save As; then click the Options button. The Save Options dialog box appears.

2. Select the Always Create Backup Copy check box; then click OK.

3. Click Save to save and create a backup copy at the same time of the active document, or click Cancel to return to the document without saving it or creating a backup at this time.

(See also "Saving: Automatically Saving Documents.")

Saving: Documents

After you've created a document, you must save the document to permanently store the data on disk. The first time you save a file, you are prompted to specify the file name and the location on disk in which to store the file. After you have saved a file, each additional time you save the file, the existing version on disk is replaced with the new version. If you want to keep multiple versions of a document (if you think you may need to revert back to an earlier version), you should occasionally save the file using a different file name.

To make it easier to find documents, you can use long, descriptive file names. The complete path to the file, including the drive letter, server name, folder path, and file name, can contain up to 255 characters. File names cannot include any of the following characters: forward slash (/), backslash (\), greater than sign (>), less than sign (<), asterisk (*), period (.), question mark (?), quotation mark ("), pipe symbol (|), colon (:), or semicolon (;). Word automatically appends the .DOC extension to a file name when you save a document (depending on your Windows settings, you may not see this extension on-screen).

Steps

1. Display the document you want to save; then click the Save button on the Standard toolbar (or choose File, Save). If this is the first time you've saved the document, the Save As dialog box appears.

2. In the Save In drop-down list, select the drive and folder where you want to save the file.

3. In the File Name box, type the file name you want to use to save the file; then choose Save.

TIP: To resave the current document after you've initially saved it, just click the Save button on the Standard toolbar or press Ctrl+S. Word automatically replaces the file on disk with the current version.

NOTE: To save the current document with a different name, choose File, Save As. In the Save As dialog box, type the new name in the File Name box, select a different folder in the Save In drop-down list (if desired), and then click Save.

(See also "Saving: Automatically Saving Documents" and "Saving: Documents as Different File Formats.")

Saving: Documents as Different File Formats

You can use the Save As dialog box to save a Word document as a different file format, such as WordPerfect or a previous version of Word. This enables you to easily transfer work created in Word to another program. If your Word document includes features or formatting not supported by the other program, however, you may lose special features or formatting when you use the file in the other program.

Steps

1. Display the document you want to save as a different file format; then choose File, Save As.

2. In the Save as Type drop-down list, select the file type you want to use to save the document.

3. In the Save In drop-down list, select the drive and folder where you want to save the file.

4. In the File Name box, type the file name you want to use to save the file; then click Save.

NOTE: If you work with others who use earlier versions of Word or another word processing program, you can set up Word to use another format as the default for saving documents. Choose Tools, Options; then click the Save tab. In the Save Word Files As drop-down list, select the file format you want to use; then click OK. You can override this setting at any time in the Save As dialog box.

(See also "Opening: Files Saved in Other File Formats.")

CAUTION: In order to save documents as different file formats, you need to have the appropriate file converters installed.

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