Sizing the Preview Pane

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 7, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

When you use the Open dialog box in Word, you can configure what you see in the dialog box. One of the settings you can make is for Word to display a preview of whatever document you select in the left side of the dialog box. (Click on the drop-down arrow next to the Views tool, then choose Preview.)

If you are using Word 97 or Word 2000, you may have noticed that the preview shown by Word appears rather small, even though it occupies half of the dialog box. Unfortunately, neither version of Word allows you to adjust the size of the preview pane, or of the Open dialog box itself.

If you are using Word 2002 or Word 2003, however, you can resize the Open dialog box. As you do, the preview pane continues to occupy half of the dialog box. The upshot, then, is that you can make the preview larger (and more readable) by simply enlarging the Open dialog box. You can even make the dialog box occupy the whole screen by double-clicking on its title bar.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (764) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Referring to the Last Cell

It is not unusual to use worksheets to collect information over time. As you keep adding information to the worksheet, ...

Discover More

Deleting Duplicate Columns

Got a worksheet in which there may be entire columns that are duplicates of each other? If you want to delete those ...

Discover More

Inserting a Multi-Page PDF File in a Word Document

Over the decades, Word has always had a rather tenuous relationship with PDF files. Echoes and evidences of this tenuous ...

Discover More

Discover the Power of Microsoft Office This beginner-friendly guide reveals the expert tips and strategies you need to skyrocket your productivity and use Office 365 like a pro. Mastering software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is essential to be more efficient and advance your career. Simple lessons guide you through every step, providing the knowledge you need to get started. Check out Microsoft Office 365 For Beginners today!

More WordTips (menu)

Working with Other People's Files

When you get files from other people, you may want a quick way to apply your formatting to their text. Provided that the ...

Discover More

Confirming File Conversions

Open a file that isn't a Word document and Word will still try to convert it to a Word document. If you want Word to let ...

Discover More

Viewing Document Statistics

As you develop a document, Word keeps track of certain statistics about the document itself. Here is how you can review ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is six less than 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.