Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Setting a Default Document Format.
Normally, Word saves your documents in what is known as Word format. Technically, this means different things for different versions of Word. One simple way of looking at it, however, is that it means your documents are stored in a peculiar way that is understood by your version of Word, but may not be understood by other programs.
If you do a lot of work creating documents for other versions of Word or other programs, you may want to specify a different default file format for your documents. Word makes this easy by following these steps:
Figure 1. The Save tab of the Options dialog box.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1253) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Setting a Default Document Format.
Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!
If you need to work with a copy of a document rather than the original document, you can use Word's Open dialog box to ...
Discover MoreHaving trouble getting Word to save your AutoRecover documents? Don't turn the feature off; try the techniques described ...
Discover MoreNeed to store some information in a plain text file? It's easy to do when you use a macro.
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2021-02-03 16:36:59
AQ
I cannot get my saved word document to show when I open it, I keep getting the
File conversion box :
telling me to select the encoding that makes your document readable.
Text Encoding
Options given are: Windows ( default) MS-DOS and Other encoding.
When I choose Windows 9 Default) it give me Western European Windows, but I still see unreadable text in the Preview section.
When I go to Other Encoding it gives me Western European it still do not work
I have been trying since two days to get this corrected so I can forward my documents to the company and I am unable to do so.
Please assist
2019-06-13 13:45:01
Trouble
What about the default for simply *opening* a document? Like if I wanted to change the default to "All Files"?
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2021 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: 
Comments