MS-DOS with Line Breaks Format in Word 2002 and Word 2003

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 1, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2002 and 2003


When you save a document, Word normally saves it in Word format, meaning that all the formatting and objects your document contains are saved, as is. Word also allows you to save your files in a number of other formats, however. One format that has long been available in word is "MS-DOS with Line Breaks." This format seems to be missing from Word 2002 and Word 2003, however.

Never fear--a file format by that particular name may no longer be available in the Save As Type drop-down list, but the functionality is still built in. Follow these steps:

  1. Create your document as you normally would.
  2. Choose Save (or Save As) from the File menu. Word displays the Save (or Save As) dialog box.
  3. Using the Save As Type drop-down list, choose Plain Text (*.txt).
  4. In the File Name box, specify the name you want to use for the saved document.
  5. Click on Save. Word displays the File Conversion dialog box.
  6. For Text Encoding, choose MS-DOS.
  7. Make sure the Insert Line Breaks check box is selected.
  8. Click on OK.

That's it; you have now created a text file that is the same as the older MS-DOS with Line Breaks format.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1659) applies to Microsoft Word 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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Understanding ASCII and ANSI Characters

Two of the most common character coding schemes used in computers go by the acronyms ASCII and ANSI. This tip explains a ...

Discover More

Assigning Macros to Graphics

The graphics you place in a worksheet can do more than just look pretty. You can also assign macros to a graphic, which ...

Discover More

Generating Automatic Links to Audio Files

Need to create links to many filenames on your system? Here are a couple of quick ways to get just the connection you need.

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!

More WordTips (menu)

Opening a Text File and Template from the Command Line

Word includes a command-line syntax that you can use to open files and do other operations. If you want to load a text ...

Discover More

Files Opening Slowly If Many Files Exist

Managing large numbers of documents in Word can lead to some interesting challenges. One potential challenge is that your ...

Discover More

Picking Up in the Last Document Edited

Sometimes it seems that we focus on getting a particular document hammered out to the exclusion of other documents we ...

Discover More
Subscribe

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.

What is 3 + 1?

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.

Videos
Subscribe

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

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.