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Top 10 Hidden Features of MS Word 2003
Submitted by
Patricia Nemish, Mellitz & Associates, Legal Technology Consultants
Tel: 314.997.2369 / 415.786.4952
pnemish@mellitzconsulting.com
Synopsis
If you want to add to your “repertoire” of favorite MS Word features read on. There are several shortcuts you can use to save yourself time and any duplication of effort – too many to list in this article. As a previous aficionado of WordPerfect many years ago I switched to Word because my clients were all using it, and they wanted me to teach them the more sophisticated features. Well, I took to it like a fish to water, but I humbly will say that there is still more to discover, i,e, New Templates.
Body of Article
“Hidden” to some people but not to others. You may already know about these useful MS Word features so this article serves as a reminder that they’re available to you. When used, these “shortcuts” will save you time and enable you to meet the deadlines looming down on you each day. Whether you’re searching, creating, editing, formatting, or assembling and managing documents, MS Word offers enhancements that will save you time. Here are the Step-by-Step procedures to help you learn them, and incorporate them into your daily work.
I. Editing Text in Print Preview
- Go to File menu, click Print Preview (or place the Print Preview icon on your Toolbar).
- Click the text in the area you wish to edit, and you will Zoom in on the area.
- Click the Magnifier icon. When the pointer changes from a magnifying glass to an
I-beam, make your changes to the document.
- To return to the original magnification, click Magnifier, and then click the document.
- To exit Print Preview and return to the previous view of the document, and click Close.
II. Create a Macro to Insert Filename and Path in a Footer.
No more endless searching! File stamping your documents will definitely save you time.
- Go to Tools | Macro | Record Macro | give Macro a name.
- Select either Keyboard or Toolbar and type in the shortcut keys or place macro on Toolbar
- Click Assign and then Close
- Go to View | Header and Footer | Switch Between Header and Footer (choose Footer).
- Go to Tools | Macro | Macros | Choose Filename and double-click on Run. Assuming your have given the file a name, this name and the path will be inserted in the Footer of your document.
- Click on the mini-toolbar window that appears (or) go to Tools | Macro | to stop recording the macro.
III. Converting Text to a Table or a Table to Text.
When you convert text to a table you separate text with a comma, tab, or other separator character to indicate where a new column should begin. Use a paragraph mark to begin a new row.
Indicate where you want to divide text into columns by inserting the separator characters you’d like. For example, in a list with two words on a line, insert a comma or a tab after the first word to create a two-column table.
- Select the TEXT you want to convert.
- On the Table menu, select Convert, then click Text to Table.
- Under “Separate Text At”, click the option for the separator character you want and select any other options.
IV. Word Count
This feature comes in handy when you’re writing and article or preparing a lecture, and you’re limited to a certain number of words. You can calculate the number of words in an entire document, or just those in any highlighted part of a document. Word can display a running tally on a miniature toolbar:
- Click View | Toolbars | Word Count. The mini-dialog box appears and stays there until you close it. You can choose Recount as you add more text.
- Another way to see Word Count is View | Word Count.
- To see only the number of words in a specific paragraph, just highlight the paragraph and go to View | Word Count.
- For added convenience, create a short-cut key such as Ctrl- Shift-W.
V. AutoCorrect
This is useful when you’re typing long names of organizations, your firm’s official name, or even your own name.
- Go to Tools | AutoCorrect Options and click the AutoCorrect tab.
- In the box labeled "Replace", enter a simple abbreviation you wouldn't normally type; and in the box labeled "With", enter the full name, title or phrase.
- Click Add and OK when you're done.
- Enter the abbreviation into the document. As soon as you press the spacebar, the abbreviation should be replaced by the full phrase.
VI. Using INSert key to Paste
Have you every accidentally pressed the INSert key and ended up replacing existing characters already on the screen? Well, this key can be used for something other than “overtype” mode.
- Select Tools | Options | Edit | Use the Insert Key for Paste. Click OK.
VII. List More Documents Last Worked On
If you’re constantly going back to documents you’ve worked on in order to make additional changes, you have an option to see up to NINE of those documents on the File menu. By default this lists the last four documents you have opened.
- Go to Tools | Options | General.
- In the box labeled "Recently Used File List" and change the number to 9.
VIII. Shortcut to Most Used Folders
No more drilling down through a maze of folders and sub-folders. The faster way is to place shortcuts to these folders on a list that appears in the left side of the File Open window.
This is the “My Places” bar. You’ll notice some icons for locations such as My Documents, My Computer and the Desktop. For instance, if you want to create a short cut to a folder called Reports:
- Click File | Open | navigate to the Reports folder and open it.
- Click the Tools button near the top-right corner of the window.
- From the drop-down menu that appears, click Add To My Places. A folder called Reports will appear at the bottom of row of icons.
Tips:
- To fit more icons on the row right-click anywhere in the My Places bar and choose Small Icons.
- Right-click any of the shortcuts to move them up or down the list.
- To remove a folder from the list, right-click and choose Delete.
- Also notice the toolbar icons to create a New Folder and the View button to change how documents are displayed in the box. You can see the Detail, Thumbnails, Preview the Document or just show icons for the files.
IX. Formatting
No more cleaning up unwanted formatting (underlining, bold, italics, spacing, etc.) that has been dragged in from another document or has remnants of html commands after you’ve pasted the text into Word.
Instead of using the regular Paste command:
- Select Edit | Paste Special | choose Unformatted Text and click OK. The text will appear in the same format as the rest of the document.
When you come up against a troublesome paragraph that's already on the page:
- Highlight the text and press Ctrl-Shift-N. This resets all selected text to the "Normal" formatting of 12 point Times Roman
X. Templates
Why invent the wheel! Use the MS Templates for creating legal forms, Business Forms, Financial Statements, address labels, labels for CDs or DVDs, CONFIDENTIAL labels, envelope seals, stickers, seasonal decorations, greeting cards, reward certificates, new PowerPoint Designs, and many more.
- Go to File | New | select Templates on Office Online. You can modify or use the Templates as they are. You’ll be amazed to see how many options you really do have!
Conclusion
Here are some other MS Word features to investigate if you’re looking to save more time and even have some fun while you’re at it!
- View | Reading Layout
- View | Document Map
- View | Thumbnails
- Insert | Comments
- View | Markup
- Edit | Paste Clipboard
- Format | Reveal Formatting
- Format | Theme (FUN stuff!)
- Tools | Options | place checkmark in Help for WordPerfect Users box
- Tools | Options | place a checkmark in Navigation Keys for WordPerfect Users
- Tools | Letters and Mailings | Letter Wizard
- Tools | Speech (for speech recognition capabilities )
- Tools | Protect Document
- Edit | Go To (now you have more choices!)
Ms. Nemish is a Time Matters/Billing Matters Plus Certified Independent Consultant, (CIC), having passed the rigorous certification process for all LexisNexis Time Matters products from Ver. 5.0 to the present Ver. 7.0. She has recently been certified on LexisNexis PC Law, as well. Pat was a Timeslips Certified Consultant, and has maintained her skills in that program. Her high energy and willingness to “go the extra mile” for her clients are evident in her interaction with them. She continually updates her technical knowledge by attending training courses, seminars, and familiarizing herself with new products.
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