Discussion on:

10 Word defaults you can customize to work the way YOU want

Handy guide.

It's a pity Word is so twitchy (I have Word 2007).
It always seems to come up with new ways to frustrate you (especially when you have a deadline to meet).
In the last two weeks it has displayed two new glitches (on separate documents).

In one document, the "Page Break" wouldn't force the following text onto a new page!
In the other, no matter what "Language" and "Spell Check" options I set, they would reset themselves after one or two sentences!

I used to receive many source documents with this language problem while I was creating technical documentation at work. Early in each document, Word found our company address on San Ignacio Avenue in San Jose, California and constantly reset our English text as Portuguese (Brazil).

In your Normal.dotx template, try to reset the language for the Normal style (and all styles not based on Normal), or for an existing document, just select the entire document with CTRL+A.
Find wherever you set the language in Word 2007 (in my Word 2003, it's on the menu at Tools > Language > Set Language).
Set the language to whatever is appropriate [I use English (U.S.) in my location.]
MOST IMPORTANT: Clear any checkbox that says: Detect language automatically. (If the box is shaded, click it repeatedly until the checkbox box is clear (that is, has no check mark.)

As to the page not breaking where you want, I can't say anything definitive. But, if you are using manual page breaks, try instead setting a paragraph format. In the Paragraph dialog box, click the Line and Page Breaks tab, and under the Pagination group, select the check box labeled Page break before. That should force the paragraph to start on a new page.

Thanks for those tips.

I've used Word for ~12 years and I use my own Normal.dotx template.

The "Spell Check" problem was on a document supplied for my TAFE course.

"MOST IMPORTANT: Clear any checkbox that says: Detect language automatically. (If the box is shaded, click it repeatedly until the checkbox box is clear (that is, has no check mark.)"
This was the problem I encountered.
No matter what I did (e.g. selecting the entire document or the offending section) the "Do not check spelling or grammar" check box would reset itself after a few sentences were added.

I probably should have copied everything into Notepad++, opened a new Word document, transferred the text into it and reformatted everything.

The "Page Break" thing was weird.
I hadn't seen it before and I haven't seen it since.

The standard Word glitches I encounter are:
- The numbering system goes berserk.
- The styles refuse to take.

A Word restart will normally fix the problems (for a while).

Who decided that no one needs a fullscreen Print Preview (Word 2010)?

Has anyone found a way of ensuring that bullet points do not indent by default - and then with a nest bullet point it indents a specific space every time (I lik first level bullet points at the margin; second level 0.7 in and then multiples. Can#t set it up automatically - have to adjust every time

In Word 2003, open your default Normal.dot template and add or define List Bullet, List Bullet 2, and List Bullet 3 styles (those should be enough.) If you don't have a convenient toolbar button for accessing the styles, from the menu, click Format > Styles and Formatting as a starting point to access styles.

You can set the bullet symbol and the amount of indentation for each level of bullet. Set the bullet format first, before bothering with any formats for the tab or paragraph indent. You set the tab and indents within the bullet dialog box, and the tab/paragraph formats will follow automatically. Depending on the font size and type, I usually set the first bullet level with no indent for the bullet and perhaps 0.35 indent for the text, then I set the second level bullet indented 0.35 and the text 0.7, third level 0.7 and 1.05. You can use different numbers such as 0.25 or 0.375 as your base indent,

For Word 2007 or 2010, I'm sure there are similar style settings you can use for the Normal.dotx template, but I avoid the Ribbon like the plague that it is, so I can't give specific details where you set the styles.

It's amazing how much time we waste repeating the same adjustments over and over again, normally because we "don't have time" to change them!

Good list Susan, many thanks!

Nice to get confirmation that what I do is "recommended". I only missed out on one of those.
Also.
1. Set your default paper size and margins.
2. Spend some time setting up your own Styles. (Title, headings, bullets - whatever you use). If you aren't using Styles you are not using Word efficiently.
3. Spell checker. For me override the default US spelling and make Australia home.
4. Grammar check and Spell check. USE THEM. Most documents and emails that I see do not pass the English legibility test, and many of those come from highly paid executives! It does not matter if English is your first or second language, most people fail the reading, riting, rithmatic test when it comes to grammar and spelling.
5. Refer point 4. I cannot stress this enough.

I use the Publish to Word feature of Powerpoint a lot to create lecture handout materials.
But the default table font is too big (I'd prefer Ariel 8) and size of PPT objects in the table is too small (I'd prefer about 50% bigger with a smaller left hand column width).
Can anyone suggest how to change the defaults for Publish to Word from Powerpoint

Several years ago I took the easy road with Word. Switched to Open Office. My hair is growing back now. Thanks, Oracle.

How do I change the colour of the proofing underlines? The choice of red/green always annoys me and shows a complete lack of awareness of an issue that affects 10% of the male population to some extent

how about bulleting? sometimes Word automatically inert bullet whenever we put das or number in front of a paragraph.

If you desire Line Spacing to be turned off globally, meaning in every document hereafter, RIGHT CLICK on a paragraph and choose Paragraph from the shortcut menu. This will take you into the same dialog box as demonstrated in #1, but through a different door. Change the Line Spacing to SINGLE and click the DEFAULT button at the bottom. This Default button will make changes to the Normal.dotx template from which all blank, new documents are created.

You may see the same Default button in the FONT dialog box. If you don't like the settings for font or size in the new 2010 versions, Right Click on the paragraph and choose FONT from the shortcut menu. Make any desired changes for permanent font look and choose Default. This will change the default in all new documents from now on. If you change your mind, this cannot be undone, but rather, make changes again and click the Default button again.

"4. Grammar check and Spell check. USE THEM. Most documents and emails that I see do not pass the English legibility test, and many of those come from highly paid executives! It does not matter if English is your first or second language, most people fail the reading, riting, rithmatic test when it comes to grammar and spelling.
5. Refer point 4. I cannot stress this enough."

Speaking as a former English teacher, editor, and tech writer, agree 100%...but TURN OFF the "as you type" option. CONCENTRATE ON YOUR WRITING. Run these functions AFTER you've composed your message.

One of the "features" I hate is Word automatically changing the style of the first line of a document to a heading. That is, when I type a single line at the beginning of a document then hit enter twice, the style of that first line automatically changes to a heading. This most often happens to me when composing an email. Does anyone know of a way to disable this?

Word is awesome, but I often have to move between two word-processing formats for my mobile writing needs. Word has a lot of neat features but some things, like smart quotes, just make my job more difficult because I have to remove them later. They throw out some serious formatting trash if I paste Word's contents into a text document on my Mac. I know they serve to make the printout of stories and documents look better, but it's nice to know they can be turned off. As for Word's extra line-spacing, I actually find that useful, but strict professors and teachers might prefer 1.0. Overall this article has been very helpful to me, for there were some things it covered that I wasn't even sure Word was doing in the background. I always love reading the article here. Keep up the amazing work Susan!

I'm using Office 2007 and tried to change the default font from Calibri to Arial as per Tip#8 and set it as Default. Yet it reverts to Calibri in the already open document and also when I open a new document. Any other settings I need to look for?

Right-click the Normal font on the Ribbon, then select modify. Change the font, point size, etc. Next, click the radio button at the bottom of that dialog box that says, "New documents based on this template." Click OK. I use Word 2010, but I think it should be the same for 2007.

Many of these, especially the line spacing default thing, have bugged me for years.

I tried hint number one and it didn't hold across documents until I updated the Normal template. I'll bet that's true with all the hints.

I use "outline" mode/view a lot. I'd like the view to be longer/wider, I've never successfully found a way t do this. Any clues?

Jason

Anyone who has been using Microsoft Office through the iterations since '95 should not find anything in this list extrememly helpful. If people are really wasting their time repeatedly making changes from the default settings, it is because they have never ventured into the menus to find these settings. It is not magic, it is just a program. And, like many other programs, you can modify some of the underlying basics to suit your needs...you just need to know that you can, then look for it instead of wasting your time changing the same thing everyday. This little article belongs in the "Word for Dummies" corner, not on TechRepublic. Now, if you want to share a script on how to change the red and green underlines for folks who are colorblind, THAT would be a great article.

How do I enable "Clippy"?

"Many of these, especially the line spacing default thing, have bugged me for years."

Note that you can specify dimensions using typographic measures like picas and points.

Specifically, line spacing in points allows finer control. In Word 2003, for example, even the "single" line spacing is a bit airy for some documents. If you're using 12-point type, try 13-point or 12-point line spacing. This can be especially handy for those documents which are just one or two lines too long. Just select all the type and set the line spacing.

This is a handy list, I'd appreciate a PDF version, possibly with some of the commentator's ideas added to it.
Cheers

No problem.
Copy and paste into word
set the formatting.
Save as PDF.
You will have learnt another word feature also.

I am one of those people who really prefer to set my own defaults, as are most of you, so finding the intricacies of how Word will "let you" change things is helpful. Thanks!

What I can't find, however, is a way to change the default tab stop to be .25" instead of .5". Yes, I realize I can set hard tab stops, but my prior experience tells me this is not necessarily relative to whatever the current margins are.

Has anyone had experience with that?

There are many that could be added. Importantly imo, while modifying your file locations (tip 4), it is worth changing the locations where templates are stored to one which you regularly back up (eg, in your data partition). Also export your ribbon/quick access toolbar to a backup location, so you can reinstall it on a new hard-drive or computer. File/Options/Customize Ribbon/Import-Export/Export (or import) all customizations,

Turn off Mini Toolbar and Live Preview
File Options/General to get rid of these options which can get in the way when you try to edit. You can achieve the same as the mini toolbar by clicking right on a selection.

Alzie - just print the article as a pdf with any one of a number of free or paid pdf printers. Or drag your pointer over the whole article and comments, copy to clipboard and paste into your word processor.

How about tip number 1 - how to get rid of the ribbon control and go back to efficient menus and tool bars?

My thoughts on this productivity bleeding technology are here:
onsolution.com.au/blog/2012/hate-ribbon-control/

Yes the title is a bit of a give away.

None of these tips describe how they are done in Word 2010.

Does TechRepublic think no one is using Word 2010?

I cannoty agree more with Owen.. The number of mis-spelt mails I recieve is amazing... and there are too many people who do not seem to know, or care about the difference between their and there.
I don't mind too much when the offending items come from abroad but when they originate from the UK or other Engish as a first language countries it makes me want to scream!!

You're assuming your fellow English writers spell better than in days of yore. No, they don't know the right way to write like a word-wright.

I claim prior rights to Owen. He commented on my comment.

And I got all of your jokes.
"recieve" 'i before e except after C, when the sound of the word is ee." "receive"
"cannoty" ha ha - good one
"do not seem to know, 'n'or care"
Engish - chuckle
"countries" when you meant country's.
Pure gold.

@emmausdan : Hey man, maybe it is not explicit but the way to implement any of these tips under Word 2010 is always the first statement made by the author. So in your case, you mostly have to go to the File tab and look for relevant options.

@shane van: have a look via Google and you will easily find two or three 2003 menus interfaces for Office 2007/2010 that are free or commercial alternatives. They install as a specific tab in the ribbon. Then you can manage 2007/2010 operations with 2003 menus options. Enjoy!

Cheers from France

Thanks for the help!

You lost me at "click the home tab".