Upgrade Word 2003 to 2010 – STL

I still have 2003 Word documents and I want to be able to view and edit them in Word 2010.

Word 2010 is a clever little thing, and knows that I need to do this. It also has a fancy name for this, are you ready?

Today’s new term is “compatibility mode”.

How do you know if a file you receive is in 2003 or 2010? The answer is in the suffix.

2003 Word files have .doc at the end of the file name.
2010 Word files have .docx at the end of the file name.

If you receive a 2003 doc and want to edit it in your Word 2010 version – 2010 will kindly do this for you by opening the file in (ready for this) compatibility mode. 2010 will then remove the 2010 functions and enhancements that are not compatible to the 2003 version. You can make all the changes you want, save it, send it….and it will all be in 2003.

You’ll know that you are in compatibility mode because at the top of your ribbon it will remind you.

Word Course: Compatibility Mode in Word 2010

I’ve been using Word 2003 for longer than I care to admit, but after seeing 2010 in action, and being a bit jaded with 2003, I recently upgraded.

It’s still early days, but I love it…no really, I do – it has got a certain something that works for me.

Screen shot of Word 2010 — This is what Word 2010 looks like when you open a new blank document. I like the ribbon….

I like the new ribbon which replaces 2003’s file menu. I really like being able to select styles with a single click.

I didn’t really use the templates in Word 2003. With Word 2010, I have been enjoying downloading and adjusting templates from the File menu. It saves me loads of time, and means I can build my skills as I go.

screenshot-of-Newsletter-template-Word-2010-ready-for-working-on — This is one of the Newsletter templates available to download from Microsoft. Someone has worked out all the columns and headings…all I need to do is type…easy peasy

Here is a template, all ready to add to, so I can concentrate on content and not setting up all the headings, and fonts.

I can also then experiment with changes, building up my confidence producing professional looking documents from the start.

To really get the most out of Word 2010, I am using our Word Training Courses. It is good to familiarise myself with the changes from Word 2003, and I do benefit from someone showing me the capabilities of the program. I am inspired to do more with Word 2010 compared to 2003, and I think my work will benefit from the professional results.

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