Business Computing Tips

By K&K Fainges kfainges@...

The last heading under TOOLS is OPTIONS. Now this will vary a great
deal depending what else you have on your system, and what version of
word you have, but basically, if anything is ever really annoying you
with Word, here is where you fix it.

Click on each tab in turn and look at all the options available. It
may take a while to find what you are after.

GENERAL covers the basic setup of Word. The main thing I tend to
change here is the 'recently used file list'. this lets you open the
last thing you were working on. If you like, you can set it to any
one of the last 9. This come in very handy if you are working on
something with a lot of different articles in it.

VIEW allows you to change the look of the screen, but not the
document. If you can't see the margins or ruler, or the setup looks
funny, look here.

EDIT gives you options on how Word changes your document. Then main
one here is OVERTYPE. This means that if you make changes, it types
directly over what you have. Taking out that tick allows Word to move
the text over while you put new stuff in. It is the same as pressing
the INSERT key on your keyboard, but it will force it to act the way
you want if Word is not accepting the keyboard controls or doesn't
have an INSERT key.

PRINT allows you to set up stuff like Duplex printing and updating
fields before you print. Fields are things like the date (if you set
it to automatically change to today's date.)

SAVE let's you do great things like Autosave and make backups.

FILE LOCATIONS is where your files end up when you save. If you are
having trouble finding them, check here.

COMPATIBILITY is if you are changing from WORD to say WORD PERFECT a
lot. It lets you tweak the changes so your documents stay pretty much
the same

USER INFORMATION is you name and address so any wizards, like the
mailing wizard can fill it in automatically.

SECURITY if you want to add passwords etc

SPELLING AND GRAMMAR is pretty obvious. The main benefit here is
being able to turn off any spelling or grammar check that the
computer always gets wrong.

Luck last is TRACK CHANGES. This is for if you are editing your work
(or someone else's, and you want to track the changes you make. It is
a great idea. it lets you see any mistakes you are making constantly,
and let's you change you mind about changes.

Next issue: Windows and Help

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Please feel free to pass it on to your friends, just let them know I
wrote it.

Karen Fainges holds a Bachelor of Business, and a Grad. Cert of
Vocational and Educational Training. All this is nice but it's the 14
years of having to make sales or starve that makes her think she has
really learnt what does and doesn't work. A tutor for all ages, she
specialises in helping people get started on the long road to
technology.

"It has to be practical, it has to be cheap, and it has to work."