Microsoft Word 2010 Tips and Tricks

If you're moving from Microsoft Word 2007 to 2010, you won't have quite the initial shock as if you're upgrading from Microsoft Word 2003 or lower. The interface is vastly different. The biggest change you'll see is that Microsoft is now using Ribbon Tabs rather than drop down menu items: keeping your workspace clear while looking for specific features.

Determining 'Bit' and Service Release Information

Microsoft has released two major versions of Office 2010, those are 32 bit and 64 bit versions. (Office 2010 64 bit can only be run on a 64 bit Operating System). So why care, and how to determine which you have installed? It's important to know because some third-party vendors do not integrate with the 64 bit version.

To determine the “Bit” information, click the File tab (Backstage View) of any Office 2010 application and click Help. You will find the bit information below the “About Microsoft Word (or other)” section.

Microsoft no longer places the Service Pack (SP) information next to the version information. To determine the SP information you'll need to do the following: Start>>Control Panel>>Uninstall a Program>>Click “View installed updates” in the panel to the left. Scroll through the “Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010″ section until you see “Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack # (SP#).”

Working with the Ribbon

Each of the tabs you see below the Microsoft Word Title Bar contains a Ribbon of features, grouped by category. Microsoft Office 2010 application Ribbon items can be accessed via the keyboard as well as the mouse. Tapping the ALT key displays the corresponding KeyTips. Either press ALT and tap the KeyTip, or press ALT to peruse the KeyTips. Once you're in the Ribbon, via the ALT key, you'll see the specific KeyTips. As long as those KeyTips are displayed, they will be active and you won't end up typing the character into your document. Be sure you see those prior to typing the character.

Minimize the Ribbon

Use this to add more real estate to your document area: Right-click any Ribbon tab and choose Minimize the Ribbon. Do the same to restore it.

Contextual Tabs

If you have a specific object selected, for example a Table, the Ribbon tab displays one or more Contextual Tabs for additional features, such as Design or Format. Deselecting the object removes the Contextual Tabs.

Customize the Status Bar

This will be especially useful for toggling Track Changes, and seeing which Section of the document you're in. Right-click any part of the Status Bar at the bottom of the application window. Click any of the features to display those. TIP: In Microsoft Word 2010, the Track Changes toggle is a single-click to turn it on and off.

Locating Document Properties

From the File tab, click Info. To the right, click Properties>>Advanced Properties. Microsoft has removed the “Status” property from the Advanced Properties dialog. To determine if the Status field has data, instead of choosing Advanced Properties, click Show Document Panel.

Hidden Objects

While some objects can be hidden via the Editing Group at the end of the Home Ribbon, most legal documents won't make use of this. The exception is if a template developer (particularly for pleadings) has programmed a template to appear differently for specific courts. Some have lines along the side and some do not. Those will have been programmatically hidden and picked up by this new feature in Microsoft Word 2010. You will also find the Selection Pane in the Page Layout Ribbon.

To see if the document contains any Hidden Objects, click “Select” in the Editing Group>>Selection Pane. Any hidden objects will be listed. If the item in the list is able to be toggled “ON” (unhide), then the Eye icon next to it will be active. If the object cannot be shown or hidden, the Eye icon will be dim (greyed out, inactive, etc.). In this case, the object may need to be programmatically unhidden by a template developer.

To hide an object, click the Eye icon. To show the object click the same icon (which is now blank) and it will appear as the Eye again.

Versions

Microsoft Word 2010 will list the various “Auto Saved” versions of a document until you close that document. Once you close it (whether or not you Save), that list will be automatically cleared. An older version of the document can be opened and saved as a new document, or saved over the existing (latest) version of the document in which you're working.

Click the File tab (Backstage view) and click the Info tab. Just to the right of the Manage Versions button will be a list of the AutoSaved versions of the document. Click one of those to either Compare the difference between that version and the one you're currently working on, restore that version over the existing, or save it as a new file. When you choose to Compare, Word will produce a new unsaved comparison file.

Conclusion

Microsoft Office 2010 is full of many new features over Office 2003 and lower. The information provided above answers the most common questions of how to now find feature locations and use the new user interface. If you are not able to get professional training, one of your best options is to give yourself time to inspect the application prior to launching into your regular workflow.

If you're moving from Microsoft Word 2007 to 2010, you won't have quite the initial shock as if you're upgrading from Microsoft Word 2003 or lower. The interface is vastly different. The biggest change you'll see is that Microsoft is now using Ribbon Tabs rather than drop down menu items: keeping your workspace clear while looking for specific features.

Determining 'Bit' and Service Release Information

Microsoft has released two major versions of Office 2010, those are 32 bit and 64 bit versions. (Office 2010 64 bit can only be run on a 64 bit Operating System). So why care, and how to determine which you have installed? It's important to know because some third-party vendors do not integrate with the 64 bit version.

To determine the “Bit” information, click the File tab (Backstage View) of any Office 2010 application and click Help. You will find the bit information below the “About Microsoft Word (or other)” section.

Microsoft no longer places the Service Pack (SP) information next to the version information. To determine the SP information you'll need to do the following: Start>>Control Panel>>Uninstall a Program>>Click “View installed updates” in the panel to the left. Scroll through the “Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010″ section until you see “Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack # (SP#).”

Working with the Ribbon

Each of the tabs you see below the Microsoft Word Title Bar contains a Ribbon of features, grouped by category. Microsoft Office 2010 application Ribbon items can be accessed via the keyboard as well as the mouse. Tapping the ALT key displays the corresponding KeyTips. Either press ALT and tap the KeyTip, or press ALT to peruse the KeyTips. Once you're in the Ribbon, via the ALT key, you'll see the specific KeyTips. As long as those KeyTips are displayed, they will be active and you won't end up typing the character into your document. Be sure you see those prior to typing the character.

Minimize the Ribbon

Use this to add more real estate to your document area: Right-click any Ribbon tab and choose Minimize the Ribbon. Do the same to restore it.

Contextual Tabs

If you have a specific object selected, for example a Table, the Ribbon tab displays one or more Contextual Tabs for additional features, such as Design or Format. Deselecting the object removes the Contextual Tabs.

Customize the Status Bar

This will be especially useful for toggling Track Changes, and seeing which Section of the document you're in. Right-click any part of the Status Bar at the bottom of the application window. Click any of the features to display those. TIP: In Microsoft Word 2010, the Track Changes toggle is a single-click to turn it on and off.

Locating Document Properties

From the File tab, click Info. To the right, click Properties>>Advanced Properties. Microsoft has removed the “Status” property from the Advanced Properties dialog. To determine if the Status field has data, instead of choosing Advanced Properties, click Show Document Panel.

Hidden Objects

While some objects can be hidden via the Editing Group at the end of the Home Ribbon, most legal documents won't make use of this. The exception is if a template developer (particularly for pleadings) has programmed a template to appear differently for specific courts. Some have lines along the side and some do not. Those will have been programmatically hidden and picked up by this new feature in Microsoft Word 2010. You will also find the Selection Pane in the Page Layout Ribbon.

To see if the document contains any Hidden Objects, click “Select” in the Editing Group>>Selection Pane. Any hidden objects will be listed. If the item in the list is able to be toggled “ON” (unhide), then the Eye icon next to it will be active. If the object cannot be shown or hidden, the Eye icon will be dim (greyed out, inactive, etc.). In this case, the object may need to be programmatically unhidden by a template developer.

To hide an object, click the Eye icon. To show the object click the same icon (which is now blank) and it will appear as the Eye again.

Versions

Microsoft Word 2010 will list the various “Auto Saved” versions of a document until you close that document. Once you close it (whether or not you Save), that list will be automatically cleared. An older version of the document can be opened and saved as a new document, or saved over the existing (latest) version of the document in which you're working.

Click the File tab (Backstage view) and click the Info tab. Just to the right of the Manage Versions button will be a list of the AutoSaved versions of the document. Click one of those to either Compare the difference between that version and the one you're currently working on, restore that version over the existing, or save it as a new file. When you choose to Compare, Word will produce a new unsaved comparison file.

Conclusion

Microsoft Office 2010 is full of many new features over Office 2003 and lower. The information provided above answers the most common questions of how to now find feature locations and use the new user interface. If you are not able to get professional training, one of your best options is to give yourself time to inspect the application prior to launching into your regular workflow.