Like any software, Microsoft Word also requires optimization, obtainable by productively modifying some predefined settings and options. Thanks to these changes, the most used program in the world to write to the computer should become lighter, faster and give quick access to the most useful and frequent functions, so as not to waste time in document management activities that should be automated.
Below, we see 10 of the settings that should be changed to improve work with Word and save time and effort.
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1) Set the preferred location to save the files
Go to the File menu -> Options and then to the Save tab to configure the preferred folder in which to save the documents.
The advantages are that in this way you can use the disk button to immediately save a new document and to be able to reopen it quickly.
It is also possible, from the same settings tab, to choose the default file format and change it to docx or doc or odt or rtf as needed.
2) Move "Save As" on the quick access bar
The Save As button should always be close at hand so that any new document can be saved immediately with a recognizable name.
You can then take advantage of the quick access bar, the top one of all where there are also the Save and restore modification buttons.
From the bar, press the down arrow and press on Other commands .
From the Word options, find the Save As command and add it to the right column.
Remember, however, that the Save As can be done quickly by pressing the F12 key on the PC keyboard.
3) Deactivate the Paste Options box to make copy cut and paste operations faster
When you right-click on a Word document, under Copy and Cut there are the paste options that can take some time.
If you prefer to disable it and use always paste text in unformatted mode, to bring up the classic Paste button, Go to the File menu -> Options -> Advanced and deselect the Show Paste Options button.
The fact remains that copying and pasting can be done more quickly using the key combinations CTRL + C, CTRL + X and CTRL + V.
4) Set a default font
Microsoft Word 2013 uses Calibri as a default font at a size of 11.
Precisely because it is predefined and everyone uses it, it may be advisable to change it, perhaps by setting the good old Times New Roman or Helvetica (or Arial) elected best font to write a curriculum and, consequently, also excellent for work documents.
To change the font in a document just keep the Home tab open in the ribbon and choose the font from the drop-down menu.
To change the default font of all documents that will be written in the future instead click on the right corner of the font box from the Home tab.
Choose Arial, press the Set as default button and then change the option by putting " For all documents " before clicking OK.
5) Deactivate advice when placing the cursor over a button
Those with enough experience with Word can make the program faster by disabling the tips and mini-guides that automatically appear when a button is selected.
If we never read them, you can deactivate them in the File menu -> Options -> General, changing the tool description style, in not showing tooltips or not showing characteristic description ... to still leave the possibility to read the name of a button when you put your cursor over it.
The latter mode is preferable because it shows the name of the commands without descriptions.
6) Modify the Normal model with one to your liking
To save time on page setup and repetitive formatting options, you can create a default template for each new document you open.
Then right-click on the Normal style, in the center-right of the ribbon, and press Modify .
Then change the font as seen in step 4 and then also the font size and font style.
The buttons above the preview also allow you to choose the side margins and the height of the line spacing.
In the lower left corner you can enter other editing sections like tab, paragraph, borders and others.
Before clicking OK and exiting, select the option below " In new documents based on this model ".
Note : the Normal style is saved in a file called Normal.dotm .
If this is renamed, damaged or moved, Word automatically creates a new version that uses the original default settings and therefore the customizations made will be lost.
7) Change the personal information of the documents
This is something that many forget and that risks making bad figures.
In fact, if we write a new document starting from an existing one and written by another, whoever reads it could catch the fact that that document is not ours, because the information inside it shows another author.
All metadata and personal information are visible from the File> Information menu
Changing personal information in Word is done only once and applies to all documents saved later.
The author information can be changed from the File menu -> Information or also in File -> Options -> General and put your name under " Personalization of the Office copy in use ".
If you want to change the author of a specific document, you can use the Review menu or, in the box that appears when you save as, you can add and edit the author.
8) Remove document ownership and personal information
If you want to maintain absolute privacy about who wrote and edited a Word file, it is important to delete the hidden metadata that contain the names of those who worked on it, the creation date, previous versions, working time and other things.
The information stored by Microsoft Office is visible from File -> Information .
To delete all this information go to the File menu -> Options, press on Protection Center and then on Settings Protection Center .
Go to Privacy Options and press the Document Control button and then choose to delete all the metadata.
Note : This is a setting related to the file in use and not permanent.
9) Turn off protected view in Word
Protected view is a read-only mode which - as its name indicates - has the purpose of protecting your computer from a document received if it is infected.
If you receive files from reputable sources, you can turn off protected view .
Then go to File -> Options -> Protection Center -> Protection Center Settings and uncheck all or only some of the options in the Protected View section.
10) Automatic scrolling
To read long documents hands-free, automatic scrolling can be activated with a single button.
This button can be added on the quick access bar at the top by pressing the down arrow key, going to Other commands -> Choose commands from -> All commands -
The automatic scroll button appears as a white circle.
When pressed, the mouse pointer turns into a double arrow and you can scroll the document up and down with the mouse, without clicking anything.
To exit the automatic scrolling mode, press with a mouse button or press Esc.
READ ALSO: Optimize Word by deactivating unnecessary options
