Saving Word Files in Different Formats

Microsoft has a great way of forcing you to purchase an upgraded Word version.  It's called "lacking backward compatibility."  What that means is that when Word 2007 came out and someone saved a file the default way and then tried to open it in Word 2003, it wouldn't open.  So, this forced us to purchase the new version instead of calling and asking others to please save in a different format before sending us a file.  To save a Word 2007 or Word 2010 file so it can be used in Word 2003, you can click SAVE AS, in the SAVE AS TYPE box, click the down arrow and choose WORD 97-2003 DOCUMENT.  This will allow those users to open that file.

You can also save Word documents in many other formats.  Examples are below:

• PDF:  Great for users who don't have Word.  Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free download.  This format is great if you just want to share information and not have the reader change anything about the file.
• Web Page:  Believe it or not, you can create a Web page in Word.  It's not for those who want to make an eye-catching page; however, Word will do the basics.
• Rich-Text Format (RTF):  This is a great way to save and open in other word processing programs and leave much of the formatting intact.
• Plain Text:  This is probably used most often for those uploading resumes.  Many organizations now require that you upload your resume in plain text.  This strips most of your higher-end formatting, and you will be shocked with how plain it looks.  You may need to readjust some items before you upload a resume.  Http://www.about.com gives a few plain-text resume hints at this site:   http://careerplanning.about.com/cs/resumewriting/a/ascii_resume.htm.