WORD BASICS

Getting Started:

Click on the “Start” button at the bottom left corner of your screen.

Scroll up to the “Programs” button, then go over to “Microsoft Office.” Click on the Word button.

Finding an Old File:

Click on the “My Computer” icon at the top left corner of the screen. If you have placed your file in the “My Documents” folder, click there. If your document is on a floppy disk, insert the floppy, click on “3 ½ inch Floppy A:” and then on your file’s name. If no files appear, go to the “View” menu at the top of the window and click on “Refresh.”

It is very, very important to keep track of where your files are. If you save them on the hard drive of a campus machine, they will only be available to you from that machine. This is also dangerous because files are frequently purged from campus machines. It’s best to keep a floppy with you at all times. Just remember to check it for viruses before you use it in your home computer – or get some good virus software for home.

You can also find a file by opening Word, then going to the “File” menu and clicking on the “Open” command. This will bring you to a pop-up box with a number of options. You do not have to know where your file is, exactly, to use this option, but if you don’t know, you can spend hours searching. Keep track of file locations.

Saving the Old File With a New Name:

Go to the “File” menu in Word and click on the “Save As” command. A pop-up box appears, with a box at the bottom for the new name. If you’re saving versions of a paper, it’s easiest to number them sequentially (i.e., “Stuff1,” ‘Stuff2,” “Stuff3,” etc.)

Remember. When you use the “Save” command, you’re saving your latest version on top of your earlier version. If you want to undo the changes you made, or compare versions of a draft, you need to use the “Save As” command.

Creating a File:

When you open Word, it automatically gives you a blank page on which to start typing. Most of the time, this page already has the correct margins (1”) and font sizes (12 pt.) that you’ll need. Just start typing.

When you’re ready to save your work, click on the “File” menu or on the floppy disk icon. This will bring up a box that allows you to choose a location and a name for your file. It is vitally important to keep track of these bits of information, because you will need to find your file again.

Save your work early and often. System crashes occur – usually at the very worst possible moment – and then you’ve lost everything. It only needs to happen once to make you completely miserable, so get in the habit now.

Formatting a Template:

Word is an amazingly powerful program. You can do a lot of interesting things with your work, and even more important, you can make Word remember what your personal preferences are, what forms you use most often, and what you did last.

Create a template by clicking on the “File” menu, and then on the “New” button. A pop-up box will ask you what you want. Click on the “Create New . . . Template” radio button in the lower left hand corner. When you get back to the Word main screen, make all the changes you want – change the font, the point size, etc. Click “Save” when you finish, and give the template a name. Now, every time you click on the “New” command, your template, loaded with your preferences, will be an option for you.

If you are in a technical or business writing class that requires letterhead or memo templates, you can create these so that the basic work is already done for you. Just enter the text onto the template while you’re creating it, and it will pop up every time you need it. (This saves a lot of work!)