Word > File migration

Create a document that can be used by earlier versions of Word

If you create a document to send to people who are working in earlier versions of Word and you know that

they have installed the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel and PowerPoint Open XML File

Formats, you can work in Microsoft Word 2010 mode.

If you aren't sure whether the people you send your document to have installed the Microsoft Office

Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel and PowerPoint Open XML File Formats, you can work in Compatibility

Mode. Compatibility Mode makes sure that no new or enhanced features in Word 2010 are available while

you work in a document, so that people who are using previous versions of Word will have full editing

capabilities.

 NOTE    If you already created a document, and you want to find out what content won't be available for

editing in earlier versions, see Features that behave differently in earlier versions.
Turn on Compatibility Mode

When you create a new document that will be used in an earlier version, you can turn on Compatibility

Mode by saving the file in Word 97-2003 format.

1. Open a new document.

2. Click the File tab.

3. Click Save As.

4. In the Save as type list, click Word 97-2003 Document. This changes the file format to .doc.

5. In the File name box, type a name for the document.

6. Click Save.

FEATURES THAT BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY IN EARLIER VERSIONS

These tables include document elements that behave differently and document elements that aren't

available when you work in Compatibility Mode.

 NOTE    If you are using Microsoft Word Starter 2010, be aware that not all the features listed for Word

2010 are supported in Word Starter. For more information about the features available in Word Starter, see

Word Starter feature support.

Word 2010
element Change when opened in Word 2007 Change when opened in Word 97-2003
New New numbering formats are converted to Arabic New numbering formats are converted to Arabic
numbering numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, ...). numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, ...).
formats

New shapes Shapes and text boxes are converted to effects Shapes and text boxes are converted to effects
and text available in this format. available in this format.
boxes

Text effects Effects on text are permanently removed unless
the effects are applied by using a custom style. If
they are applied by using the style, the text
effects will appear again when the document is
reopened in Word 2010.
Effects on text are permanently removed unless the
effects are applied by using a custom style. If they
are applied by using the style, the text effects will
appear again when the document is reopened in
Word 2010.

Alternative Tables lose alternative-text information. Tables lose alternative-text information.

text on
tables

OpenType New type features are removed. New type features are removed.
features

Blocking Blocks applied to regions of the document will be Blocks applied to regions of the document will be
authors removed. removed.

New Effects on text are permanently removed. Effects on text are permanently removed.
WordArt
effects

New Permanently converted to static content. Permanently converted to static content.

content
controls

Word 2007 No change. Permanently converted to static text.

Content
controls

Themes No change. Permanently converted to styles. If the file is later

opened in Word 2010, you cannot automatically
change the style by using themes.

Major/mino No change. Permanently converted to static formatting. If the file

r fonts is later opened in Word 2010, heading and body
fonts won't automatically change if you use a
different style.

Tracked No change. Permanently converted to insertions and deletions.

moves

Tabs No change. Alignment tabs will be converted to traditional tabs.

SmartArt No change. Become a single object that cannot be edited unless

graphics no changes are made and it is reopened in Word
2010.

Charts and No change. Some charts and diagrams will be converted to

diagrams images that cannot be changed. Data beyond
supported rows is lost.
Open XML No change. Converted to static content.
Embedded
objects

Building No change. Building Blocks and AutoText entries may lose some
blocks information.

Bibliography No change. Permanently converted to static text.

Citations No change. Permanently converted to static text.

Equations No change. Become graphics and cannot be changed. Any

comments, endnotes, or footnotes in the equations
will be permanently lost when the document is
saved.

Relative text No change. Permanently converted to absolute positioning.

boxes