Microsoft Word Tips, Tricks & Templates » How to

How To Count the Number of Words in Footnotes

Editor — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 10:33:52 +0000

Yesterday, we showed you how to count the number of words in your documents. To do this, we used Microsoft Word’s Word Count tool to count the text.

But, how about if you want to go a bit deeper and count the number of words in footers, headers, or footnotes?

Where is the Word Counter?

This word count tool is built into Microsoft Word but you may have it turned off on your menu settings. I did!

To turn it back on:

Click Tools
Click Customize
Select Word Count from the list of items

Now, you’re ready to count the number of words in your Marketing Plan, Technical Documents, User Guides, or Business Plans.

And if you’re a freelance writer or make a living working online, it’s ideal as you can see how many words you’ve written and how many more you need to make your page count!

How To Count Footnotes And Endnotes?

You can also include footnotes and endnotes in the count.

If you want to count part of a document rather than the entire document, Word can count the footnotes or endnotes that refer to the selected text.

To do this, select the Include Footnotes and Endnotes option.

How To Count Blocks of Text

You can also select multiple sections of text to count. Sections do not have to be next to each other.

How many words do you think are in this article?

What tools do you use to count the number of words you’ve written?

About the Author: Ivan Walsh shares small business tips for smart people on Klariti. Ivan also shows you how to connect blogging and marketing, and finally start making money working with your blog.

How To Count the Number of Words in MS Word Documents

Editor — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:25:59 +0000

If you want to know how many words are in your document, then use the Microsoft Word Word Count tool to count them for you.

How To Count Words In MS Word

This free tool is built into Microsoft Word, but you may have it turned off on your menu settings. I had and I didn’t know where it was until I dug around!

To turn it back on:

Click Tools
Click Customize
Select Word Count from the list of items

Now, you’re ready to count the number of words in your Marketing Plans, Technical Documents, User Guides, Policy Documents or Business Plans.

And if you’re a freelance writer or make a living working online, it’s ideal as you can see how many words you’ve written and how many more you need to make your page count!

Sound good?

What Does the Word Count Actually Count?

It can tell you how many:

Pages
Paragraphs
Lines

…are in your document.

It can also count the number of characters, either including or not including spaces.

How to Use the Word Count toolbar

As you add text to your document, you don’t have to click Word Count on the Tools menu each time you want a recount.

Instead, turn on the Word Count toolbar, and click Recount to update the word count.

What tools do you use to count the number of words you’ve written?

How To Insert the Document Name in MS Word’s Header or Footer?

Editor — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:39:54 +0000

On Monday, I showed you how to add a Chapter Heading to your Microsoft Word documents. The nice thing about this is that it shows the reader where they are in the document at any give time.

That is very effective in long technical and financial documents, such as Business Plans, where the reader may have hundreds of pages to read through.

Why Format the Headers and Footers?

If you write for a living, you’ll want your documents to look at professional as possible. I use the Header and Footer section to include content that makes the document look more professional, have more use to the reader, and ultimately makes my material look better than other writers.

One way I do this is to add the Document Name into the Footer. This reminds the reader what they are reading, especially when the scroll to the end of the document or when the document is printed out and, for example, the cover sheet is missing.

Without this information in the footer, the document looks unfinished.

We don’t want that, do we?

How To Insert the Document Name in the Header or Footer

What if you only want to show the document title in the footer? What’s the fastest way to do this? In Microsoft Word, there are usually a few ways to do the same thing. Which is good and bad

Here’s one way to add the document title to the header or footer.

Open Word.
Go to File, Properties. This is where you can add metadata about the file, such as the document name, owner, date and keywords.

Enter the document name in the Title Field (i.e. first field)Close this and return to the Word document as usual.
On the View menu, click Header and Footer.
From the Insert drop-down menu, select Filename.

This adds the Filename to the Footer.

If you have other questions about Microsoft Word, let me know in the comments below.

Word 2003 v 2007

As the menu is different in both versions, I have included the steps for 2003 first. To do this with 2007, click the Start button and then look for the Options.

How do I?

You can also add the date, page numbers, and other information this way. It’s the simplest way to keep your Microsoft Word documents organized.

If you have other questions about Microsoft Word, drop me a line.

As most readers use Microsoft Word 2003, these steps will apply to this version of Word. If there is any confusion, please let me know.

About the Author: Ivan Walsh shares small business tips for smart people on Klariti. Ivan also shows how to make a full-time living working online his Web Plan blog

How To Insert Your Chapter & Paragraph Titles into MS Word’s Footer

Editor — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:37:00 +0000

I use the Header and Footers in my documents to add information that helps readers navigate through the report, see when it was written, and also its date, status, and page count.

You can add an incredible amount of information into the Header and Footers. Here are some ways to add in the Document Title, for instance, My Shiny New Annual Report, into the footer.

One way to make your Microsoft Word documents more professional is to use the Header and Footers to include information that helps the reader.

Today, I’ll show you how to add some useful information to the header/footer areas.

How to Get Started

A simple example is to include the Document Name or Chapter title in the footer. This helps the reader if they print out the document and also gives me a better sense of what they’re reading.

What you put in the header and footer can be used to remind the reader of what their reading and also to guide them through the document, especially with business proposals and marketing plans.

Something I’ve found very useful is to add the Chapter title to the footer. As the reader moves from one chapter to the next, the header or footer is updated dynamically.

It’s a small point but it looks well. It also reinforces to the reader that you know how to prepare a professional-looking business document.

How To Put Chapter Title In the Header or Footer

1. Open Microsoft Word.

2. On the View menu on the main toolbar, click Header and Footer. If you can’t see this, click the small arrows at the end of the menu to show this option. They may be hidden by Word.

3. Click inside the header or footer that you want to change.

[Optional] On the Header and Footer toolbar, click ‘Same as Previous’ to break the connection between the header and footer in the current section and the previous section.

4. On the Insert menu, click Reference, and then click Cross-reference.

5. In the Reference type box, click Heading.

6. In the For which heading box, select the heading that contains the chapter number or title. In this example, it was My Book Title.

7. In the Insert reference to box, select what you want to insert in the header or footer.

For example:

Click Heading number to insert the chapter number, and then click Insert.

Click Heading text to insert the chapter heading, and then click Insert.

This adds the document name to the header or footer.

How to Update Headers and Footers?

If you want to change the document title, update it in File, Properties and then open the footer again.

1. Click on the field you want to update.

2. Right-click and then select Update Field.

Did it work?

Why Format Microsoft Word Docs?

Think of it from the reader’s perspective.

You get a business proposal, white paper, or marketing plan that you’ve been waiting for and… it looks terrible.

The content may be fine but… why is the layout so poor, why didn’t they make more effort, why are the fonts different throughout the document?

You get the idea, right?

Over the next few weeks, I’ll show you how to improve the appearance of your business documents.

How do I?

If you have other questions about Microsoft Word, drop me a line.

As most readers use Microsoft Word 2003, these steps will apply to this version of Word. If there is any confusion, please let me know.

About the Author: Ivan Walsh shares small business tips for smart people on Klariti. Ivan also shows how to make a fulltime living working online his Web Plan blog

How to Recover a Lost File in Word 2007 or Word 2003

Editor — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:10:51 +0000

Have you ever lost a Microsoft Word file and tried to find it? You know it’s there but where is it?

Want to find where it is? Here’s how to do it.

How Microsoft Word saves files

When you write a Microsoft Word document it creates a temporary file (.tmp) that saves your file as you work. When Word crashes — even if you have NOT saved the file —the tmp file is still on your PC.

FYI: Klariti.com also explains different ways to recover lost MS Word documents.

How to Recover a Lost File in Word 2007 or Word 2003

Before we started, I created a new Microsoft Word file, saved it (which creates a tmp file) and then did the following. This worked on my PC (Windows XP and Word 2007). Fingers crossed that it works for you.

Have to find a lost Microsoft Word file

Follow these steps:

1. In Windows Explorer, click on Tools, and then select Folder Options.

2. Click the View tab.

3. Scroll down and check Show Hidden files and Folder.

This tells Windows to show you files that are generally hidden from view.

Now we’ll look for the *.tmp files and see if this works.

Here’s how to do it.

1. Go back to Windows Explorer.

2. Click on the Search icon on the menu bar. It looks like a magnifying glass.

This opens the search pane in the left menu. We’re going to change the default settings here.

3. Click Don’t Remember for last time modified. This makes it search for every document!

Enter *.tmp for all or part of the document name.

4. In Look In, select the drive you want to search. The screenshots shows My Documents. Maybe you want to search your C or D drive.

5. Click More Advanced Options.

6. Select Hidden Files and Folders.

7. Select Search Subfolders.

8. Click Search. When I did this, I found hundreds of tmp files.

9. From the Explorer toolbar, click View, select Details, sort the files by date and click a file to open it. You may have to do this a few times until you locate your lost file. Obviously, if you just lost it, then open today’s files.

Windows doesn’t know how to open these ~wrl file types so you’re going to have to help it.

10. Click Select the program from a list. We’re going to tell is to open the file in Microsoft Word.

11. Click OK.

12. Select Microsoft Office Word and click OK.

The file opens in Word. But remember the file is still a .tmp file. If you just save it, you’re only saving the tmp file.

13. Click Save As and save the file to .doc.

Remember!

Just to recap, turn on the Explorer options to view the hidden files otherwise you won’t see the tmp files.

Remember to save the files back to a Word file otherwise they are still in tmp format and save them to somewhere on your PC. Right now, they are in the tmp folder. Put them in My Documents, for example.

Other Sites that might be able to help

Klariti.com also explains different ways to recover these lost documents. Lets start by searching for the original document. In other words: you know that you saved your document, but youre not quite sure where you saved it to.

Did you find the files?

I’d be interested to know if these steps work in XP. I don’t have it and so can’t replicate the steps.

If you can, please let us know if these steps work or how to find lost files in XP.

Snagit, How to Batch Process Groups of Images

Editor — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:51:14 +0000

How do you convert 100 images to same file format, add a 1 pixel black border, and make them all the same size?

I used to use Adobe Photoshop to batch process photos but have now moved to Snagit.

One of the hidden features in Snagit is its Batch Conversion Wizard. This lets you convert your images in a batch. Even better is that you can modify all the images on the fly, for example, give all the images a black border or converting them to the same file format.

This saves an immense amount of time ensures that all your images are the same size, format and whatever settings you want.

Snagit Batch Process Wizard

You can apply SnagIt’s image editing filters to multiple captures in batch processing mode. You can also convert one or more graphic image files from one format to another.

For example, you might want to convert low-res BMP files into PNG and store them in another directory for your website.

The SnagIt Catalog Browser processes the file conversions and saves them to the Output directory you want. Any filters you applied appear in the Conversion Filters box.

The files are individually converted to the selected format and stored in the folder you select.

NOTE: The original files are not changed. Snagit creates new files for each batch process.

How to Batch Process Images

You can batch process the images are follows:

Step 1. Select Files

1. In Windows Explorer, select the files you want to process.

2. Right-click on the files.

Tip: hold down CTRL and click on individual files if you don’t want all the images in the folder.

3. Select Snagit and Batch Convert Images.

Note: you can also use the Catalog Browser in Snagit. Open it and then use Edit, Select All to select all files or hold CTRL and select individual files.

Step 2. Conversion Filters

In step 2, you can use the conversion filters to do this such as:

Modify the Color Depth
Substitute Colors
Change the Image Resolution
Rescale the Image
Add a Caption, for example, a notice or warning message
Add a Border and select the size, color and other special effects
Add a Watermark, for example, DRAFT, or the name of your website or business
Trim the image, so that it’s more uniform

For example, in the screenshot, you can see that we added a white background, drop shadow and positioned it towards the lower right.

In this example, you can see that we added the www.Klariti.com logo to the lower left corner of the box shot.

And this is what the finished box shot looks like. You can add your own company logo to screenshots in the same way.

Once you have finished with the conversion filters, click Next.

Step 3. Output Options

Here you setup the output options:

1. In the Output directory, select a folder where you want to save the files.

2. In the File Format dropdown list, select a file format, for example PNG or JPG.

All files will be converted to the same format.

3. In File name:

Use the default Windows file name or create your own naming conventions.

Note: I have found the Automatic file name to be a bit problematic. You might need to experiment here until you get it right.

Click Next.

Step 4. Ready for the Conversion Process

Check that you’re happy with the settings. Go back and change if needs be.

Click Finish.

The conversion process starts.

When the conversion is complete, the converted images will be displayed in the output folder you selected and the Catalog Browser.

The images will be converted to format you selected, filters will be applied, and the new images will be saved to the folder you selected.

Summary

If you know better ways to convert images and run batch processes, please let me know. I used to use Photoshop but found it didn’t have the range of effects that Snagit has.

Is there another screenshot product that does a better job?

How to Stop Microsoft Word Getting a Macro Virus

Editor — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:57:37 +0000

A macro virus may use Word’s macro programming language (VBA) to spread itself through your computer, infecting all your Word files. Macro viruses infect Word documents, templates, and other programs that uses a programming language. Here’s how you can reduce the likelihood of getting a macro virus.
Macro viruses do not infect programs; they infect documents and templates. The virus will spread to other documents and templates you may have on your system.

1. Install Microsoft Word anti-virus software: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q49/5/00.ASP.

2. Set a security level in Microsoft Word – Word 2000 Only.

From the Tools menu, choose Macro and then Security. On the Security Level tab, select the security level you want and then click OK.

3. Protect the global template (Normal.dot).

To prevent some macro viruses, you can apply password protection to the Normal.dot.

To do this:

1 Click on the Normal.dot file and
2 Choose Properties and select the Protection tab.

3 Apply a password, confirm the password and click the OK button.

Or you can set password protection by:

1 In Word, choose Tools, Macro, Visual Basic Editor.
2 In the Editor, click on the Normal project and select Normal Properties.
3 Apply password protection and click OK.

UPDATE: I have had some success in getting Word docs back to normal by saving them to HTML and then re-opening them in Word. Then re-save them to .doc. This seems to remove corruptions due to problems with tables, usually caused by too many table styles causing the Normal.dot to crash.

Please let me know if you know any tricks to recover damaged Word documents.

How to Recover Corrupt Microsoft Word documents

Editor — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:52:57 +0000

This tutorial explains how to retrieve information from Microsoft Word documents that may have become corrupt. We have provided as many screenshots as possible to show you the steps you need to take. Let’s start.

How to Fix a Corrupted Document

There are several ways to try to correct a corrupted document.

Which method you use depends on the nature and severity of the corruption and the nature of the behavior exhibited. Although many of the methods that follow succeed regularly, not every corrupted document can be recovered.

TIP – getting a clean backup copy of the document is the best way to recover a corrupted document.

1 – Convert to another Format then Convert it Back to Native Format

This is the most complete document recovery method; always try it first.

1 Save the file in RTF file format; this format preserves the formatting in your Word document.

2 Reopen the document in Word

3 Convert it from RTF back into .doc.

If this method succeeds, the file corruption may be removed during conversion.

If the corruption persists after you save the file in RTF file format, save the file in the following file formats:

Other word processing formats
Text Only
HTML

NOTE: Saving files in Text Only format may correct the document corruption problem but all of the document’s formatting will be lost.

This method requires more reformatting; therefore, use it only after other file formats fail to correct the problem.

2 – Copy Everything Except The Last Paragraph Mark To A New Document

Microsoft Word associates a wide variety of formatting with the last paragraph mark, especially section and style formatting.

Click the Show/Hide icon to turn on the page markings. This is the backward P sign you see on the menu.

Copy everything except the last paragraph mark to a new document; fingers crossed and the corruption may be left behind in the original document.

Copy the text into the new document; reapply the formatting.

NOTE: To select everything except the last paragraph mark, press CTRL+END, then CTRL+SHIFT+HOME.

3 – Copy The Uncorrupted Portions Of The Document To A New Document

Sometimes you can determine the location of where the file has been corrupted in your document.

In such cases, copy everything except the corrupted portion to a new file, then use the following steps to reconstruct your document:

1 Copy the uncorrupted portions of your document to a new file.

2 Save a copy of the corrupted document in Text Only format.

3 Open the Text Only file.

4 Copy the text from this file that was in the corrupted section, and paste that text into the file that contains the uncorrupted portion of your document.

5 Reformat the sections you pasted, and then save the recovered document.

4 – Copy Text and Paste As Unformatted Text

If you can open the corrupt document – but the document acts or looks strange – try to:

1 Select and copy the text

2 Create a New document, and

3 Choose Edit > Paste Special > Unformatted Text.

This removes all of the formatting and underlying problems in the document and provides a clean copy of the text. Reformat the text.

5 – Save as a Previous version of Word

If the document can be opened, save it as a Word 6.0 document.

If that is not successful, save it as a Word 2.0 document.

This often allows the file to be recovered without corruption.

6 – Open The Damaged Word Document In Draft Mode

Sometimes you can open a document successfully in Draft mode when it will not open in other views. Once you open the file, you may be able to recover or repair the file.

To switch to Draft mode in Word:

1 Click Normal from the View menu

2 Choose Options from the Tools menu

3 Select the View tab

4 Select the Draft Font option.

7 – Recover Text From Any File

If your Word document will not open and you need to at least get a copy of the text within the document:

1 Choose File, Open.

2 In the Files of type drop-down list, select Recover Text From Any File.

3 Use the Recover Text From Any File option.

WARNING – All formatting, graphics, fields, drawing objects, and so on, will be lost. However, headers, footers, footnotes, endnotes, and field text, will be retained as plain text.

1st Note: If the Recover Text From Any File converter is not installed, you will need to re-run Setup to install this converter.

2nd Note: Remember to reset the Files of Type box back to Word Document (*.doc) after you have recovered the document, otherwise the setting will appear when you re-open Word the next time.

8 – Link a Clean File with a Blank Document and then Change the Link Source To The Damaged Document.

Use the following steps to link and change the link to the damaged file:

1. Create a new document. Type This is a Test or similar wording into it. Save.

2. From the Edit menu, choose Select All.

3. From the Edit menu, choose Copy.

4. From the File menu, choose New.

5. From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special.

6. Select either Unformatted or Formatted text, and click Paste Link.

7. From the Edit menu, choose Links.

8. In the Links dialog box, select the filename of the first linked document and click Change Source.

9. In the Open dialog box appears, you will be asked which document you want to change the link to. Select the document you can no longer open (i.e. that’s corrupted) and click Open Source.

10. Click OK in the Links dialog box.

11. The text from the damaged Document will appear.

12. On the Edit menu, click Links, and select Break Links.

13. You can now reformat and save the recovered text.

This method work as it lets you to open the file if the header area has been damaged.

UPDATE: I have had some success in getting Word docs back to normal by saving

them to HTML and then re-opening them in Word. Then re-save them to .doc. This seems to remove corruptions due to problems with tables, usually caused by too many table styles causing the Normal.dot to crash.

Please let me know if you know any tricks to recover damaged Word documents.

How to convert backslash characters into Japanese Yen signs in Word 2007

Editor — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:05:10 +0000

To to convert backslash characters into Yen signs in Word 2007, follow these steps:

1. Click the MS Office start button in the top left corner

2. Click Word Options from the bottom of this menu

3. Click the Advanced tab on the left

4. Scroll down to the very end of this tab – the very end!

5. Click the + sign next to Layout Options

6. Scroll down to How to convert backslash characters into Yen signs

7. Check this option

8. Click OK

Remember to turn off this option if you want to return to your regular settings.

How to open Read-Only Word files?

Editor — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:20:46 +0000

Question: I have a serious problem, I am unable to edit any of the document. All documents/sheets are locked. Why do they say ‘read-only’?’

You may have opened the Word file directly from a zip file.

In this case, the file will say ‘read-only’.

So, you have two options:

1. Unzip the files to a folder on your PC and then open them. They will open as regular files or

2. In Word, click File, Save As and then save the file with another name, eg Process2.

If you re-open it back in Word, it will no longer be read-only.

How to update the Date automatically when you open Microsoft Word 2003

Editor — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:42:42 +0000

You can update the Date and Time in Word when you open it. There are two steps involved here:

To add a date that Word will updated automatically, you need to insert a ‘field’.

1. To do this, go to Insert, Date and Time and choose the format you want.

This inserts a field in the page which displays the time. This time, by the way, is determined by your computer’s clock.

2. Check “Update Automatically” so that it will update when you print.

The second approach is if you want to change the format of the date field or work with the other features.

To do this:

1. Click File, Insert, Field, Date and Time.

2. Select Date from the field names list and pick a format that suits your needs.

Tip: to manually force an update, click in the date and press F9.

Word 2003 Tip – How to Zoom in and out of your documents

Editor — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:34:30 +0000

You know the feeling. You’ve been working hard on the computer all day. It gets hard to read anything. You could change the text size by using the Zoom control’s drop-down menu on the Toolbar… but even that’s too much hard work.

Here’s a great trick to change the size of the text on your screen.

1. Hold the Ctrl button on your keyboard

2. Spin the mouse wheel in and out to make the screen change appearance.

Helps with small monitors.

How to Change the Windows Desktop Theme

Editor — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:43:31 +0000

Like its brother-in-arms, the Screensaver, the Windows Desktop Themes eat away at your computer’s memory. Unless you really need them, uninstall! You’ll have a much quicker and more reliable machine.To change or remove desktop themes, follow these steps:

On the Desktop, right-click and click Properties.
Click the Themes tab.

3. In the Theme box, select the theme you want or click None.

Tip: if you have to use a theme, select one with few graphics.

Word 2003 Tip – How to Change the Background Color in a Word Document

Editor — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:38:05 +0000

The bright white text area of most word processors can become a quite tiring on the eyes after a few hours. You can of course jiggle the brightness and contrast settings on your monitor but a far better solution is to give your blank pages a light grey tint.

Open Word so that you can judge the effect.
Click Start, Control Panel and then Display.
Select the Appearance tab and click into the area marked Window Text.
Click in the Color box, open the color palette, and chose the shade of grey that’s most comfortable.

FYI: The tint only applies to the display and will not affect the way documents look when they are printed.

How to Compare Fonts in MS Word

Editor — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:44:02 +0000

If you are constantly fussing over fonts for your documents then there’s a very handy feature in Windows that allows you to quickly compare typefaces according to style and design.

Open the Control Panel and double-click Fonts.
From the View drop-down menu, click List Fonts by Similarity.
Click List Fonts… and choose a font.

This displays a list of comparable typefaces, ranked according to similarity.