The Best Computer Tips and Tricks: Microsoft Office 2007

View Documents as Drafts

One thing that annoys us about Word 2007 is that it doesn't automatically let you open a document in Draft view (which was the Normal view in earlier versions of Word). To enable this, click the Office button > Word Options > Advanced > General. Then click the box next to "Allow opening a document in Draft View."

Display Formatting Marks

Some people can live without Word's marks for spaces and paragraphs, but for those Word 2007 users who can't, go to the Office button > Word Options > Display. Then, under "Always show these formatting marks on the screen," check the box for spaces, paragraph marks, and more.

Show Page Breaks in Excel

Printing an Excel spreadsheet can be a hassle, but you don't need to go to Print Preview in order to see where a page breaks. Click the Office button, then under Excel Options, click Advanced. Under "Display options for this worksheet" click the box next to "Show page breaks."

Check Your Style

First, Word could check your spelling, and then your grammar; now it can even critique your writing style. If you're concerned about things like wordiness and improper use of the passive voice, have Word 2007 check for them. Click the Office button > Word Options > Proofing. Under Writing Style, select Grammar & Style from the dropdown. If there are particular areas you don't Word to scrutinize, click the adjacent Settings button and then uncheck the appropriate boxes.

Change Your Presentation's Resolution

With larger wide-screen displays becoming the PC-viewing norm, you might not want your PowerPoint presentation to go online formatted for an old-school 800x600 resolution. To bump up your presentation's optimal screen size, click the Office button > PowerPoint Options > Advanced. Under the General area, click Web Options, select the Pictures tab, and choose the screen size you want.

Revert to Old Office File Formats

The latest version of Office "grants" users new default file extensions that aren't compatible with previous versions; you're forced to download and install a plug-in. But if you want to make the old Office file formats your default ones, click Office, and then Options for the specific program you're in. Select Save in the left-hand column, and then under "Save documents," choose the old Office file extension from the pull-down menu next to "Save files in this format."