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."

No-wait Screen Savers

Don't want to wait for your screen saver to kick in? Create a shortcut to it just as you would for any other program by hitting Windows key + F to search your computer and click on "All files and folders." Type "*.scr" in the "All or part of the file name" field to find every screen saver file on your computer. In the resulting list, right-click and drag the screen saver you want to your desktop. Whenever you want it to start, just double-click its icon.

Type With an Onscreen Keyboard

Whether you have trouble with your hands or you just prefer using the mouse, typing with Windows' onscreen keyboard can be a great convenience. Navigate to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Accessibility, and click "On-Screen Keyboard." Click OK to clear the dialogue box and then start "typing"—you can even change the settings to "press" keys just by hovering your mouse over the letter you want (enable this feature by selecting "Typing Mode" from the Settings menu).

Change What Programs Start When Windows Does

You can prevent a lot of apps forcing Windows into chilled-molasses boot times—without uninstalling anything. Click Start, then "Run...," and type msconfig. This brings up the System Configuration Utility window. Click on the Startup tab to see a list of all the apps slated to start when you boot up Windows. Click the check mark next to any you don't want, and then click OK to save your choices.

Shut Down from Your Desktop

If you're trying to eliminate every extraneous mouse click, you can shut down your computer with an icon on the desktop. Right-click on your desktop, click "New," and then click "Shortcut." In the "Type the location of the item" field, type "shutdown -s -t 00" to give you a way to shut down the computer immediately. (Change the -s to -r to create a reboot shortcut instead.)

Fit More Icons on Your Desktop

If your screen is so cluttered with Word documents and program shortcuts that you can't see the rolling meadows of your wallpaper, you don't need to move piles of stuff to the Recycling Bin. Just change the amount of space between icons. Right-click on the desktop, select Properties, then click on the Appearance tab, and click the Advanced button. In the "Item" drop-down, scroll down to Icon Spacing (Horizontal) and Icon Spacing (Vertical); changing the value in the "Size" field will move icons closer together (while increasing the number will move them farther apart). When you're done, click OK. To make your existing icons follow these rules, right-click on the desktop, select "Arrange Icons By" and then click Align to Grid, then go back to the same menu and click "Auto Arrange."

Control Inactive System Tray Icons

You don't have to hide or show all the icons in your system tray—you can control their disappearing acts. Right-click on the taskbar and select Properties. Click on the checkbox next to "Hide inactive icons" (if it's not checked by default), then click on the Customize button. For each item on this list, you can choose "Hide when inactive," "Always hide," or "Always show" options to decide what you'll see and when.