If you lot desire to utilize the modern features of Give-and-take 2019 or Office 365, you will need to upgrade your Word documents if they are based on an older version of the Word software. Upgrading ensures that your documents are compatible with the newer versions of Word and that you are able to use the new formatting and other tools bachelor in the latest versions of the software.

Converting an old Word document to a newer version only takes a few clicks as long as the Give-and-take software is installed on your computer. When the file is converted, yous'll see it has a new extension that only newer Word files use.

Upgrade Word Documents Using The Discussion Software

If you have the Microsoft Office suite installed on your computer, you probable have Give-and-take installed as well. You tin can use this software without requiring any add-ons to upgrade your Word documents.

Correct-click on the document yous want to convert and select Open with followed by Word. This ensures the file opens in the right software.

When the document opens, click on the File tab at the top-left corner. Then select the tab that says Info in the left sidebar and click on Convert in the correct pane.

A dialog box will appear on your screen asking yous to confirm your action. Here's what it basically wants to tell you lot:

  • Your onetime document will be replaced with the new upgraded ane.
  • There'll be minor changes to the layout.
  • Click on Tell Me More than if you'd like to know more about the procedure. Also, if you lot don't want to meet this dialog box for future conversions, checkmark the checkbox.
  • Finally, hit the OK push button to start the conversion.

Another way to upgrade your document is to use the Word's salvage card. While the document is open, click on the File tab and select Salvage As.

Then select Word Certificate from the format drop-down menu and hitting Save. Proceed in mind that this doesn't supplant the old version of the document only creates a completely new copy of the document based on the newer Discussion software.

You can follow the above steps to upgrade as many of your old Word documents to newer versions every bit you want.

Also, since it'south merely a matter of a few clicks and you lot have the ability to disable the dialog box, you can easily convert a number of documents in a curt menses of time.

Upgrade Word Documents to Microsoft Discussion Online

If you don't accept the Give-and-take software installed on your reckoner and you lot prefer to use the online Give-and-take app, yous tin can also use it to convert your Give-and-take documents.

The online app provides pretty much the same features and interface as the offline one.

Open a modern web browser and head over to the Office online website. Once you're in that location, sign-in to your account if you aren't already.

When the main interface loads-up, click on the choice that says Start new and select Upload and open. It'll let yous upload your old Word file from your computer.

Navigate to the folder where your document is and select information technology for information technology to be uploaded online.

When the file is uploaded and is open on your screen, click on the Edit Document option and then select Edit in Browser.

A prompt will appear maxim information technology'll beginning catechumen your file and then let you lot edit it. It also says a copy of your original document volition be created.

Click on Convert in the prompt.

If yous'd like to encounter the changes in the layout, click on View. Else, click on Edit to start editing the document.

To get a re-create of the document for offline access, click on the File card and select Save As followed by Download a Re-create.

Click on Download on the following screen to first downloading the certificate to your computer.

The downloaded document should be the upgraded version of your former Word document.

Now that your documents are upgraded, you are free to apply any of the modern functionalities of Discussion in them. Y'all tin can utilise newer editing tools, use a newer file extension, and and so on, without whatever worries.

Conduct in listen, though, if you need to transport the file dorsum to someone and they use an older version of the software, they won't exist able to see the newer changes fabricated to the certificate.

What Is Compatibility Mode In Microsoft Word?

When you open an old version of a certificate in the latest Word software, y'all'll observe a text saying Compatibility Manner appearing adjacent to the document name at the superlative. Did you lot e'er wonder what that text meant?

Compatibility Mode is actually a way that the newer versions of Word employ to ensure that when you edit your old documents, they aren't being modified with the latest editing tools in the software.

It'south because Word doesn't want you to add any features to your old documents that the onetime versions of Word don't understand. For instance, if y'all add together a new formatting option bachelor in Word 2016 to your Discussion 2004 document, the 2004 version of Word won't empathize the formatting. It may then show the document with scrambled text and and so on.

Compatibility Mode ensures things like that don't happen and that you lot can only use the formatting and other tools that are fully compatible with your current Word document version.