We all have used MS Word for one reason or the other. Some of us have received Word documents in emails that we could not open it in Word and did not know what the problem was? When something like this happens most of us assume it is some tech issue. Well, is it really a tech issue?
But the problem occurs when the Compatibility Mode text always appears in titlebar of all Word documents whether its a new document or an existing document. This problem can occur in any version of Microsoft Word which provides Compatibility Mode feature such as Word 2007, 2010 or 2013. MICROSOFT WORD FOR MAC PROBLEM: MAC YOSEMITE 10.10.5 I was writing a document on Word 2011 on Mac. I was trying to adjust header settings, clicking different tabs. Next thing I know my document's cont read more. The title bar of the document window should now display only the name of the document, indicating that Word 2013 is now out of Compatibility Mode. Tip Since converting the file changes its file format and has the potential to introduce minor layout problems, you can instead create a new copy of the document to work on out of Compatibility Mode.
Run the Microsoft Word program and open the document that was created using a previous version of Word. Click the 'File' tab in the upper-left corner of the program window to display a toolbar with Microsoft Word options. The toolbar will appear on the left side of your screen. Click the 'Info' tab on the left side of the program window. Im not actually sure that this has anything to do with it being PC to Mac, as I understand that.shouldn't. be a factor. But forgive my ignorance. I am a PC user, and I use Word for only the most basic work-related tasks, so my knowledge is limited. I created a document in Word 2013, and sent it to 2 coworkers who are Mac users.
How many of us actually observe the titlebar of the Word document. If you look at it closely you will find in an older version of Word that there is something called as ‘compatibility mode’ there right next to the name of that document. This is with older version of all Microsoft Excel, Power Point and Word.
So, when you receive a document from the older version of Word it constraints you from utilizing the features that are present in the new versions.
There might be several questions running through your mind saying why is this mode there? What do we do with the documents that were saved in older versions? How do we get those documents updated to the newer version? Well these are the most important and frequently asked questions by anyone who has to deal with documents in compatibility mode. There are simple easy to do answers for all these questions.
Curious to know then continue reading this article…..
Example 1: If you are creating a document in the latest version like 2016 with all of the latest features and formatting styles. Then you don’t have to worry because you will still be able to open this document in an older version of Office. You might be wondering isn’t there a ‘Compatibility Mode’ present in the older version. Yes, that won’t change anything. Your latest version of document will look the same in the older version in spite of the compatibility mode. Remember, this mode was designed in a way that the newer versions and older versions of Microsoft will continue working together. The only thing is that when you open the latest version of the document in the older version in the compatibility mode there, you will not be able to use the apps or features of the new version.
Example 2: If you get a document and you are not sure which compatibility mode the document is opened in then here is how you find out. If you are opening it in a newer version then simply go to File then click on, Info then click on the box of check for issues. When you click there opens a small pop-up box with three options. Click on check compatibility option. In the check compatibility box is a select versions to show box with a drop down menu. When you click on it the check mark against the version is the compatibility mode the document is currently using.
How To Get Out Of Compatibility Mode In Word For Mac
Example 3: If you have a document from the older version in compatibility mode and you need to get it out of that compatibility mode then this is what you will have to do. When you open that document you need to click on Office logo on top left hand side there comes a drop down menu click on Save as there and underneath Save type select Docx. which is in the newer version and click on Save. When you do that it will give you a window that says if you click ok then the new changes and features of the new version will make changes in the document . To that you click ok and immediately you will find the compatibility mode from the titlebar disappears.
There you go three examples of 'What does compatibility mode in MS Office mean'. While you have gained enough information on this topic. But are wondering how to upgrade from an older version like 2012 to 2013 at the same time while upgrading you have ended up with some corrupted documents then all you need to know is that there is a procedure to repair word 2013 documents.
A common Microsoft Word issue is when every new document is created in compatibility mode. This is readily viewable as Word appends [Compatibility Mode] next to the document name in the title bar.
It seems this is caused by older versions of MS Word that were either previously installed or that still exist in ones system. Say for example you had Word 2007 then decided to install Word 2013. New documents on Word 2013 will be created in compatibility mode.
This is because the more recent version of Word is using an older template from the previous or an existing prior version to create the new documents. To resolve this issue, the older template has to be updated to a newer template that corresponds with the current installation.
Stop New Documents From Being Created in Compatibility Mode
| Compatibility Mode in Word 2013 Document |
- This will work on all newer versions of Word (2007, 2010, 2013 & 2016) and applies to users running Windows Vista or later
1. Exit Word if it’s running
2. Launch the Run dialog using Win Key + R. Type %appdata% and press Enter. Alternatively, you can just open the “roaming” folder by following this path:
where C is the Windows Partition and username is your Window’s account username.
How To Get Out Of Compatibility Mode In Word For Mac Download
3. In the roaming folder open the Microsoft folder then Templates
4. In the Templates folder find a file called Normal.dotm and rename it to something you like, for instance OldNormal.dotm or just delete if you know you won’t need to rollback to this template.
- Note: If you don’t have extensions enabled in Windows Explorer, the file in question appears as Normal in which case you should rename it to something like OldNormal.
5. That’s it. Word shouldn’t create documents in compatibility mode anymore.
How To Get Out Of Compatibility Mode In Word For Mac Osx
If you’ve problems following any of the steps, please refer to the youtube video I’ve embedded at the start of the steps. A subscribe to this blog’s channel would be much appreciated.