Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Creating a Document Clone.

Creating a Document Clone

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 16, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365


1

There may be times when you want to make a copy of a Word document, without affecting the original document at all. Word provides an easy way to do this; simply follow these steps if you are using Word 2007 or Word 2010:

  1. Press Ctrl+O. Word displays the standard Open dialog box.
  2. Select the document file you want to make a copy of.
  3. Click on the down-arrow at the right side of the Open button. Word displays a menu of choices.
  4. Choose the Open As Copy option. Word opens a copy of the document.

If you are using Word 2013 or a later version, follow these steps instead:

  1. Press Ctrl+O. Word displays Open options on the File tab of the ribbon.
  2. Click the source of where you want to find the document. (For the purposes of this example, click Computer or This PC [depending on which version of Word you are using]).
  3. Click Browse. Word displays the standard Open dialog box. (Depending on which version of Word you are using, you may have the option to click Browse in Step 2).
  4. Select the document file you want to make a copy of.
  5. Click on the down-arrow at the right side of the Open button. Word displays a menu of choices.
  6. Choose the Open as Copy option. Word opens a copy of the document.

The document that is opened uses the same file name, but Word attaches some sort of prefix to the file name, such as "Copy of" or "Copy (1)". Thus, if the original document you selected in step 2 is named "My Document.docx," what Word creates is a document named "Copy of My Document.docx" or "Copy (1)My Document.docx." If you want to rename the file, you will need to either use the Save As command or rename the document after closing it.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (7841) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Creating a Document Clone.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Address of a Cell in Which a Threshold is Exceeded

If you keep a lot of data in Excel, you may be interested in figuring out when that data surpasses a threshold. This tip ...

Discover More

Creating a Single Index from Multiple Documents

When dealing with large projects, it is not uncommon to break the project into multiple documents. When it comes time to ...

Discover More

Changing Your Windows 8 Account Picture

Want to personalize your Windows 8 experience a bit more? One way is by attaching a picture to your account, as discussed ...

Discover More

Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Periodically Delete TMP Files

After using Word for a while, you may notice some "litter" of unused files on your hard drive. This tip explains how ...

Discover More

Specifying a Location To Save Automatic Backup Files

Word allows you make two types of automatic backups of your documents. One is a copy of the file before you start making ...

Discover More

Document Shows as 'In Use' by Another User

Word tries to constantly track who is using various documents, in order to prevent two users from clashing in their edits ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is five more than 3?

2019-03-16 15:05:23

Allan

When I do step 3, "Click on the down-arrow at the right side of the Open button. Word displays a menu of choices." here is what I get--no menu. (see Figure 1 below)

Figure 1. 


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.