Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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: Modifying the Backup Copy File Name.
When you instruct Word to always make backup copies of your files, the backup files it creates differ from normal Word files in two ways. First, the filename extension is changed from DOCX or DOCM to WBK, and second, the words "Backup of" are added to the beginning of the filename. Thus, the backup copy of "MyDocument.docx" would be named "Backup of MyDocument.wbk."
For some people, it is an irritation to have Word add the "Backup of" prefix to backup files. It can make browsing through a folder display distracting as it creates quite a few files that all begin with the same letters.
Word does not provide a way that you can modify or remove this prefix from the filename. If you do most of your folder browsing in Word (for instance, in the Open dialog box), then there is something you can do to help alleviate the clutter caused by the backup files. All you need to do is make sure the Files of Type control, at the bottom of the Open dialog box, is set to Word Documents instead of one of the other options. This limits the display to only those files with names ending in DOCX or DOCM, which precludes any backup (WBK) files.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10443) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Modifying the Backup Copy File Name.
Do More in Less Time! Are you ready to harness the full power of Word 2013 to create professional documents? In this comprehensive guide you'll learn the skills and techniques for efficiently building the documents you need for your professional and your personal life. Check out Word 2013 In Depth today!
While they are less common these days than they used to be, you still might see an error that indicates Word is out of disk ...
Discover MoreGot a bunch of text that you've imported from a text file? Need to make it look better? You can take a stab at it with this ...
Discover MoreNeed to save a new document, from within a macro, to a specific file name? If you use the Record Macro capabilities of Word, ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2017 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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: 
Comments