Turning Off Display of the Office Clipboard

When I am editing a document, I find it distracting for Word to display the Clipboard task pane at the left of the document. Here's how to turn it off so that it doesn't pop into view automatically.

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(Thanks to Erik Ellertsen, David French, Jacques Raubenheimer, Dee Hernandez, Ron Solecki, Jerry Zachmann, Jennifer Thomas, and Eva Balassa for contributing to this tip.)

Errors while Printing

Printing a document is a common task in Word. What if you get an error message while printing? Tracking down the cause can be an exercise in creative detective work.

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Pay a Visit to Formville

Need invoices, statements, receipts, applications, and hundreds of other business forms you can put to use right away? How about if you can get those forms for free? Discover what awaits you in Formville, your destination for free printable business forms.

Saving Documents Using the Same Filename

When working on a document, you most often want to save your edits using the existing name of the document. If Word thinks your document is read-only, it forces you to save the document using a different name. If you run into problems saving your document using the existing filename, here are some things you can check.

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Automatic Numbers with Leading Zeroes

Word's automatic numbering formats allow you to easily create lists that have one leading zero. If you want more than one leading zero, then your options are more limited and you may need to look to a technique that doesn't even use the standard automatic numbering.

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Defining a Shortcut for a Macro

You can make running macros very easy if you assign a shortcut key to the macro. This tip demonstrates how easy it is to create these shortcut keys for running macros.

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Declaring Variables

Declaring variables in a macro is good programming practice. Here’s how to do it and how to make sure they are all declared.

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This section is for those having problems making Word behave. If Word is giving you fits, feel free to submit your own Help Wanted question.

If you have a solution for the problems below, click the link after the problem to send us your answer. (All responses become the sole property of Sharon Parq Associates, Inc., and can be used in any way deemed appropriate.) If your response is used in a future issue, you will be credited for your contribution to the answer.

Letters Bunched Up at the Left of the Page

Something seems very odd with my Word documents. When I create a new document and start typing, all of the characters I type are at the left margin, jumbled on top of each other. (Sort of like they are "piled up" in a single character space.) If I click one of the paragraph alignment tools (such as Right or Center), then the paragraph will behave properly. What is causing this problem and how can I fix it?
—Skip Massengill (provide an answer for this Help Wanted question)