Change the Default File Format in Word 2007 from .docx to .doc

One thing that many users notice after upgrading to Microsoft® Office 2007 is that by default new Word documents now end in .docx instead of .doc.

Although the new file type offers many improvements over the old one, it can be troublesome to use if you work with many people that have older versions of Office. There are workarounds available from Microsoft, but it's usually easier just to send them something you know they can open.

One way to solve the problem is to simply change the default file format in Word 2007 to DOC.

To do this go into Word 2007 and click the Office Button | Word Options | Save | Save files in this format | Set this to "Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc)" and click OK.



Now you won't have to worry about whether or not your collaborators can read your files.