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If you frequently save Word documents in the old file format (.doc files), you can change the settings so that Word saves in that format every time.

  1. Go to File > Options.

  2. Click Save.

  3. Under Save documents, next to Save files in this format, choose Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc).

  4. Click OK.

Important: Formatting and layout that depend on features introduced after Word 2003 will not be available in the .doc file. For more information on possible differences, see Compatibility changes between versions.

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