Posting tips in the Microsoft Word Forums

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Using Date Fields in Microsoft Word
Calculated Dates
Booklet Formatting and Printing in Microsoft Word
Changing the Default Font in Microsoft Word
Document linked to Printer in Microsoft Word
Fonts Missing from Menu in Microsoft Word
How can I get a different header / footer on the second page?
Heading? Header? Microsoft Word Help
More on Headers and Footers in Word
Letterhead
I want the filename in the footer of every document.
Margins Missing - White Space
Mapped Content Controls and Document Properties
Moving/Reorganizing Pages in Microsoft Word
Print Preview in Microsoft Word
Weird Lines and Borders
Macros and VBA
Malicious Macros vba in Microsoft Word
Master Documents Feature in Microsoft Word
A Back CoverPage in Microsoft Word
Normal Template in Microsoft Word - How to Open or Find the Normal Template
My docs open in the wrong program! Re-registering Word using the commandline.
Moving (Sharing) Customizations in Microsoft Word
Global StyleSheet?
MVP means?
Naming Files - A System is the Key
Posting tips in the Microsoft Word Forums
Getting rid of that (*)#"@^ paperclip! - Taming the Office Assistant
Page X of Y doesn't work in Microsoft Word!
Save Changes to the Global Template? Keeps Popping Up
Templates in Microsoft Word
Global Templates
Too Many Icons on the Taskbar in Microsoft Word 2000
Getting Rid of the Web Toolbar in Microsoft Word
Word for Word Perfect Users
Favorite Documents Menu
Work Menu in Microsoft Word
Spell Check Dialog Instead of Editor
Templates Menu in Microsoft Word
What books have been recommended about Microsoft Word?
Where can I find more templates?
Word Links

 

What are posting suggestions for the Word Forums?

Sometimes Called "Netiquette"

This page last revised: 06 Jan 2024 23:47:32 -0500  

The first thing to remember is that nobody is paid to answer questions in the forums. They all have a day job doing something else. Those who answer do so because they enjoy it. If you respect that, and try to make it easy and enjoyable for people to answer you, then all the other tips here will seem obvious.

  1. The only stupid question is the one that you don't ask. That said, if you can search the archives to see whether your question has been answered already, you want to do so. Treat others on the news group as busy friends. Try to figure out the answer yourself before asking. . . . and then, when you can't figure it out yourself, do ask.
  2. Be polite. The people answering your questions are not being paid answer questions. You are dealing with your fellow users. They don't work for Microsoft. Some of them have a great deal of expertise and you are getting it for free. Others may have little general expertise but may have experienced and solved the same problem that you are now facing. All suggestions are "as is" and without any warranties.
  3. Check to see which forum is most relevant to your problem. Read the questions and answers, and see if they are on a topic similar to your question. It may even be that your question has already been asked and answered recently! If you have made an honest effort to find an appropriate group, people will do their best to answer you, even if the question is at the edge of the main subject area of the group. Thoughts of the MVPs about which news group is best for which question may be found at:
    http://www.word.mvps.org/FindHelp/WhichNewgrp.htm.

  4. Avoid posting to more than one forum. It is very unusual for it to be necessary to get half the answer from each of two different groups. If you feel you *must* post your message to multiple forums, please include a link to each post you are making with the same question in each post. This makes it easier for you and everyone else to keep track of who has replied to the question. It is a real annoyance to those who answer to spend an hour on a question only to find someone has already answered it in another forum. Please read: A Message to Forum Cross-Posters.

  5. Be as specific as possible in your subject line. (Saying: "Word Problem" or "Help!!!" isn't going to catch the eye of somebody who might know the answer.) Examples: "Numbering Problem," "Templates for Network," “Can't install SR-1,” or “Error message when running spell check” is much more informative and useful. However, even if that subject line says your entire question, repeat the question or problem in the body of your message.
  6. If nobody answers your question, it is probably because nobody knows the answer. There is no guarantee that anyone will know the answer, though most questions do get answered. There is also no guarantee regarding response times – an answer will appear when somebody who knows the answer chances to read the question. Putting “URGENT” into a message header is unlikely to make much difference as to when that will happen. Likewise, repeating the same question just irritates people.
  7. If a different question occurs to you, post a new question thread with the new question in the subject line. Do not reply to the message you just read to do this. Most look at questions by topic/heading and if you don't change the topic (1) the person who can help you may ignore your message because they don't know anything about / aren't interested in the topic heading and (2) other users looking for help on your question later won't find your question or the answers to it.
  8. If asking for help, identify the version of Word that you are using. The Microsoft Word forums address questions on more than 20 versions of Word, spread across multiple operating systems. What are you using? It is sometimes impossible to answer unless you provide the version of Word and operating system you are using. The answers are often different depending on the versions you have. Those attempting to answer can't see your screen. Screen shots can help but don't overdo it.
  9. Describe your problem as fully as possible, including where appropriate what you have tried so far when attempting to fix it. Where possible, use the terms used within Word itself to describe what is happening. Describe what you are trying to achieve overall. Sometimes people concentrate so hard on a particular way of solving the problem, that they don't notice that they are using a hammer to drive screws into the wall! If you get an error message repeat the exact error message.  

  10. If you have a sample document without proprietary or confidential information in it that shows the problem you are having, feel free to put it on Skydrive or Dropbox with a link to it in you question.If you have a macro that you have a question about, use the VBA editor and copy the VBA code into your question. (If you don't understand that last sentence, don't worry about it.)
       
  11. Use your real name, or at least something that looks like a real name. It seems somehow witless to start a reply by saying “Hi MadDog”, or whatever your chosen alias is.

  12. If your English is not very good, don't worry – nobody is going to laugh at you. Do your best to explain your problem. If we have trouble understanding something, we will ask you to explain again. Some responders are bilingual, and so the same information tends to spread out across all the different language groups. 
  13. On the other hand, if English is your mother tongue, please try to remember to run the spellchecker before posting – and especially, try to ensure there are no errors in your subject line.
  14. When responding, quote as much of the original message in your reply as seems needed for your reply to make sense. Some people reading your posting may not have seen the message to which you are responding. Trim away excess. This makes for quicker reading.
  15. Post your responses to the forum if you are answering a problem. Many people other than the person who asked the question will read your response and learn from it. Forums work well because everybody can see all the information. Please do not email questions directly to people you see on the forum. Some regular posters simply will not answer emails about Word at all – if they did, they would never get any work done! Others charge for email replies.
  16. The vast majority of people answering questions on the forums are not Microsoft employees. Generally, Microsoft staff do not answer questions in the Word forums. If you want a direct response from Microsoft, then go to the support pages on the Microsoft web site, and look up the support options there. You may have to pay. If you think Microsoft has done something with Word that is particularly stupid, don't blame the others on the forum, we didn't do it! In fact, we may well agree with you. Unfortunately, we have no more power than you to get Microsoft to change it. If you want to suggest that they change Word in some way, write to mswish@microsoft.com and include Word in the title of your message. The MVPs have been promised that real people do read the messages mailed there, and that they pass the more coherent ideas along to the relevant product groups.
  17. When you get help, say "Thank you." Let us know what worked for you. (see b above)
  18. If you know something that will help someone else, please feel free to contribute. Many of the people answering questions are your fellow users giving back some of the help they've gotten.

Some Word Forums include:

  1. Microsoft Word Forum on the Microsoft site
  2. Windows Secrets Lounge - Word Processing (Office Watch)
  3. MS Office Forums - Word Forum

Programming vba Forums:

  1. Microsoft Office Programming - Microsoft site
  2. Word VBA Forum
  3. Office Developers Forum - MSDN
  4. IT Pros - Word - TechNet

 

Much of the text on here was lifted verbatim from the MVP website so as to be consistent between the FAQs. 

(Charles Kenyon, the host/editor of this FAQ is not an MVP just another user trying to sort things out.)

 

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Many people visit this site and use the information it contains.
It costs money to keep on line and effort to update.
If you have received assistance here
please consider making a donation if you can.

 
Thank you. ckk

Copyright 2000-2024 Charles Kyle Kenyon

FAQ provided as an adjunct / hobby as a part of my web site as a criminal defense lawyer.

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Using Date Fields in Microsoft Word
Calculated Dates
Booklet Formatting and Printing in Microsoft Word
Changing the Default Font in Microsoft Word
Document linked to Printer in Microsoft Word
Fonts Missing from Menu in Microsoft Word
How can I get a different header / footer on the second page?
Heading? Header? Microsoft Word Help
More on Headers and Footers in Word
Letterhead
I want the filename in the footer of every document.
Margins Missing - White Space
Mapped Content Controls and Document Properties
Moving/Reorganizing Pages in Microsoft Word
Print Preview in Microsoft Word
Weird Lines and Borders
Macros and VBA
Malicious Macros vba in Microsoft Word
Master Documents Feature in Microsoft Word
A Back CoverPage in Microsoft Word
Normal Template in Microsoft Word - How to Open or Find the Normal Template
My docs open in the wrong program! Re-registering Word using the commandline.
Moving (Sharing) Customizations in Microsoft Word
Global StyleSheet?
MVP means?
Naming Files - A System is the Key
Posting tips in the Microsoft Word Forums
Getting rid of that (*)#"@^ paperclip! - Taming the Office Assistant
Page X of Y doesn't work in Microsoft Word!
Save Changes to the Global Template? Keeps Popping Up
Templates in Microsoft Word
Global Templates
Too Many Icons on the Taskbar in Microsoft Word 2000
Getting Rid of the Web Toolbar in Microsoft Word
Word for Word Perfect Users
Favorite Documents Menu
Work Menu in Microsoft Word
Spell Check Dialog Instead of Editor
Templates Menu in Microsoft Word
What books have been recommended about Microsoft Word?
Where can I find more templates?
Word Links

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