Computing Group – The Basics of Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word - History Summary As part of the Microsoft Office suite, Word is the best selling word processing software ever. It can produce stunning looking documents of many types and is supported by lots of different style templates so you don't have to start from scratch every time.

The link below will tell you more about the history of Microsoft Word. (Wikipedia page and it opens in a separate window or tab, depending on how your browser is set up.)

History of Microsoft Word

IMPORTANT NOTE: It doesn't matter what type of computer you use. The YouTube videos work in the similar way across ALL operating systems.

MICROSOFT WORD TIMELINE

Versions: 1990 to '95, '97, '98, 2001/Word X, 2002/XP, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016

The training in this series is for version 2013.

Note: If you have an earlier or later version you may be able to find it on YouTube.

The videos in this series will give you some idea of the power of Microsoft Word. With practice it's easy enough to master, though it's a comprehensive program that requires time to learn it properly. If you use this software like you would a typewriter (remember those archaic bits of kit?) you're not only using it badly, you're wasting a lot of your time and your life! In all there are 25 training videos; each one varies in length from a short three or four minutes to ones that are around seventeen minutes. You can replay them, or come back to them, as often as you like.

YouTube & Advertising

This is a Google owned business. They make their money through advertising. When some videos start to play there may be an advert appearing. Usually there is an option to click the advert ribbon off by clicking on the X in the top right hand corner and it should disappear.

At the end of each video there will be a reminder of who produced the video (in this case it's simonsezit.com but you can stop the video at anytime and go to the next one. Lots of businesses use YouTube to promote their services so it's not unreasonable if they promote their stuff!

Practice makes perfect…

If you have Microsoft Word on your computer it may be useful to have the program open so you can practice what you learn.

Full Screen viewing…

By using the square symbol in the bottom right hand corner of the video you can make it play in full screen mode.

A suggestion… Work through the video training as your time allows. The running time for all of the training is around four and half hours. By scheduling to watch them over several days you will soon be competent with this software. Whilst it's recommended that you go through the videos in sequence, because each lesson builds on the last one, you don't have to slavishly follow them from the first to the last. The real 'training' begins at Part 4; the first three videos are introductions and reviews of Microsoft Word so if you'd prefer to get stuck in on learning how use the software go directly to PART 4.

Part 1

Course Introduction

Running time: 11.34

Note:

The course instructor is mentioning files you won't have access to in this video, but you can follow along and make your own files as needed.

Also in this first module he's talking about the Windows operating system. If you use a Mac then it makes little difference as the Word program is virtually identical in the way it works.

Part 2

What's new in

Microsoft Word 2013

Running time: 8.48

Part 3

Using Word 2013 on

Touch Devices

Running time: 5.56

Part 4

Opening & Saving Documents

Running time: 11.19

Note for Mac Users:

Word for Mac looks is a little different than the Windows version. The concepts are very similar though so you simply need to seek out how it looks for yourself. The program operates in a similar way to the Windows pc version so it shouldn't make that much difference in practice.

Click This Button for Word For Mac Online Help

Click This Button for Word For Windows Online Help

Part 5

Getting Help

both Online

& Offline in

Word 2013

Running time: 9.32

The two buttons above the video will take you to the Online Help for either the Mac version or the Windows version of Word.

Part 6

Settings and Preferences

Running time: 12.23

Note for Mac Users:

To find 'Preferences' on a Mac, go to the top left of your screen and click on Word; a drop down menu appears and you need to then click on 'Preferences'. (Picture below shows what it looks like.)

This will open a box with various options; we suggest you take a look at each one and browse around. To set your personal details click on 'User Information' in the bottom list, Personal Settings.