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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.
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Go to File > Options.
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Click Save.
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Under Save documents, next to Save files in this format, choose Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc).
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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.