How to remove limited functionality mode in Word. Removing Reduced Functionality Mode in Word Exit Reduced Functionality Mode in Word

The interface becomes friendlier and more intuitive for users. However, a number of users do not switch to new versions of programs immediately or do not switch at all due to habit, reluctance to spend money on updates, and incompatibility of new programs with computers. Accordingly, the question arises of compatibility of files of different versions of Word.

Might be interesting:

Reduced functionality mode - what is it?

In most cases, documents saved in the new version of the software package simply will not open in the old version. But the opposite action takes place.

In Microsoft Office programs and specifically in Word, users in this case are faced with a limited functionality mode.

How to remove limited functionality mode

There are several ways to remove incompatibility.

Enabling Compatibility

Word 2010 has a function to check the compatibility of a file with the version of the program in which it is opened. For this:

  • in the “File” menu, select “Sharing”;
  • further “Search for problems”;
  • and "Compatibility check".

After this, the message about limited mode disappears.

Important! A document with the .doc extension can be saved in a new version of Word in the .docx format or in other available formats, including web pages, a txt text file, pdf, rtf and some others. More on this below.

Converting a Document

Another option is to convert the document by selecting an item in the menu called “Convert”. The file will take on a new format, i.e. changes the extension in the new version of the program, and will make it possible to format text, markup and other aspects in the design. The original file is replaced by the converted one, and this document can no longer be opened in the old Word.

Converting a file

The last way to remove the limited functionality mode is to use programs or online services for converting files. The source file is loaded into the resource or program, the required output format is specified, and the file is converted.

This method is used when reformatting an old file into a new one and vice versa, when a document from a new program needs to be opened in an earlier version. Basically, after processing, the text is displayed correctly, but there are some errors in the design. Charts, graphs or other similar objects that were customized and edited in the later version are sometimes displayed as pictures in the old version or not displayed at all.

Whichever method you choose, they are all simple, and after a few steps, you will be able to use the extensive functionality of a later version of Word in your document. If you have questions about Microsoft products that were not answered in this article, . Together we will find the answers.

If you don't know how to remove limited functionality mode, read the article.

If you opened a Word document and saw the inscription at the top of the page "Reduced functionality mode", then the question immediately arises: “What could this mean, and how to get rid of such an inscription?” Let's figure it out.

Limited functionality mode in Word: how to remove, cancel?

This inscription means that you opened a Word document in an old version of this word processor.
Previously, this program was created with limited capabilities, and Word documents from 2003 have the extension "doc", and new ones (2010-2013) - "docx". When working with previous Word algorithms, the new functional buttons will be unavailable.

If you need to remove these restrictions and make all new algorithms available, then you need to save the document in a new version. To do this, open the menu and click on "Save as". Then instead "Document 2003" select "Word Document".

There is another method to remove this mode: convert the functionality. Do the following:

  • Open the document you need to work with.
  • Click on "File". Select "Intelligence" and click on the block "Convert".
  • Then click "OK".

Now all restrictions must be lifted. Save all changes by pressing the key combination "Ctrl+S". This conversion method is more convenient for work, since both the original and the document in the new format will be saved.

Video: How to remove limited functionality mode

If the document was created in an older version of Microsoft Word and you try to open it in a newer version, the program will run in reduced functionality mode. This mode does not allow you to use all the functionality of MS Word when working with an old document.

This is done in order to eliminate compatibility problems if you suddenly need to open this document again in an older version of Word. The changes you make to the document during editing may simply not be supported in older versions.

In older versions of MS Word, documents have the extension DOC, and in new versions DOCX.

You can remove the reduced functionality mode in Word by simply saving the file in a new format, or you can convert it. All the details are below.

Disable reduced functionality mode in Word

Conversion

You need to open the File tab, then in the Details section click the Convert button. Then you need to confirm the changes and click OK. Then save the document.

Attention! This will change the current document without saving the old version. If you need both versions, then use the method below.

Saving in a new format

Here you just need to save the document in a new format. To do this, go to File > Save As, select the desired directory, specify the new format Word document (*.docx) and click OK.

As a result, you will have a new Word document with a DOCX extension and reduced functionality mode disabled.

And how to remove it is the main topic of this article, which will be very useful for both beginners and, indeed, more experienced users of Word 2007\2010 and later versions.

First, let's figure out what kind of mode this is and for what purpose it was created in advance by the Microsoft Office developers. The whole point is that when moving from Word 2003 to Word 2007\2010 a huge number of various innovations were implemented, in particular, more functional extensions, images, multimedia and other data were added that clearly help in the work. However, the problem remains that, on the one hand, users still have a lot of documents with the good old extension .doc, on the other hand, many people generally preferred the proven Office 2003 to the new product. So a dilemma arose, the solution to which lay in synchronizing the capabilities of Word documents in different versions of the text editor. For example, new graphics were to be displayed in Word 2003, but only in the form of pictures or images without the ability to edit, while some features should be completely prohibited with the proviso that the document is saved in .doc format.
So, that was the introduction, now let's move on to directly solving the problem. In order to disable limited functionality mode in Word, enough save the document we are working with in a new resolution.docx. Then absolutely all new functions will work perfectly and the limited functionality mode in Word will disappear.
To do this, go to the tab File - Save As (in Word 2007, instead of File, there is an "Office" button in the upper left corner):

Now you will see a warning that this file Will NOT open in Office Word 2003, here you need click OK:

And the last thing: Now reduced functionality mode disabled and does not appear in the document title:

I hope this information is Word reduced functionality mode was useful for you, and now there will be no problems with working in a text editor. Good luck!

Many users, when working with documents in the Word text editor, are faced with a message that the open document is running in Word's limited functionality mode. The Microsoft Word text editor is part of the popular office suite Microsoft Office, different versions of which are used on a large number of computers.

The following message appears at the top of the open document window: “Document name [Reduced Functionality Mode] - Word.” The message implies that the Word file opened in Microsoft Word has some restrictions on access to all the functionality that is available in this version of the program.

In some cases, with simple editing, the limited functionality mode (compatibility mode) will have virtually no effect on the work on the document. In other situations, full compatibility is required to apply the necessary editing program options available in the current version of Microsoft Word.

How to remove reduced functionality mode in Word? If the need arises, this problem can be easily solved.

There are two methods to disable the limited functionality mode in Word:

  • converting the document to the format of the current new version of Word installed on the computer;
  • changing the file extension to a modern format.

Reduced functionality mode appears in the application window when you open a file created in a previous version of Word. Versions of Word 2016 and Word 2013 are compatible with each other.

In this article, you will receive instructions on how to disable the reduced functionality mode in Word, in different versions of the program: Microsoft Word 2016, Microsoft Word 2013, Microsoft Word 2010, Microsoft Word 2007.

Reasons for opening Word documents in reduced functionality mode

What does limited functionality mean, why does Word run limited functionality? The fact is that in each new edition of the word processor, the program manufacturer, Microsoft Corporation, adds new editing functionality and changes the use and interaction of some application components. In the new version of the program, new fonts, formats, elements appear, support for new effects, etc. is applied.

As a result, after opening a Word document created in earlier versions of the application, there is a risk of formatting errors and incorrect display of the original document.

In order to eliminate possible problems, a Word document created in an old version of MS Word is opened in a new version of the application in a less functional, stripped-down mode, in which the state of the file for the previous edition of the program is emulated. The open document corresponds to the parameters of the previous version of Word; new editing functions that are not supported in the old version of the application are disabled.

Compatibility mode eliminates possible errors that occur when using different versions of Word when working on a document.

Disabling Word's reduced functionality mode by changing the file extension

When using files created in outdated versions of a text editor, the limited functionality mode in Word can be removed by changing the file extension.

In Microsoft Word programs, starting with Word 2007, files are saved with the “.DOCX” extension. In earlier versions of the application, files were saved with the extension ".DOC". After changing the extension, the Word 97-2003 document will be converted to a ".docx" file with minor changes in structure.

There are two ways to change the Word file extension: manually or from the Microsoft Word program window. In the first case, the original file will change its extension. In the second case, a copy of the document will be created in the new format (“docx”), and the old version of the file (“doc”) will be saved on the computer.

To change the file extension manually, you must first perform some actions (enable the display of file extensions) for different versions of the Windows operating system, which you can read about in the article.

Then follow these steps:

  1. Right-click on the Word file.
  2. Select "Rename" from the context menu.
  3. Change the file extension after the period from "doc" to "docx".
  4. In the warning window, agree to change the file extension.

You can change the Word file extension directly from the program window:

  1. Open a Word document.
  2. Go to the File menu, select Save As (in Word 2007, select Word Document).
  3. After selecting the save location, in the “Save Document” window, in the “File Type” field, select “Word Document” from the available options.

If necessary, check the box next to “Maintain compatibility with previous versions of Word” to preserve the document layout.

  1. Agree to change the document.

A Word document created in the old format will receive all the editing capabilities available in the new format.

How to remove reduced functionality mode in Word 2016

To turn off reduced functionality mode in Word 2016, follow these steps:

  1. In an open Word document window, go to the "File" menu.
  2. In the “Details” section, in the “Reduced functionality mode” setting, click on the “Convert” button.

  1. In the warning window, click on the “OK” button.

  1. Close the document and click the “Save” button in the warning window.

After this, a Word file will appear on your computer in the latest file format without limited functionality mode, and all the technical capabilities of the latest version of the program installed on this computer will become available in the document.

How to remove reduced functionality mode in Word 2013

To disable the reduced functionality mode in Word 2013, follow these steps:

  1. Click on the "File" menu.
  2. In the “Details” section, click on the “Convert” button.

  1. In the window that opens warning you that the document will be converted to the latest format, click on the “OK” button.
  2. After closing the Word document, agree to make changes to the file.

How to remove limited compatibility mode in Word 2010

Reduced functionality mode in Word 2010 can be removed in the following ways:

  1. From the File menu, go to Details.
  2. Click on the "Convert" button.

  1. Next, click on the “OK” button in the warning window about converting the file format.
  2. Agree to save changes to the MS Word file.

How to remove limited compatibility mode in Word 2007

If you need to remove the reduced functionality mode from Word 2007, follow these steps:

  1. Click on the "Microsoft Office" button.
  2. From the context menu, first select "Save As" and then "Word Document."

  1. In the window that opens, click on the “OK” button to save the document in a new file format.
  2. Agree to the changes made when closing the Microsoft Word 2007 document.

Conclusions of the article

If a Word document is opened in an application in limited functionality mode (compatibility mode), the user can disable this mode by converting the Word file to a file format of the latest version of the program. After this, the Word document will support the latest technical capabilities for editing the file.

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