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Changes in Office Word 2007

Updated: January 15, 2009

Applies To: Office Resource Kit

This Office product will reach end of support on October 10, 2017. To stay supported, you will need to upgrade. For more information, see , Resources to help you upgrade your Office 2007 servers and clients.

 

Topic Last Modified: 2017-01-25

In this article:

  • What’s new

  • What’s changed

  • What’s removed

This article lists the changes in Microsoft Office Word 2007 from Microsoft Office 2003.

What’s new

  • New XML file formats

  • New user interface, graphics, and formatting capabilities

  • Improved proofing tools

  • New sharing and collaboration features

  • New security features

  • Improved troubleshooting and recovery features

New XML file formats

The file format for presentations created in Office Word 2007 has changed. For more information about new file formats in the 2007 Microsoft Office system, see File format reference for the 2007 Office system. For more information about migrating files to new file formats, or for coexisting with different versions of Word, see Planning for migration to the 2007 Office system and Migrating to the 2007 Office system.

New user interface, graphics, and formatting capabilities

  • Find frequently used tools and commands faster with the Office Fluent user interface. For more information about the Office Fluent user interface, see Microsoft Office Fluent User Interface Resource Center (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=111045).

  • Save time by selecting from galleries of predefined styles, table formats, list formats, graphical effects, and more.

  • Preview formatting changes in your document before you commit to making a change when using the formatting galleries.

  • Use customizable building blocks for adding preformatted content to your documents.

  • Change the appearance of text, tables, and graphics throughout your document to match your preferred style or color scheme by using new Quick Styles and Document Themes.

  • Create your own Document Theme to consistently apply the fonts and colors that reflect your company’s branding.

  • Use new charting and diagramming features that include three-dimensional shapes, transparency, drop shadows, and other effects.

Improved proofing tools

  • The spelling checker has been made more consistent across the 2007 Office system.

  • The spelling checker can find and highlight some contextual spelling errors.

  • The spelling checker includes the post-reform French dictionary.

  • An exclusion dictionary is automatically created for a language the first time that language is used. Exclusion dictionaries let you force the spelling checker to flag words that you want to avoid using; for example, obscene words or words that do not match your company's style guidelines.

For information about deploying multiple sets of proofing tools, see Deploy proofing tools for the 2007 Office system.

New sharing and collaboration features

New security features

  • Prevent inadvertent changes to a final version of a document by using the Mark As Final command.

  • Find and remove hidden metadata and personal information in documents by using the Document Inspector.

  • Assure the authenticity, integrity, and origin of your document by adding an invisible digital signature.

  • Assign permissions that prevent others from copying, printing, or editing your document by using the 2007 Office system with Microsoft Windows Rights Management Services for Windows Server 2003.

  • Manage document properties in the Document Information Panel.

  • Detect documents that contain embedded macros by looking at the separate file format (.docm) for macro-enabled documents. Documents that have the file format .docx cannot contain macros.

For more information about the new security features, see What’s new with Microsoft Office Word 2007 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=115216).

For information about how to configure security settings for macros, see Security policies and settings in the 2007 Office system.

Improved troubleshooting and recovery features

  • Microsoft Office Diagnostics is a series of diagnostic tests that can solve some problems directly and might identify ways that you can solve other problems.

  • Office Word 2007 has improved capabilities to help you to avoid losing work when the program closes abnormally.

For more information about the new security features, see What’s new with Microsoft Office Word 2007 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=115216).

What’s changed

  • Charts

  • Digital signatures

  • Document life cycle

  • Information Rights Management

  • Microsoft Office Document Imaging (MODI) tool

  • Send To Mail Recipient

Charts

Description: The chart feature has the following changes:

  • The user interface for charts is redesigned.

  • The data for a graph in Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 or Office Word 2007 is stored in Microsoft Office Excel 2007, rather than in the graph datasheet.

  • Charts no longer automatically come to the front when they are selected.

  • If a user copies a chart from Office PowerPoint 2007 or Office Word 2007 and pastes the chart into a program other than Office PowerPoint 2007, Office Word 2007, or Office Excel 2007, the chart is pasted as a picture.

  • A graph in Office PowerPoint 2007 or Office Word 2007 that does not contain data does not show its title or legend.

  • Three-dimensional (3-D) charts have appropriate lighting and shading, and colors might not precisely match earlier versions.

For information about all of the chart feature changes, see Changes in Charting.

Digital signatures

Description: The digital signature feature has the following changes:

  • The signature format in the 2007 Office system is XMLDSig.

  • The digital signature entry point is moved from Tools, Options, Security, Digital Signatures to the Microsoft Office Button, Prepare, Add a Digital Signature and, for signed documents, to the Signature task pane.

  • Invalid signatures are no longer automatically removed.

  • The object model is extended to support the new model and to support existing solutions.

  • Third parties can create their own signing providers.

  • Users can access the previous functionality through a more visible and intuitive route.

Reason for change: The digital signatures feature is more visible and intuitive. Users can view when signature verification is performed, and who has signed the document. Third parties can create custom signing solutions.

Document life cycle

Description: The document life cycle has the following changes:

  • The Document Inspector replaces the Remove Hidden Data add-in tool for Office 2003. The entry point and user interface are different. The new user interface enables multiple inspectors to run, which gives the user more granular control of the document-cleaning process. For more information about the Document Inspector feature, see Remove hidden data and personal information from Office documents (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkId=110482).

  • The stand-alone versioning feature in Office Word 2007 has been removed. A more robust versioning feature that stores the information for each version separately is provided with document libraries on Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 sites and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 sites.

Reason for change:

  • The Document Inspector provides Remove Hidden Data add-in functionality in the 2007 Office system and is more discoverable. Users do not have to download the Remove Hidden Data add-in tool separately.

  • The versioning feature in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 document libraries provides a more robust workflow than what is available with Word 2003.

Migration path: Install the 2007 Office system. For versioning, migrate to a Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 environment. Organizations that used the versioning feature can use the Version Extraction Tool (VET) in the Office Migration Planning Manager (OMPM) to extract versions of a document into multiple files. For more information, see Migrate Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files to the 2007 Office system.

Information Rights Management (IRM): Windows Rights Management Client

Description: The 2007 Office system no longer supports Windows Rights Management Client v. 1.0. The 2007 Office system requires Windows Rights Management Client SP2. Users who have the previous Windows Rights Management client installed are prompted to install the new client version. Users do not notice a change with the new client version.

Reason for change: Security fixes in the 2007 Office system are incompatible with the previous Windows Rights Management Client.

Migration path: Users with the previous client version are prompted to upgrade to the new version, which is available as a download from the Microsoft Download Center as Microsoft Windows Rights Management Services Client with Service Pack 2 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkId=111868). For more information about IRM, see Configure Information Rights Management.

Microsoft Office Document Imaging (MODI) tool

Description: MODI is part of the Office setup, but is now not installed by default.

Send To Mail Recipient

Description: The Send To Mail Recipient options have the following changes:

  • Send To Mail Recipient (as Attachment): This menu option allows users to send the Word document as an attachment. To select this option, click the Microsoft Office Button, point to Send, and then select E-mail.

  • Send To Mail Recipient: In Word 2003, this menu option allows users to send the contents of the Word document within the body of an e-mail message. This option has been removed from the user interface, but can be added to the Quick Access Toolbar from the Customized tab in Word Options.

  • Send To Mail Recipient (for Review): This menu option allows users to send the Word document as an attachment to a reviewer. This option has been removed from the user interface, but can be added to the Quick Access Toolbar from the Customized tab in Word Options. The object-model entry points also remain.

Reason for change: The Send To Mail Recipient (for Review) feature is superseded by the group collaboration features in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. The collaboration features in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 provide a more robust workflow. Users can continue to use the object model for Send for Review, and add the option to the Quick Access Toolbar, but they should consider migrating to the SharePoint document life cycle workflow offering. The Send for Review feature uses client-only programs. Users can write an add-in to use this feature's object model while they migrate to a Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 environment. Alternatively, users can send the document to reviewers in an e-mail message. Reviewers can comment on the document by using the Comments feature located on the Review tab. For more information about the Comments feature, see Insert or delete a comment (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkId=118656).

What’s removed

  • Autosummarize command: The AutoSummarize control is removed from the user interface, but can be added to the Quick Access Toolbar from the Customized tab in Word Options. This was a low-use feature.

  • AutoComplete for AutoText: The AutoComplete tip functionality that displays after typing the first few characters of the AutoText entry has been removed. However, AutoComplete is still available for the current system date, months, and days of the week.

  • Converters:

    • mswrd832.cnv: The new converter provided in has improved functionality.

    • wrd6er32.cnv: This converter saved Word 97-2003 files as RTF with a .doc extension so the files could be read by Word 95. To create documents that can be read by Word 95, save the documents as RTF files. Download the Office File Converter Pack to enable Word 95 to open these files.

    • Outdated Korean-specific converters (GSR32.CNV, HANA32.CNV, TGWP32.CNV): These converters supported three word processing programs that are no longer in use.

    • Personal Address Book (PAB): Users can no longer use a PAB file as a source for mail merge documents. This feature is replaced by Contacts in Outlook. Users should use Contacts instead of PAB files.

    • Wpequ532.dll: This was used to render equations when WordPerfect 5.0 and 6.0 files were opened in Word. This change increases security by removing legacy code that is no longer used. If needed, Wpequ532.dll is available in the Office File Converter Pack from the Microsoft Download Center.

  • Diagram object model: For more information, see Changes in Charting.

  • Fonts, Text, and Format themes:

    • Eastern European Font add-in: This add-in is only useful for files with font-mapping issues that were created on previous systems. There have been no code-page dependencies for more than five years. If needed, download the Word Font Repair Macro from the Microsoft Download Center.

    • Fix broken text for Word 6.0 documents: This is a low-use feature for a legacy issue. If needed, download the Word Font Repair Macro from the Microsoft Download Center.

    • Font Text Effects: This is a low-use feature that is no longer useful in Web site design. To remove the Text Effects formatting for older documents opened in Office Word 2007, use the Clear Formatting option on the Home tab in the Font group.

    • Format themes dialog for choosing HTML/CSS themes: The new Themes architecture replaces this feature.

  • File Search: This is a low-use feature that is redundant with other search mechanisms.

  • Ietag.dll browser helper object (BHO): The ietag.dll provides OOUI/Action Menu functionality when a document with recognized smart tags opens within Internet Explorer. With changes in Word Mail, this feature is no longer necessary.

  • Mail merge bar codes: Users can no longer insert a bar code into a mail merge.

  • Mergeable address lists: This was a low-use set of templates. The mergeable address list templates from Word 2003 are still available on Office Online.

  • Microsoft Script Editor (MSE): The removal of this low-use feature increases security. Documents that contain scripts and that are upgraded to the new file formats will lose the scripts without warning.

  • Save As Web Page option: Saving as a Web page is now performed by using Save As on the Microsoft Office Button. Click the Microsoft Office Button, Save As, Other Formats, Save as type, and then select Web page (*.htm;*html).

  • Send to Routing Recipient: Removal of this low-use feature from the user interface improves the user experience.

  • Speech Recognition: The entry points for the speech recognition features have been removed from the user interface in Microsoft Office Access 2007, Office Excel 2007, Office PowerPoint 2007, and Office Word 2007. Windows Vista provides speech recognition features that can be enabled from Control Panel | Control Panel Home | Ease of Access | Speech Recognition Options. To download and install speech recognition on the Windows XP operating system, see Microsoft Speech SDK 5.1 (SpeechSDK51.exe) (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=130386).

  • Third-party OCX controls: Customers can no longer use the Web Tools toolbar to insert movies, sound, or scrolling text (marquees).These controls are disabled because of security updates.

  • Insert Web Components for Office XP: This is a low-use feature.

  • Web discussions: Entry points to Web discussions are removed.

  • Wizards:

    • Agenda wizard

    • Envelope wizard

    • Fax wizard

    • Letter wizard

    • Memo wizard

    • Pleading wizard

    • Resume wizard

    These wizards are replaced by more modern templates available on Office Online.

  • WordPerfect usability:

    • WordPerfect navigation: This functionality is removed, including Help for WordPerfect users and navigation keys that match WordPerfect. This is legacy functionality that has very low usage.

    • Set the width of a space like WordPerfect 5.x.

    • Blue background with white text option: This feature, included in earlier versions of Word to emulate legacy versions of WordPerfect, is no longer used.

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