Starting Word in Draft View

Topic

New Reply

I just upgraded from Office 2010 to Office 2019 (I’m slow at adopting new software, I admit). I’m using the locally installed version of Office that Microsoft doesn’t want us to use–NOT Office 365. Like others, I have my own peculiarities and I want Word to start in Draft view. This is obviously not a big deal–just an annoyance. And, of course, it used to work in Office 2010.

I made sure that, in Word Options>Advanced>General, the “Allow Opening a Document in Draft View” check box was checked…no joy. I tried opening the Normal template and doing the same..again, no joy. I deleted the f******* Normal template and let Word recreate it…and again, no joy. I wrote an AutoOpen macro to switch to Draft view upon opening Word…and AGAIN, no joy.

Any ideas? Please? My frustration level is high. My current workaround is to place Draft view on my Quick Access Toolbar (since Microsoft so kindly removed it from the View Shortcuts bar in the lower right corner of the screen) and manually switch to Draft view.

EDITED for language – please note site rules on swearing

Reply | Quote

Replies

In addition to what you did with Word options did you go to View tab in Word and change to the Draft view?

--Joe

Reply | Quote

My understanding is that changing to Draft View in the Normal template should affect any new document, but that for existing documents it’s still necessary to save each individual document in draft view even after selecting “Allow Opening a Document in Draft View”:

Making Draft View the Default View

So I think your Draft view on the Quick Access Toolbar may be the best workaround, unless someone can figure out why your AutoOpen macro didn’t produce the desired result.

Macros are defined here: Macro to open a new Word file in Draft View

And a SaveView add-in is suggested here: “Allow opening in Draft view” does not work

1 user thanked author for this post.

ejm

Reply | Quote

Thanks for contributing, Joe. Yes, I did change to draft view…multiple times on multiple attempts to make this work. No joy.

Reply | Quote

Thanks for chiming in, b. Your understanding and mine are the same…once you change to Draft view for a document and save it, it’s supposed to reopen in Draft view. And true…if the document wasn’t originally in Draft view, you do have to save it in Draft view to get it to subsequently open in Draft view–except mine don’t. And yes, I followed Allen Wyatt’s steps but they don’t work in Office 2019

I am working my way through your other suggested links (it was an eye-opener to discover that this behavior is “by design” after Office 2010 and since I waited to upgrade until now, you have solved the mystery for me of why I didn’t know this!)

The two links with macro code might solve my problem. I had created only one macro, but it looks like I might need two. I’ll get back to you! And thanks again for the guidance!

1 user thanked author for this post.

b

Reply | Quote

Hi, b. OK, so it wasn’t my final post :). This should do it, though. After playing around with things, I determined that I hadn’t understood the purpose of the Add-in and the macros. The add-in SAVES documents in the selected view (whatever it is, but INCLUDING Draft view) so that the document reopens in the “last selected view.” The add-in doesn’t, however, open new documents in Draft view–the MACROS do that.

So, I’ve incorporated both in my Normal template and the only “unaffected” document is the default Document 1–and that’s where that VBA stuff about adding a delay to the macros comes in that’s over my head. So, I’ll use my workaround toolbar button for Document 1 and now, I am happy!

Again, thanks for guiding me in the right direction

1 user thanked author for this post.

b

Reply | Quote

Back for my final report, b. I went with the Add-In (although I did try the macros, but the Add-in seemed to me to be the easier, cleaner approach). You’re going to love this: neither approach affects the default document Word displays when you open the program (Document1). I did some research and found a reference to adding a delay to the macro approach code (that would give the macros time to “fix” Document1), but the method for adding the delay in Word went over my head…my VBA skills don’t extend far enough. Most of the information on adding a delay dealt with Excel code and somebody talked about adding the Excel VBA Library reference to the Word VBA Project because Word VBA code doesn’t include the necessary Application.Wait command (and I have no idea how to add libraries in VBA) or using or using a WasteTime procedure as described here: https://www.myonlinetraininghub.com/pausing-or-delaying-vba-using-wait-sleep-or-a-loop.

So, I plan to leave the add-in attached and just use my workaround for Document1 as needed. Unless somebody with VBA skills can tell me the code needed to adjust whichever auto macro needs adjusting for Document1. But I’m a MUCH happier camper now that I have a solution for the majority of documents! So thanks again so much for offering guidance! I’m much better off now than I was before I read your post!

2 users thanked author for this post.

Elly, b

Reply | Quote