Press the Select versions to show drop-down menu.

In the File menu, press Info > Check for Issues > Check Compatibility.To check your file compatibility in Word: This is only available for users running a modern version of Word on Windows. You can easily check what versions of Word your document is compatible with by using the compatibility checker in Word. How to Check Your Word Document for Compatibility With Older Versions This file format was replaced with docx in Office 2007, but older files using the. Word will also switch to compatibility mode if you open a document using the doc file format. Compatibility mode switches these features off to allow you to view and edit your document as it was intended to be viewed in the version of Word it was initially created in.įor example, if you’re trying to edit a document created in Word 2010, you won’t be able to embed videos into your document, as the feature didn’t exist in 2010. As a failsafe, Word is opening your file in compatibility mode to protect the document.Įach new version of Word brings new features-features that might break the integrity or formatting of your older document. If you see this, it means your document was likely created in an older version of Word (or using an older Word format). You might open a Microsoft Word document and see compatibility mode appear in Word’s title bar. What is Compatibility Mode in Microsoft Word? If you’re unsure how, here’s how to get out of compatibility mode in Word. Unfortunately, compatibility mode can cause problems, especially if you’re trying to edit older documents in a newer version of Word. Thankfully, Microsoft has a workaround- compatibility mode.

New features are added to each release, making it hard for documents to remain compatible with older versions.

Turn on word compatibility mode mac