Editing....

[tfdswift]

I am the first to admit that I am new and don't know anything but I have just a general question about editing.

I have my manuscript in microsoft word and I have been editing it in general. But when I exit the file I press "SAVE CHANGES" so everything should be okay, right? WRONG!!!! Everytime I access the file, only some of the editing changes are saved. Things like paragraphs running together and some grammar mistakes go back to being the wrong way when I KNOW I have edited them.

Any suggestions?

[James D Macdonald]

Switch to WordPerfect.

[DaveKuzminski]

I have to agree. WordPerfect is better. I've used about 20 different word processors over the years because of my job and WordPerfect has always outperformed the others.

[SRHowen]

Word Perfect is the way to go--also, are you just trying to save changes as in a quick save, or are you saving the whole file?

Best to save the whole file.

and if you want the different versions go with a save as. The save changes in Word will often mess up.

Shawn

[HConn]

I hate Word Perfect.

[aka eraser]

I use and like WP too. It autosaves every 3 minutes or so which is a feature I appreciate since my Infernal Device tends to misbehave when I least expect it.

[tfdswift]

I was told by a publisher that I had to use Microsoft Word and that wordperfect was out of date. And only Microsoft word submissions can be taken online.

Otherwise I wouldn't have gone out and spent the money on the Microsoft program.

Do I have "SUCKER" painted on my forehead?:head

[veingloree]

What do you mean 'save changes'? If you press 'save' the files as it currently is will be saved. To be extra safe I use 'save as' and append the current date to the file name. Then I know which is the most recent and have 1-2 backups. Word isn't as nice, struturally, as WP but I got sick of being incompatible with a MS-driven word and moved over to it.

[Gala]

I have never had the problem you describe with Word, but have seen it occur with people I help with computers.

What version are you using? Also, Word can be set to make backups, do fast saves every x minutes, etc.

I also have WordPerfect, but prefer Word having compared features. Perhaps a matter of taste and must-have features.

This is solvable with what you have.

Both Word, WordPerfect, and other programs save to .rtf (rich text format) which is recognized by most current software. It is a universal format; i.e. can be read all because it's text.

[astonwest]

It almost sounds like you're 'exiting' the file, and clicking on the automatic 'Do you want to save changes..." message in order to save the document...

Try hitting the save icon before exiting...I've always had my changes save in Word, and have been using it for over a decade now...

You don't by chance have multiple copies of the file out there, do you? If so, how are you attempting to open your document?

(Perhaps you have some sort of a virus? Microsoft programs are usually huge targets of those)

Big Daddy West
:hat

[vstrauss]

I use Word too, and have never had this problem. I click "Save" before I exit (and from time to time during a writing session as well, because even though I have it set to autosave every 5 minutes, if the power goes out stuff can be lost). I also have it set to automatically create a backup copy, so if for any reason I lose or screw up that day's work I have the previous day's version right there.

- Victoria

[maestrowork]

Perhaps you have a bad version of Word? That NEVER happens to me.

I haven't used WP for many years now but I've heard that the newest version is almost identical to Word functionally. Yes? No? Anyway, I really like the collaboration and editing tools in Word...

[Maryn]

I'm a veteran of both Word Perfect and Word, and they're quite similar--each has strengths and weaknesses, and either will do everything the writer needs to produce a submission-ready manuscript.

If Word is asking you if you want to save changes, you are probably closing the document after modifying or adding to it without having saved whatever changes you've just made. To prevent this, make sure you click on the Save icon (a little diskette in every version I've used) in the toolbar before you click on the Close icon (a closed file folder with an arrow).

If you don't save your changes when you close your document, the version that Word will save is the one that you opened and changed or added to.

Word also offers an automatic Save feature. Here's my version's help menu on its use:

"On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Save tab. Select the Save AutoRecover info every check box.
In the minutes box, enter the interval for how often you want to save files. The more frequently your files are saved, the more information is recovered if there is a power failure or similar problem while a file is open.
Note: AutoRecover is not a replacement for regularly saving your files. If you choose not to save the recovery file after opening it, the file is deleted and your unsaved changes are lost. If you save the recovery file, it replaces the original file (unless you specify a new file name)."

Although WordPerfect devotees' ardor is not misplaced (like BetaMax!), the business world, including publishing, has moved toward Word, so you haven't made an expensive mistake adopting the standard as your word processing program.

Maryn, hoping this helped some

[SRHowen]

he could be using the exit feature but if you are using the track changes feature of the track changes editing function then it asks you if you want to save changes, and often times does not save everything.

I use both Word (2000) and WP (12)--WP is not outdated and has many many features, and is compatible with Word esp 12. It can save as a .doc or .rtf

And i have had the problem that he is talking about with Word. I ended up reinstalling the program because it had some sort of a glitch in it. And I also had the problem when using the track changes tool.

I also like the view codes in WP--very useful when you can't figure out why the heck the formatting it doing what it is.

Anyway--you should do a save before you try to exit using file-save or click the save icon.

Shawn

[DaveKuzminski]

Especially since WP shows all the codes and not just a few as the versions of Word that I'm familiar with. When it comes to making something work, it's easier to diagnose the problem with WP than with Word.

[skylarburris]

I've never had this problem with Word. It sounds like you may have a bug in it.

I used to prefer Word Perfect a great deal, but since Word has a monopoly in the business world, I got used to it. Also, I couldn't install my old Word Perfect program when I got Windows XP (clever, clever Microsofot). I would have had to buy a new WP. So I've just been using Word...now that I'm used to it, I think it's just as good as WP, except for the reveal codes function.

[DaveKuzminski]

I have XP and have several versions of WordPerfect installed. Yes, they're all legal.

Why?

Because the earlier version of WP that I use can't be fooled into doing certain stupid stunts as the later versions of both Word and WordPerfect can.

[arainsb123]

switch to RoudhDraft and OpenOffice.org! :grin

[Selenia692]

I second the Open Office nomination :D

[ncq13]

While I love Open Office, the dictionary isn't complete and the lack of a grammar check (even though they are all wonky-- it's nice to run one) is a bummer.

[Selenia692]

I use slave human grammar checkers...erm I mean my friends! (who just happen to be conscripted into helping me)

:)

Besides, that's a small price to pay for getting away from the damn talking paperclip :p

[Risseybug]

I was told by a publisher that I had to use Microsoft Word and that wordperfect was out of date. And only Microsoft word submissions can be taken online.


I got WP with my computer, on MS XP. The thing about the new WP is that you can save it in any format. So if I have a file I need to send in Word, I just open the file, click 'save as' and tell it to save it as a MS Word doc. I can convert it to most anything.

And I like WP too, once I got used to it.

[vstrauss]

I'm going to move this thread to Writing Novels, as it seems more appropriate there than in the Bewares and Background Check.

- Victoria

[mr mistook]

I just make a habit of hitting the "Ctrl" key and the "S" key together to save the document. after every paragraph or two. It's automatic for me now. I don't even noticed I'm doing it.

I'm using MS Word, and I've had no problems. I'm pretty sure the thing autosaves, but I hit "Ctrl + S" anyway, just to make sure it's always up to date when I want it to be.