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I am regularly inspecting spec docs I get from a different team. Their docs are periodically revised and they keep tracks of the changes.

Whenever I open a doc, it is displayed in "Final: Show Markup" view mode. So, first thing I do is to get to the "Review" tab and change to "Final".

Is there a way to configure Word to always open a doc in "Final" view mode (w/o altering the document itself)?

ysap
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2 Answers2

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You can achieve this using an AutoOpen macro, which is a macro that runs whenever you open a document.

  1. In a new empty document, on the View tab click Macros and then click Record Macro.
  2. Click OK to start recording and then on the View tab click Macros and then Stop Recording.

  3. Now click Alt+F11 to open the Visual Basic Editor and you'll find a new macro, probably called Macro1, that looks like this:

    enter image description here

  4. Replace it with this code and save:

    Sub AutoOpen()
    If Application.ActiveProtectedViewWindow Is Nothing Then
        With ActiveWindow.View
            .ShowRevisionsAndComments = False
            .RevisionsView = wdRevisionsViewFinal
        End With
    End If
End Sub

The macro is stored in the Normal template and runs when you open a document. So now, whenever you open a document it will switch to Final view. The AutoOpen macro doesn't get embedded in documents you create or edit so you can share them with others.

Note that the AutoOpen() macro will not work on documents opened in Protected View, like email attachments from the internet etc.

Important

To prevent potential security issues and the embarrassment of accidentally exposing internal comments and previous edits, you may want to configure word as follows:

  1. On the File tab, click Options.
  2. Under Trust Center click Trust Center Settings.
  3. Click Privacy Options and check the Warn before printing, saving, or sending a file that contains tracked changes or comments checkbox.

enter image description here

Atzmon
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  • That has the drawback that the documents will open as final also for others, if you work from a shared location; they might not will be happy with that. – Máté Juhász Oct 13 '16 at 13:08
  • @MátéJuhász The AutoOpen() macro from the Normal template doesn't get embedded in documents you create or edit on your Machine. I will clarify this in my answer above. – Atzmon Oct 13 '16 at 13:25
  • the issue isn't the macro, but he modifies the file when it's opened (changing "final" flag is also a modification). – Máté Juhász Oct 13 '16 at 13:27
  • @MátéJuhász At least in Word 2010 changing to Final doesn't make the document dirty. Even if you switch to Final and save (or make more changes and save) you're still covered as long as you haven't changed the default privacy option "Make hidden markup visible when opening or saving". It's checked by default. – Atzmon Oct 13 '16 at 13:47
  • It works! Thanks for getting rid of this stupidly annoying behavior. – ysap Oct 13 '16 at 14:19
  • BTW - when opening VB as described, I did not see the new macro `Macro1`. Had to open it through the `View Macros` button. – ysap Oct 13 '16 at 14:22
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Is there a way to configure Word to always open a doc in "Final" view mode

It's not the view mode of Word, but it's the property of the document, whether it has been marked as Final.

Always opening as final would mean that Word would change this property of the document BEFORE opening it. I don't think it's possible.

Máté Juhász
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  • You are right. Fortunately, the other answers shows that it is possible to overcome this w/ a Word level macro. – ysap Oct 13 '16 at 14:20