How to remove restriction mode in Word. How to Remove Reduced Functionality Mode in Word

With the release of Word 2007, Microsoft introduced a new format for text documents. This format has been expanded and has become the new standard for Word text editors. Now Word 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016 by default save all text documents in the DOCX format.

But, old versions of the Word text editor, in particular Word 2003, which is still very popular, have remained in use. These old versions of Word continue to save documents in the DOC format, which creates some compatibility issues when opening these documents in new versions of Word.

For example, if you open an old DOC document in Word 2010, then a Word 2010 user will not be able to use all the features of this editor. It is precisely this problem that is signaled by the message "Restricted functionality mode", which appears in the title of the program window.

In this article, we will talk about how you can solve this problem and remove reduced functionality mode in Word 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016.

Method number 1. Document conversion.

If you want to remove the limited functionality mode in Word, then the easiest way to do this is to use the "Transform" function. To do this, open the "File" menu, which is located in the upper left corner of the program, select the "Details" menu item and click on the "Convert" button.

After that, a pop-up window will appear with a warning about the conversion of the document. In order to remove the reduced functionality mode, you need to confirm the conversion by clicking on the “Ok” button.

As a result, your text document will be converted to the new format, and its extension will change from DOC to DOCX. After this procedure, the reduced functionality mode message will no longer appear.

Method number 2. Saving the document in DOCX format.

The second way to remove the reduced functionality mode in Word is to simply save the file in DOCX format. To do this, open the "File" menu and select the "Save As" menu item.

After that, a window for saving the document will appear. Here you need to open the "File Type" drop-down menu and select "Word Document *.docx" in the list that appears. After that, the document must be saved in the selected format.

As a result, you will get another file with the same name, but in DOCX format. The Word editor will automatically switch to the new file and the reduced functionality mode message will disappear.

In addition, this is another way to remove the reduced functionality mode. You can simply copy the contents of the DOC file, paste it into a new empty DOCX file, and continue editing the text in the new file.

Today we will talk about an interesting inscription - “Restricted functionality mode”. What does it mean in all office programs of the Microsoft Office package, in particular, in Word? In fact, nothing serious - just this inscription indicates that the document itself was created on the old version of the editor of the 97th or 2003th year and the full functionality of the new version is not available. In this article, we want to tell you how to remove this ill-fated reduced functionality mode in Microsoft Word. There is nothing complicated in this and now you will learn about everything.

The easiest way

There are two ways to “overcome” this inscription and both are extremely simple, so we will consider them in the course of one article. I would also like to say that in different versions of the program, the interface may change. We're reviewing the latest version of Word 2013 to date, with the latest interface tailored for use on touchscreen devices. Therefore, in other versions, the arrangement of elements may differ, but they are present anyway.

So let's deal with the first method. You must do the following:

The problem is solved in just a few mouse clicks. In the second case, everything is somewhat different, but there are no more actions.

By converting a document

All new versions of Excel have a function to convert documents to new formats so that you can edit them without restrictions. You must do the following:

As you can see, there really is absolutely nothing complicated. You had to make a few mouse clicks and the document was converted automatically, while the original data inside it was not lost, and their structure remained the same.

Sometimes the opening of a document is accompanied by the following inscription in Word: "Reduced functionality mode." The appearance of such a message evokes very negative thoughts. The most common of them are: “the license has flown”, “Office is blocked”, “maybe viruses” and so on. In fact, there is no cause for concern here, and differences in versions of Microsoft Office are responsible for the appearance of this warning.

When does reduced functionality mode appear?

The appearance of such an inscription usually occurs when older document formats are opened in new versions of Microsoft software products. For example, take at least the same Word 2010 or 2007. Both versions of this application for working with text use the new docx format, which is "native" for them. Its use implies a certain algorithm of interaction between the program environment and the way of displaying symbols, graphic objects (drawings, diagrams, diagrams), and so on. When opening the format, for example, doc, the application with its inscription "Restricted functionality mode" notifies the user about the possible incorrect display of some text elements. But it should be noted that in the vast majority of cases, documents open without any problems and errors. Therefore, Microsoft communicates the need to remember that this can happen rather than announce difficulties or limitations.

What are the challenges of reduced functionality mode?

This question torments many users who first saw such a notification. Here, first of all, you need to consider that there are no barriers in terms of editing and formatting. Problems in most cases occur when the old version opens a document created in the newer one. That is, when using Word 2007 they open a document saved in Office 2010, or when opening docx format in Word 2003, and so on. The most common type of difficulty here is text displacement, which is caused by a modified display algorithm. Also, very often there is a sticking of the text, when all the spaces between words disappear, and the disappearance of diagrams.

Prevention of display problems

Given the difficulties described above, you should be concerned in advance about the possibility of preventing the occurrence of a message that the reduced functionality mode is enabled. Office offers a very simple solution for this. In most cases, all you need to do is save the file in several formats. For example, if a user works in Word 2010, then he needs to open the "Save as ..." menu item and select the doc and docx formats. For university students, another option to save in rtf format is useful.

Conclusion

Thus, knowing what the reduced functionality mode is, you can not worry about the appearance of this, as we already know, completely harmless message. Understanding the reasons for its occurrence, you can always correctly respond to possible difficulties that owe their appearance to differences in versions of the popular office suite from Microsoft.

If you open a Word document, at the top in square brackets, you see the message: "Degraded Mode", then the question immediately arises: "What is it, and how to remove it?". This will be discussed in this article.

What does this inscription mean

In Word, this inscription appears next to the name if you opened a file created in an earlier version of a text editor - 2003, in a new version - 2010. For example, you worked with a file at work, came home, opened it on a computer and saw at the top an unusual inscription. This means that Word 2003 is installed at the workplace, and you most likely have a newer version - 2010 or 2013 - at home.

The fact is that after the version of Word 2007 appeared, the format of the created documents also changed. In 2003, files were saved in *.doc format, and in newer versions - 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016, in *.docx format.

If the file is opened in reduced functionality mode, then the text editor works as an emulator. At the same time, some functions that the developers have added to the new versions will not be available to you. For example, editing formulas, new numbering styles, WordArt objects, some themes, and more.

Disable mode

If you need to remove the message at the top and work with Word to the maximum, then it’s enough just to resave the file in a newer format.

Open the desired document and go to the top tab "File". From the list that opens, select the item.

I have Word 2010 installed. If you have 2016 installed, then instead of a separate window, a menu will open. In the area on the right, specify the folder on the computer to save and select the mentioned "File Type" with *.docx extension. Then press the "Save" button.

The following dialog box will appear. It states that the document may be slightly modified. For example, some styles have been removed, and all formulas will become pictures and it will be impossible to edit them. We press "OK".

After that, you will be able to use all the features of the Word program that is installed on your computer, when working with a document, the message at the top will disappear.

Remove this mode

You can do everything in the following way. Open the desired document again and go to the File tab. In the Details section, click the button.

Confirm the action by clicking OK.

The line at the top where it says about restrictions will disappear, and you will be able to use all the new features of the text editor you have installed. Save your changes either by clicking on the diskette in the upper left corner, or by pressing Ctrl+S or Shift+F12 .

In the converted file, some styles can be removed, and all formulas will become pictures.

This method differs from the first one in that the original will not be saved, it is simply converted. And the use of resaving, which is described in the first paragraph, will allow you to save both the original document and its new version, in which there are no restrictions.

I think you managed to remove, using one of the methods described in the article, a line in the document that says about restrictions.

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If you often work with office documents in Microsoft Office applications, then you probably noticed that some documents open in a special mode called "Reduced Functionality Mode". The fact that the reduced functionality mode is enabled is indicated by the corresponding inscription in square brackets in the title of the application window. It can be found in various applications such as Word, Excel or PowerPoint. Restriction mode works in a way that prevents you from using certain features of modern apps in Office. This is done so that users of older versions of Office can open your file safely and without problems.

This is how Word notifies you that reduced functionality mode is enabled. Extremely clear and understandable.

Typically, reduced functionality mode should not be of much concern to the traditional user. Still, it's good to know what Compatibility Mode is, how to work with it, and how to turn off Microsoft Office Compatibility Mode if necessary, as it affects the range of features and tools available in a word processor, spreadsheet, or Microsoft Presentation Editor.

What is reduced functionality mode in Word

The title is just an example. Reduced functionality mode is also available in Excel and PowerPoint. Modern versions of the Microsoft Office suite have many great new features that are, of course, not compatible with older versions of Office. In addition, newer editions of apps handle document formatting a little differently, so restricted mode helps keep the ability to work with the same document across different versions of the app, be it 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007 and older.

When you create a new document in Office 2013 or Office 2016, it is created in a modern format that has access to all modern features and the latest formatting styles. But when you open a document that was born inside Office 2010 or older, reduced functionality mode starts. It makes sure that the document looks the same in all applications, regardless of their release year or version.

Reduced functionality mode blocks the document from accessing new application features. For example, someone created a report in Office 2007 (this office suite is not supported, I must say) and sent it to you. You have Office 2016 installed on your computer. You open a document and Office automatically enters reduced functionality mode. It manages the changes so that the document sent back can open correctly in the same Office 2007, and the file author does not encounter errors that occur due to the fact that the old version of Office does not understand the new features from Office 2016.

The exact set of features that Compatibility Mode will block depends on which version of Office you're using and what type of Compatibility Mode is applied to the running document. For example, when working on a document from Word 2010 to Word 2016, you won't be able to use Apps for Office or embedded online videos. These two features only appeared in Word 2013. When you try to open a file in Office 2016 from Office 2007, the new numbered list formatting styles, new shapes and effects for text boxes, WordArt, and so on will be disabled. For a detailed list of disabled features for compatibility modes, see the official Office support site.

Thus, users of different versions of Microsoft office suites can work together on the same document and not worry about compatibility issues or incorrect display of the same file.

How to check reduced functionality mode

You can easily check which reduced functionality mode a document is running in. In the left corner, click File and on the tab Intelligence select Troubleshooting - Compatibility Check.



The application will open a small window in which you need to click on the button Select the versions to display. By default, those versions with which this document is compatible will be highlighted.



If there are compatibility errors in the file itself, they will immediately be displayed in the corresponding list. In addition, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint perform a compatibility check each time a file is saved. If this does not suit you and you want to disable (or enable if the check is disabled), on the compatibility check window, check or uncheck Compatibility check when saving documents.

How to disable reduced functionality mode in Microsoft Word

Again, we will consider the situation using the example of Word, but the same principle is relevant for other applications, such as Excel or PowerPoint.

Of course, you shouldn't convert every existing document directly. They will work great in any version of Office. But when you need to use one of the new features, you will notice that it is not available in reduced functionality mode.

Any document can be easily converted and thus disable reduced functionality mode in Microsoft Office. All you have to do is press File - Details - Convert.



When you click this button, the application will warn you that you are about to update the file to the latest format. All blocked features will be activated, but you may have difficulty opening the file in older versions of Office. If you like it, feel free to click OK. To turn off notifications for each conversion, simply check the box next to No more questions about document conversion.



After that, the file will be updated, and the inscription will disappear from the document header [Reduced Functionality Mode]. Please note that after this you may experience minor visual and structural changes to the document. Keep this in mind.

Documents are permanently saved in degraded mode

A very real scenario. If every document you create is saved in degraded mode, then you need to check your document saving options. Most likely, Word, Excel, or PowerPoint is set to save files in older formats for compatibility.

Click File - Options. A window with various settings will open. Go to the tab Preservation and check what format is specified in the field Save files in the following format. If each document is saved in degraded mode, then this field will most likely be set to Document Word 97-2003 . Change this setting to Word Document (.*docx). Click OK.



If you are saving documents from existing templates, then you must first convert the template. open sample and turn off reduced functionality mode. To do this, use the instructions above.