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Has Microsoft eliminated draft view in Word?

Anonymous
2022-03-22T21:19:19+00:00

I like writing in draft view. It gives you a fixed page width but doesn't take up screen space with empty margins or breaks between pages. In other words, it doesn't distract you with extraneous visual elements as you write something. Now when I specify draft view I suddenly get web layout instead. There is no fixed page width at all; the text just runs on as wide as the window is. I don't like this format because it loses the old-fashioned page count, which draft view made available unobtrusively. I checked with another Word user (at the same educational institution), and he has experienced the very same thing.

Did Microsoft deliberately make this change?

More important, is there any way to undo the change and get draft view the way it has long been?

Thanks if you have any suggestions!

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For education | Windows

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  1. Stefan Blom 338.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2022-03-22T23:39:10+00:00

    At File > Options > Advanced, clear the option "Show text wrapped within the document window" which applies to Draft view.

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  1. Anonymous
    2022-03-22T22:31:48+00:00

    Not that I've heard.

    .

    Exactly which version of Word/Office do you have? 365/2021/2019 etc?

    .

    It is not on the status bar at the bottom of the application window, but have you looked for it in theView tab?

    Word 2013

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  2. Stefan Blom 338.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2022-03-23T13:06:43+00:00

    I'm glad I could help.

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  3. Anonymous
    2022-03-23T13:04:23+00:00

    Many thanks! That solved the problem.

    Sorry!!!! I may have marked your answer with only one star by mistake. I really apologize if that happened. The answer totally worked.

    Jonathan

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  4. Anonymous
    2022-03-23T12:58:07+00:00

    Hi --

    Yes, I looked at the View tab, as you indicate. (I work at Harvard and asked IT help. The technician told me he had the same thing on his version of Word.)

    I have Microsoft 365 apps for enterprise.

    My Word version is: Microsoft® Word for Microsoft 365 MSO (16.0.14326.20850) 32-bit

    Thanks!

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