How to change backup file prefix?

[Axel07]

Word 2007, when creating automatic backups of the previous version of a file,
takes the original filename and prefixes the string "Backup of". I find this
annoying, because it puts the backup files near the top of the list when I'm
looking at the files in Windows Explorer, which is exactly where I don't want
them.

I could, of course, reverse the alphabetical sort so that the backups were
near the bottom. But this would also put the folders at the bottom.

I would like to configure Word to use a string like "zzBackup of" instead.
But I can't find an option in Word for changing the prefix. Does anyone know
how I might do this -- perhaps by tweaking the Registry?

Thanks.

David

 

[Graham Mayor]

The short answer is that you can't. You could however abandon the use of the
backup option and use a macro to create backups and then you can name them
to whatever you want - even save them to a different location. See
http://www.gmayor.com/automatically_backup.htm

See also http://www.gmayor.com/save_numbered_versions.htm

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

This is not possible. But you will not see backup files in Word's Open and
Save dialogs if you display "All Word Documents" instead of "All Files" (I
realize this doesn't help in Windows Explorer). The alternative, of course
(which I don't recommend), is not to create backups at all.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Axel07]

Thanks, Graham and Suzanne. I'll just live with the minor annoyance. If
anyone from Microsoft is reading this, it would be helpful in the next
version of Word to allow a user-configurable string as the prefix for backup
files.