deleting old documents from Word

[Sable]

I have been trying to delete some old documents from Word for several
days now. Following the Help suggestions, I highlght the document, and
unless I open it the Version option is not available. When the doc is
open, and I can use Version, it does not list the old document -only
the new ones that I want to keep. Please Help--my list is getting way
too long.. Thanks

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

What version of Word and OS? What is the title of the Help topic you
are looking at?

side note: the Versions feature has a tendency to corrupt documents.
I'd start transferring the text into individual files as Version #1,
Version #2 while you can still access it, and I'd stop using the
Versions feature in the future.

However, I don't understand your question--you want to delete the
original version, but when you open the dialog it is not there. Sounds
to me like it has been deleted.

 

[CyberTaz]

Hello Sable -

It sounds like you are confusing the Versions feature in Word with having
saved separate *copies* of your file.

Actual _Versions_ are only created if you use the File>Versions>Save Now
command (which is a questionable feature as Daiya indicated). Those Versions
are saved within the file you're working with at the time. When the file is
open you can then go back to File>Versions, select any Version & delete it
(remove it from the file).

If you've used File>Save As to save different variations on the file as
you've worked (or made *copies* of your original file to work with), the
"versions" are saved as separate individual *files* which can be deleted in
a Finder window. They can't be deleted from within Word & they don't appear
in the Versions list. If it is the earlier files which you no longer need,
navigate to where they are store using Finder & drag the files to the Trash.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Sable]

Hello Sable -

It sounds like you are confusing the Versions feature in Word with having
saved separate *copies* of your file.

Actual _Versions_ are only created if you use the File>Versions>Save Now
command (which is a questionable feature as Daiya indicated). Those Versions
are saved within the file you're working with at the time. When the file is
open you can then go back to File>Versions, select any Version & delete it
(remove it from the file).

If you've used File>Save As to save different variations on the file as
you've worked (or made *copies* of your original file to work with), the
"versions" are saved as separate individual *files* which can be deleted in
a Finder window. They can't be deleted from within Word & they don't appear
in the Versions list. If it is the earlier files which you no longer need,
navigate to where they are store using Finder & drag the files to the Trash.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Sable]

Thanks to Dalya and Cybertaz for your help. Yes I think I am confusing
several things (Mac 0S 10.3.9-Office for Mac 2004) and I will forget
about Versions. However, I am still somewhat confused. I save my Word
Docs to my desktop and then put them in a Document Folder that I keep
on the Desktop. I can delete the older files from that folder, but
they still remain listed in the Document Folder that I access from
Word. When I write them in Word, they are saved in Word Document Form,
and the other choices such as Text Only or RTF don't seem appropriate.
It is from the Word Document File that I would like to delete them. I
hope I am making this at least a little clearer. You mention that
they cannot be deleted from within Word, so maybe I am just stuck with
them. Am I missing something? Thanks again Sable

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Hi Sable,

I'm still not totally clear, but a few things--

To delete things from the folder on the Desktop, you should view the
desktop, double-click on the folder to open it, and drag the file icons
to the trash. (Later, empty the trash) (This is the same thing as
using the Finder to delete them)

I'm not sure what you mean by "Document Folder that I access from
Word". If you use File | Open, and then navigate to the folder on the
desktop, this is the same folder as you see when the Desktop is active.
However, you cannot delete files in the dialog that comes up when you
use File | Open. You have to delete as I said above. (Did you recently
switch to the Mac? The Finder is the equivalent of Windows Explorer.
On Windows, you can delete from a File | Open dialog--but on the Mac,
you cannot. You have to do it in the Finder. This has caused much
confusion for switchers

A different possibility--Under File in Word, there are a number of
document names listed. This is the Most Recently Used list, but not any
type of folder. Do you want to delete names from that list?

Either way, you are not stuck with your documents. Keep asking until it
all makes sense.

Daiya

 

[Sable]

Hi Sable,

I'm still not totally clear, but a few things--

To delete things from the folder on the Desktop, you should view the
desktop, double-click on the folder to open it, and drag the file icons
to the trash. (Later, empty the trash) (This is the same thing as
using the Finder to delete them)

I'm not sure what you mean by "Document Folder that I access from
Word". If you use File | Open, and then navigate to the folder on the
desktop, this is the same folder as you see when the Desktop is active.
However, you cannot delete files in the dialog that comes up when you
use File | Open. You have to delete as I said above. (Did you recently
switch to the Mac? The Finder is the equivalent of Windows Explorer.
On Windows, you can delete from a File | Open dialog--but on the Mac,
you cannot. You have to do it in the Finder. This has caused much
confusion for switchers

A different possibility--Under File in Word, there are a number of
document names listed. This is the Most Recently Used list, but not any
type of folder. Do you want to delete names from that list?

Either way, you are not stuck with your documents. Keep asking until it
all makes sense.

Daiya

Daiya: thanks to your suggestions, I finally 'got it' ! I was
confusing the Document File on Finder with a Document File I keep on
my desktop, which really has no connection to anything else. I have
now been able to streamline the Word Document File via Finder. Sorry
it took me so long to figure it out. Thanks again Sable