If you're creating a document in Word 97 or Word 2000 that you plan to share with users of another word processing program, you can do more than save the document in the other program's file format. A little-known feature in Word lets you fine-tune a document to look the same in the format of another word processing program as it does in Word.

To set up a document for another word processor, select ToolsòOptions and click the Compatibility tab in the Options dialog box. Drop down the æRecommended options forÆ list and select the word processing program the recipient will use. You'll see specific features of that program checked in the Options list. If the exact version of the recipient's word processor isn't on the list, choose the closest version.

Take this step before you begin working on the document to see it, while you create it, the way your recipient will see it. Finish up by using FileòSave As to save the document in the other program's format.

Hint: To apply these compatibility settings to all documents, open the default normal.dot template as you would any other document, follow the steps above, and select FileòSave. To locate normal.dot, select ToolsòOptions, click the File Locations tab in the Options dialog box, and note the directory in which templates are stored. If the folder name is truncated, double-click it, and you'll see a list of the full path in the Modify Locations dialog box.

By GEORGE CAMPBELL