If you're like most users, the commands you employ most often in a newly created document are Save, Print, and Close. If only Microsoft had thought to combine these steps into one command. Fortunately, a quick-and-dirty macro can make a single command out of the three and add it to Word's File menu. Once you start to use it, you will wonder why such a handy tool wasn't built directly into the program.

Note: If you select the new command but the file has not previously been saved, Word will display the Save As dialogue box to let you provide a file name.

Here's how to create this multicommand macro for your version of Word.

Word 97:

1. In Word, select Tools-Macro-Macros.

2. Type SavePrintClose in the 'Macro name' field of the dialogue box, then click Create.

3. Carefully type the three lines of macro text below, between the Sub SavePrintClose() and End Sub lines in the macro editor. Include punctuation as shown.

4. Select File-Save Normal and then File Close and Return to Microsoft Word.

In order to add the macro to the File menu, follow these steps:

1. Select Tools-Customize.

2. Click the Commands tab.

3. Select Macros in the Categories list (you must scroll down a bit to reach it).

4. Click the File menu from the toolbar.

5. Click and drag Normal.NewMacros.SavePrintClose from the Commands list of the Customize dialogue box, then drop it just under the Close command within the File menu.

6. Click Close in the Customize dialogue box.

[insert images: macros1.tif, macros2.tif]

Word 6 and 7:

1. With Word running, select Tools-Macro.

2. Type SavePrintClose in the Macro Name field of the Macro dialogue box; click Create.

3. Carefully type the bolded text below into Word, between the Sub MAIN and End Sub lines.

4. Select File-Close and click Yes when prompted to save the changes in the macro you've created.

To add the macro to the File menu:

1. Select Tools-Customize.

2. Click the Menus tab in the Customize dialogue box.

3. Select Macros in the Categories list, and SavePrintClose in the Macros list.

4. Select &File from the Change What Menu drop-down list.

5. Click Add, then click Close.