It is sometimes necessary to make a copy of a Word document in order to keep your files and data safe. Interested to know how to make a copy of a Word document? Keep reading this article for a step-by-step guide on how to achieve this.
Why Make a Copy of a Word Document?
Everyone is familiar with Word documents, and how useful they are at work, study, and in daily life. You may find that having a duplicate copy of the Word file is very important and useful in your usage. So, why do you need to make a copy of a Word document?
There are numerous benefits to making a copy of a Word document. We’ve listed the necessary ones here.
- To begin, making a copy of a Word document is an efficient way to back up the Word document.
- Second, if you only want to view the Word document rather than edit it, making a copy of it can help you avoid accidentally changing the content or formatting of the original file.
- Third, if you need to change the file temporarily, duplicating it in Word allows you to do so without destroying the original file’s integrity.
- Fourth, if you need to create multiple similar documents with only minor differences, you can use the original file as a template and make changes on copies to generate a large number of variants.
Still interested in knowing how to duplicate a Word document after learning the benefits of making a copy? In general, there are several methods for duplicating a Word document. In this post, we will go over the methods in full detail.
How to Make a Copy of a Word Document
Making a copy of a Word document is not as hard as you think it’s very straightforward. Let’s jump right into it and see how it’s done.
This section will demonstrate how to copy a Word document. You can try copying and pasting, syncing, creating a new file in Word, opening a copy in Word, and so on. Now we’ll go through all of them one by one.
Please keep in mind that all of the methods in this article are compatible with the following Microsoft versions: 2007, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. If you are using an older version of Word, such as Word 2003 or earlier, you may need to select another method.
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Copy and Paste on Windows
When it comes to making a copy of a Word document, the simplest method must be simply copying and pasting them into Windows. Of course, there is a method.
Now for the tutorial:
- Right-click the Word document you want to duplicate and select Duplicate.
- Then, from the context menu, select Copy.
- Change the location where you want the duplicated file saved. You can save it on Windows, an external hard drive, a USB flash drive, or another device.
- Then right-click it once more.
- To proceed, select Paste.
You have successfully copied the Word file once all steps are completed. If you need to duplicate several Word documents, you can do so one at a time.
Open File as a New One in Word
You can make a copy of a Word document by opening it as a new one and then saving it.
Now for the tutorial.
- Right-click the Word document you want to duplicate and select Duplicate.
- Then, from the context menu, select New to open it.
- Then you’ll notice that the new file’s name has changed. It is usually formatted as Document 1, 2, 3…
- If you make no changes to the file, you can simply copy it by clicking the Save button.
- When you close the file after making changes, you will see a warning message reminding you to save it.
- To proceed, click the Save button.
- Following that, you must select a location for saving the duplicated Word document and change the file name.
- Finally, click Save.
- You have successfully duplicated the Word document once all steps are completed.
Open as Copy in Word
If you want to duplicate a Word document, you can open it as a copy in Word.
Now for the tutorial.
- First, open the Word document.
- Then, in the upper left corner of this Window, click the File tab.
- Then, click Open.
- Click Browse in the Open window and navigate to the file you want to copy.
- Then, behind the Open button, click the upside-down triangle icon.
- Finally, select Open as Copy.
- The file name indicates that the file you are opening is a copy.
- Then, to save the duplicated file, click the Save or Save button.
When all steps are completed, you will have created a copy of a Word document. Try this method to duplicate a Word document.
Create a New File from the Existing Word
Here’s another method for making a copy of a Word document. You can create a new file from an existing one in Word.
Now for the tutorial.
- Open the Word document you want to duplicate.
- Then select the File menu option.
- To proceed, click the New button.
- Select New from Existing from the right panel.
- Select the file to be copied in the New from Existing Document window.
- Then, to proceed, click Create New.
- Then, to save the Word document file, click the Save or Save button.
- The steps outlined above are how to make a copy of a Word document.
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How to Make a Copy of Word Documents on Windows, Linux, and Mac?
Whether you created your Word document on your desktop or downloaded it from an online editor, any operating system can copy it.
How to Make a Copy on Windows
- Step 1: On Windows, this is referred to as copy-paste. Copy (Ctrl+C) the original file by right-clicking it.
- Step 2: Place the mouse cursor where you want a copy to appear, then right-click and select Paste (Ctrl+V).
- Step 3: Done! Your new Word document has been saved as a copy.
How to Make a Copy on Linux
Linux, like Windows, supports copy/paste. Copy the file by right-clicking it and pasting it into the destination directory.
You can also copy Word files in Linux by using the cp command in a terminal and specifying the destination folder in a command.
Here’s an example from Ubuntu 20.04.
- Open the Terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T), then use cd to navigate to the directory containing your Word document: “$ cd dir”
- Now type “$ cp name.docx name-copy.docx” into the command prompt.
- Don’t forget to change the name and name copy to your preferences.
To find a new Word document, navigate to the directory.
How to Make a Copy on Mac
- Copying and pasting on the Mac is very similar to what we have on Windows.
- In the Finder, select a Word document. To select multiple files, hold down the Command key.
- Copy your file(s) by right-clicking it. Simply place the cursor in a destination area, right-click, and select Paste.
The above content discussed the benefits of making a copy of a Word document and demonstrated how to make a copy of a Word document on Windows, Linux, Mac, and online.
