Q: I created a document in Microsoft Word 2000, and then sent it to another computer that had the same software. When I opened the file, I noticed that the tab settings I used did not appear properly on this computer. How can I check the tab settings in Microsoft Word 2000 and set them both to the same thing?

A: Most of the document formatting that you do will stick with the file when it’s sent around, but there are certain default word processor settings that may be different, and are therefore causing your document to take on a slightly different appearance. Since it sounds like you may frequently go back and forth between different computers, it wouldn’t hurt to verify that the settings are set exactly alike on both versions of Word, and by doing that, your documents will look the same on each computer.

In this case, you’re curious about the Tab setting. To check the options on that, go up to your Format menu in Word 2000 and click on Tabs. Set the default tab stop and other settings appropriately, and then go on the other computer and do the same thing. Hopefully your word processors will happily coexist.

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