Installing an entire program just to quickly view a document can be a pain and a waste of time. Microsoft, a well-known software company, understood the need for a quicker option and created Microsoft Office Word Viewer 2007. Microsoft Office Word Viewer can be used to view or print any document that was created in Microsoft Word without having to install all of the files associated with the Microsoft Office program.

Using Microsoft Office Word Viewer 2007 is simple and streamlined. Simply download the free program and install it. Once it is installed and you open it, you will see an "Open File" dialogue window. From there, choose the document that you would like to view to read it in the viewer. Microsoft Office Word Viewer supports both older DOC files and DOCX files, however a special download is needed in order to convert DOCX files so that they are readable. The program is for viewing and printing purposes only. You cannot edit, save or create any files with the program.

When viewing a document in Microsoft Office Word Viewer 2007, the document document displays as it would if opened in the original Microsoft Word program. You will be able to see any editorial notes and changes as long as they were tracked on the original document. The only difference is that you will notice the absence of editing tools. You can even open the file's properties window to view information about statistics and the author. You can also print a copy of the file that you are viewing or copy and paste it into another program should you decide that it needs to be edited.

Microsoft Office Word Viewer 2007 is a small but useful download that is compatible with several versions of Microsoft Office Word, including 2007, 2003, 2002, 2000 and 1997.