The prerequisites section is for those who are new to Word. It explains the basic functions and familiarizes users with the Word document. If you have basic knowledge of Word, you may skip over this section and proceed to Lesson 1: Basics. Before taking this tutorial, you should:

• Understand the basics of the Windows operating system.
• Understand different file formats (.doc, .rtf, .txt)
• Be able to point, left-click, right-click, and double-click with a mouse.
• Be able to use and locate basic program elements: toolbars, menu bars, status bars, and scrollbars.

If you do not meet any of these prerequisites, review the Operating Systems tutorial before continuing.

You should also have Microsoft Word XP installed on your computer. If you have a different version of Microsoft Word installed, you will still be able to follow most of the tutorial; however some images and menus may differ.