Word 2010 - Creating Manual from Other Word Documents and Hyperlinks

I'm assembling a host of notes in Word 2010 on a multitude of different work topics. I was creating a large document for reference, but the file size was getting so large that I wasn't able to e-mail it through the work e-mail system.  I need to be able to share documents via e-mail with others. Unfortunately we don't all have access to a shared drive we can use for this purpose. For security purposes we also cannot use USB drives in our computers.

I've since been creating separate documents for separate topics.  I've also been accumulating a list of online resources and pdf documents.   What I would like to have is a document that pulls all of these resources together.   I'm going to be using this in the course of a fast paced job so I'm going to need to be able to access information quickly.  My thought is to create a resources document that has hyperlinks to all the various subdocuments, pdfs, and online resources.

I've been looking into Master documents and I wonder if this isn't the solution, but I'd like to get some advice before I begin creating this document.  I like the fact that it looks like each section is collapsible. There are some things I'm curious about though.

Does the Master document become huge itself?  Is it the size of all the documents combined?

Along with inserting subdocuments would the addition of hyperlinks to web resources and pdfs work well?

Is the text of all the subdocuments within the master document searchable?

Am I on the right track here or can you all think of a better solution to my problem?

First and foremost I need a document for my own use. But I'm also considering how I could easily share it with others. The hyperlinks I create are going to reference word documents on my system.  If I send the master document and all subdocuments will it work for them?  I'm thinking of all the hyperlinks that might end up getting broken.

Thank you so much for your help!  I don't want to put a lot of time into a solution that is not ideal.

Are you also banned from using OneDrive?  If not, you could put the document into a folder on OneDrive that you share with others.

I would NOT recommend the use of a Master Document.

See the article "Why Master Documents corrupt” at:

http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/General/WhyMasterDocsCorrupt.htm

and, if you ignore the recommendation, when you need it, see the article "How to recover a Master Document” at:

http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/General/RecoverMasterDocs.htm

Hope this helps,
Doug Robbins - MVP Office Apps & Services (Word)
dougrobbinsmvp@gmail.com
It's time to replace ‘Diversity, Equity & Inclusion’ with ‘Excellence, Opportunity & Civility’ - V Ramaswamy

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

Doug, yes unfortunately I wouldn't have access to OneDrive either or any other file sharing collaboration sites. In fact many of these sites are blocked.  It is a shame because I'm a fan of collaboration tools and have used many in the past.

I'm working in a very narrow window of what I can use technologically, so that is part of the reason I'm asking for advice. This would be a lot easier if I had access to the right tools. I'm a bit too new to be broaching certain subjects including how their training materials and resources are inadequate or at the least woefully disorganized.

If master documents are an issue it sounds like perhaps a word document with hyperlinks to the pdfs, websites, and other word documents might be my best option.  I was looking forward to eliminating the delay of an opening document and the potential ability to collapse items, but not at the cost of an unusable document.

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

 
 

Question Info


Last updated October 5, 2021 Views 5 Applies to: