How do you get the old toolbars back in OFFICE 2007?

[yoda313]

Well I recently started a new job and they have OFFICE 2007 installed. The newest version my previous job used was OFFICE 2003 which still utilized regular old toolbars.

Now there is this new "RIBBON" instead of a toolbar. I was able to find out how to add buttons to the bar below the RIBBON but I would like to "RESTORE" the old look. I know I could leave the ribbon visible but I don't like giving up real estate on the screen for what should be small icons.

ALso - they changed FILE to HOME and put up a circle in the upper left hand corner like the VISTA circle. Is this the new MICROSOFT "architecture design"? Are they changing everything to this? I'm not sure I hate it but it was a shock to see the toolbars gone and no "file" menu choice..... I mean the FILE menu has been around since the dawn of time - its hard to have it taken away....

Thanks for any advice....

[guns1inger]

Short answer is that you can't. The ribbon is the way MS are going. There are third party addons to give you menus back, although I actually prefer the new interface, so I haven't looked into them.

You can right-click the ribbon and select Minimise the Ribbon, which will give you some screen space back. The ribbon will drop down when you click on the tool bar, then retract when the click again.

My understanding is that they have engaged the woman who designed the ribbon the design the interface changes for the next version of windows.

[yoda313]

You mean TOOLBARS are dead???????


NOOOOOOO!!!!!


Thanks anyway guns1inger.

I guess I can see some of the logic behind it. Its just hard to change your habits......

[guns1inger]

You mean TOOLBARS are dead???????

Not quite. Notice the inconsistency across the office 2007 range ? Outlook is still very much toolbar based, as is Publisher. I suspect toolbars will be with us for some time to come.

[MJA]

stick with office 2003 dude

[guns1inger]

2007 is far easier to use than 2003. I hate having to go back when working on older machines. The past is not always a better place to be.

[ViRaL1]

'There is no Dana, only Zuul.'

It's really not that big a jump, it's just a matter of thinking about things differently. For the most part, each 'ribbon' contains most if not all the items listed under the File Menu headings in the older versions. For example, most of the options that WERE under File are now available by clicking on the Office icon / button in the top left corner. It definitely takes some getting used to.

EDIT: it does seem that there are some add-ins that might help (if your new employer will allow you to install them).

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGIC_enUS274US275...oolbar+classic

[FulciLives]

There is always OpenOffice

http://www.openoffice.org/

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[lordsmurf]

My workplace is on the verge of going to Office 2007. It's not an upgrade as much as it's just going to mess up my daily routine.

I may look into OpenOffice. I've already got Office 2000 in a VPC session.

For only $30, to make my own life easier, I might buy this with my own money. http://www.addintools.com/english/menuoffice/purchase.htm

What's going to totally piss me off is Outlook 2007.

[steptoe]

Try this link

http://www.addintools.com/english/menuoffice/

It may be what you are looking for as its a total replacement for the 'newlook' menus in 2007 and gives you the '2003 look'


Doesn't cost that much and may help you instead of trying to re-learn all the menus again, but if the firm you work for uses Office 2007 then I assume any training and support will be set-up around using the Office 2007 look so may cause you problems later if you are in a job that expects you to know the software you use

[guns1inger]

What's going to totally piss me off is Outlook 2007.

Outlook and Publisher didn't get the ribbon makeover. Outlook 2007 isn't that different to Outlook 2003.

[Ai Haibara]

Ugh. Do the ribbons still suffer from that "hide the lesser-used commands/options" feature?

[Xylob the Destroyer]

Outlook 2007 is not as much of a difference as Word and Excel.
The biggest problem is that when you click on an Office file from Explorer or your desktop, it takes FOREVER to open -- especially if it's a file that was created in an older version of whatever program.
Other than that, it's just a matter of figuring out where the hell everything was moved. No functionality was lost, but it took me 30 ******* minutes to print a damned label in the new version of Word.
Outlook is really the same as 2003 though.

[rallynavvie]

We upgraded to Office 2007 at work and it took me a while to get used to the new UI. However after using it for the past couple months I'm now a complete convert. The pop-up that comes up when highlighting text is wonderful for changing fonts attributes quickly.

[PhoneMatt]

We've been using Office 2007 for the past 6 months. I think that it's not a matter of like as much as getting used to it. There are still some things that I can't find on the ribbon, so I revert back to the old keyboard shortcuts. (Where the hell is "Undo" on the Word or Excel ribbon? I can't find them. If they ever change control-z, I'm screwed.)

[lordsmurf]

D, but if the firm you work for uses Office 2007 then I assume any training and support will be set-up around using the Office 2007 look so may cause you problems later if you are in a job that expects you to know the software you use

I am so not sitting in a room full of secretaries that barely know how to operate a computer. I would want to pound my head into the wall after sitting through that session. No way in hell that I'm going to the training. I promise you it will be stupid people asking stupid questions, many of them likely unrelated to Office (i.e. "Will 2007 fix my printer?").

Not me.

[RLT69]

2007 is far easier to use than 2003.

According to whom?

Talk to technical writers, people who really use all the features of a word processor and they will tell you they hate it!

I agree 100%. The new interface sucks! Microsoft redesigned the user interface which means there is a learning curve, which is pretty steep. So people coming from 2003 to 2007 will be completely lost! For christ's sake try and find Help! Unless you know to hit F1, you won't be able to find it!

Word, Excel and PowerPoint all have the new interface.

The new user interface is not intuitive. The ribbons DO NOT contain all the functions of that group, they only contain a small subset of functions. You cannot change the ribbon to include other functions!!

The ribbon would make sense if you can change it to include or exclude functions. If you could customize the ribbon it would make it useful as such, the ribbon is useless. Basically to get your missing functions back you need to add buttons to the Quick Access tool bar. Which means your tool bar is going to be pretty long.

The new design kills the argument that people know how to use Microsoft products. Not with Office 2007. This is a perfect time to try other products.

Oh and don't forget the default format for Word 2007 is docx. So if you plan on sending files to people with 2003 or earlier, they are going to need a filter to read docx files or you are going to have to save them in doc format.

[RLT69]

Where the hell is "Undo" on the Word or Excel ribbon?

It doesn't exist. That's my point. You can't add it to the ribbon.

You can add it to your Quick Access tool bar at the top (the button bar). Just click the drop down arrow to the right and you will see Undo and Redo. Click in the box in front of the name and the button will be added. To change the order you need to select More Commands. This will bring up the Word Options window. You can add/remove and move buttons up/down the toolbar. Alternatively you can get there by clicking on the Office button | Word Options | Customize.

[stiltman]

Here's what mine looks like

[rallynavvie]

Talk to technical writers, people who really use all the features of a word processor and they will tell you they hate it!

Actually all of the documentation folks at work rarely used the menus and toolbars since they knew the shortcut keystrokes by heart. Use Word enough and you'll rarely need any toolbars.

[RLT69]

Actually all of the documentation folks at work rarely used the menus and toolbars since they knew the shortcut keystrokes by heart. Use Word enough and you'll rarely need any toolbars.

Assuming Word doesn't change the keyboard short cuts

I work with a group of technical writers and I can tell you many use buttons. Not everything is easily accessible via the keyboard.

The reason you and I resorted to keyboard shortcuts is because we could not find the function we were looking for on the ribbon. That's the major problem. The interface should be easy enough to navigate, whether it be by ribbon, menus, buttons, or keyboard short cuts.

[sarainelkins]

I'd also check out the website that is full of tips and tricks as well as people to help with Word problems: http://www.word.mvps.org.

[stiltman]

I'd also check out the website that is full of tips and tricks as well as people to help with Word problems: http://www.word.mvps.org.

Correct link
http://word.mvps.org/

[rallynavvie]

I work with a group of technical writers and I can tell you many use buttons. Not everything is easily accessible via the keyboard.

As do I. Just ridicule them for not memorizing keyboard shortcuts (which are quicker than moving all over with the mouse) until they start using them. It seriously irritates me when people use menus or toolbars for things like copy, paste, cut, save, and undo. I also noticed that in 2007 the context menus (right click) actually have useful options now.

[RLT69]

Just ridicule them for not memorizing keyboard shortcuts

That's called harassing and creating a hostile work environment. Not something that is accepted by our Corporate Governance. Besides being kind to your co-workers goes a long way. I tend to get gifts when I help someone

Yes the context menus in Word 2007 are a nice feature.

[Lucifers_Ghost]

That's called harassing and creating a hostile work environment.

What about doing it in a web forum? Is that considered ok?

Just curious.

[jimmalenko]

Spare a thought for me and my co-workers - we have a largely older crew of 75 staff with 90% over the age of 40.

I only got them onto Office 2003 last year and some made it out to be like I was pulling their teeth out

Cannot wait for Office 2007 to go on next financial year - might accelerate a few retirements

[yoda313]

Actually I got a llittle more acclimated to it. I did manage to add some essential icons to the main toolbar with the save icon - the only one left.

What I do like in WORD 2007 is the floating format toolbar over the context menu upon right clicking. That actually is kinda welcome.

Now I do see that the office symbol circle thingy is really the FILE menu just without the name.

I'm slowly adjusting to it. Its not that big of a change now that I'm going through it. They're just grouped a little differently.

Mind you this is at work so I didn't have a say so in it

I actually do have open office on my vista pc. However I do so little word processing that I never use any of it. I just downloaded it so I would n't have to buy office 2003 at the time.

[rallynavvie]

I think adjusting to it is the biggest issue right now. I'm finding the enhancements to PowerPoint to be even better than Word or Excel right now.

Has anyone used Visio 2007 yet? I have some workflows I need to put together and was wondering if its worth doing them at home where I have Visio 2007 instead of my work PC where I'm still running 2003.