Important information about the new Microsoft Office suite

Please click below for a detailed Office 2007 training presentation...

or keep reading for an overview of the new features and functionality of Office 2007.

The Office Button
Microsoft has dramatically redesigned the look and feel of the Office suite.   The most visible change is that the old “File” menu has been replaced with Office 2007 button.  Standard operations like “Open”, “Save”, and “Print” are located within this new menu, along with several new features.  Program options previously found under the “Tools” menu in Office 2003 are now also located in the Office button menu.

Spell Check
Many of the Spell Check options are now global to the entire Office 2007 suite- meaning if you add a word into the custom dictionary in “Word” it will be added to the “Excel” dictionary as well. 


Help
The help functions within the Office suite have also changed.  The “Help” icon can now be found in the upper right hand corner of any Office program.  Clicking this button pulls up a new window specifically designed for the program in which you are working.  Furthermore, “Super ToolTips” have been created so when you hover over an icon a short paragraph description of its functionality appears.  This easy to use help feature allows users to become familiar with new tools and commands without all of the complex steps in Office 2003. 

The Ribbon
The Ribbon replaces the standard menu and toolbars from Office 2003 for improved accessibility of frequently used tools.  Each command is located within a menu tab, which are then grouped by functionality.  Menu tabs are different for each Office 2007 suite programs, and some tabs are shown only when needed.  

There is no way to delete or replace the Ribbon with the toolbars and menus from earlier versions of Office but you are able to minimize the Ribbon to create a large workspace by following a few easy steps:

1. Click the “Customize Quick Access Toolbar” located next to the Office Button,
2. click “Minimize the Ribbon”.
   

To use the Ribbon functions while it is minimized, click the tab you want to use, and then click the option or command you want to use.  The Ribbon will appear as you are using it, and then be minimize once its function is finished.  To minimize the Ribbon for a Short Time:

1. Double click the active menu tab.
2. Double click the tab again to restore the Ribbon.

Mini Toolbar
This toolbar appears automatically when text is selected.  This feature provides easy access to commonly used formatting.  This toolbar remains semi-transparent until the mouse pointer is hovered over the box until it becomes completley visible.  This menu cannot currently be customized. 

Quick Access Toolbar
The most commonly used functions (such as save, undo, and print) can be found in each program of the Office suite.  The “Quick Access Toolbar” is completely customizable.  The most common commands can be added or removed using the drop-down list on the right side of the “Quick Access Toolbar”, or any command can be placed here by right clicking the command you wish to add and selecting "Add to Quick Access Toolbar”.

Additional Resources
Interactive and training guides are available from Microsoft by visitng the links below.

Still have questions?  Please contact the IRT Tech Desk, or visit Microsoft's Office FAQ site for additional information.