Word 2007 background and toolbars

[Guest]

My parents got a new computer with Office 2007. We are not happy with how
Word looks/works. What happened to the top menubar with "File, Edit, etc?"
How does one "select all" now?
Is there a way to get rid of all the huge blocks of formatting menus along
the top? It takes up too much room, we like the old look of the ruler and
one formatting toolbar and the file, edit, etc options across the top of the
screen. Also, the blue color makes it hard for them to read icons, they
don't stand out starkly. Is there a way to revert to a "classic" word look
so it looks like Word 2003? Or at least a way to change the blue color and
font of menu options? If not, can I install Word 2003 and use that easily or
would it revert to 2007?
Thank you.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Have your parents used previous versions of Word? If not, let them work with
Word 2007 awhile and see how they get on; they should find Word 2007 easier
to use than previous versions because many features are more discoverable;
you, OTOH, with experience of previous versions, will find it harder to show
them how to do anything.

If they do have experience with previous versions and are very conversant
with Word (power users), they may be happier reverting to Word 2003, but if
they're casual users, they might still do better to give Word 2007 a chance.
Most people who do say it grows on them pretty quickly!

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

Do you have any answers to my questions re W2007? They have used previous
versions of word, so it is difficult.

 

[Guest]

They have used previous Word versions, so this is frustrating for them. Do
you have any solutions to my questions?

 

[Dawn Crosier, Word MVP]

You should be able to uninstall 2007 fairly easily. I have not heard of any
problems with the removal of the programs.

Good Luck.

--
Dawn Crosier
Microsoft MVP
"Education Lasts a Lifetime"

This message was posted to a newsgroup, Please post replies and questions
to the group so that others can learn as well.
They have used previous Word versions, so this is frustrating for them. Do
you have any solutions to my questions?

 

[Jay Freedman]

Some answers in-line, more at the bottom...

My parents got a new computer with Office 2007. We are not happy
with how Word looks/works. What happened to the top menubar with
"File, Edit, etc?"

Microsoft's user-interface team got rid of them. The big round button at the
top left does pretty much the same as the old File menu, and everything else
has been redistributed or redesigned. If you're interested, the head of the
team has an extensive blog about the reasons
(http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archive/tags/Why+the+New+UI_3F00_/default.aspx).

How does one "select all" now?

At the right end of the Home ribbon, click the Select button and choose All.
But it's a lot easier to use the Ctrl+A shortcut that's been in Word since
the dark ages.

Is there a way to get rid of all the huge blocks of formatting menus
along the top? It takes up too much room, we like the old look of
the ruler and one formatting toolbar and the file, edit, etc options
across the top of the screen.

You can collapse the ribbon by pressing Ctrl+F1
(http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archive/2006/07/20/672345.aspx).

If you really, really must have the old controls back, see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CustomizeRibbon.htm for reviews of a
couple of add-ins you can download.

Also, the blue color makes it hard for
them to read icons, they don't stand out starkly. Is there a way to
revert to a "classic" word look so it looks like Word 2003? Or at
least a way to change the blue color and font of menu options?

There are three color schemes in the program: blue, silver, and black. Click
the Office button, choose Word Options at the bottom of the menu, and find
the dropdown (I think it's on the Advanced tab).

If
not, can I install Word 2003 and use that easily or would it revert
to 2007?

You can uninstall 2007 and install 2003, or you can have both versions on
the same PC (see
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.word.docmanagement/msg/ef3e95e0f54ca3c5?hl=en
for a registry edit that lets them coexist peacefully), IF your copy of Word
2003 is a retail copy that allows you to move it to the new computer. If
Office 2003 was bundled with the previous computer, the license doesn't
allow that.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Patrick Schmid [MVP]]

In addition to the previous answers: You can change the color scheme by
clicking the Office button, Word Options, Popular, Color Scheme. You can
pick a blue, black or silver scheme there.

Patrick Schmid [OneNote MVP]
--------------
http://pschmid.net
***
Outlook 2007 Performance Update: http://pschmid.net/blog/2007/04/13/105
Office 2007 RTM Issues: http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/11/13/80
***
Customize Office 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize
RibbonCustomizer Add-In: http://ribboncustomizer.com
OneNote 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/onenote
***
Subscribe to my Office 2007 blog: http://pschmid.net/blog/feed

 

[Guest]

All that information is great, thank you so much....now if I can get someone
to answer my Outlook questions, I am set!

 

[Guest]

Is there a way to change the fonts of the menu items in Word? I found a way
to change it in Outlook, but don't find it in Word. The fonts used in the
ribbon toolbars are too light, need to change it or make them bold. Thank
you.

In addition to the previous answers: You can change the color scheme by
clicking the Office button, Word Options, Popular, Color Scheme. You can
pick a blue, black or silver scheme there.

Patrick Schmid [OneNote MVP]
--------------
http://pschmid.net
***
Outlook 2007 Performance Update: http://pschmid.net/blog/2007/04/13/105
Office 2007 RTM Issues: http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/11/13/80
***
Customize Office 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize
RibbonCustomizer Add-In: http://ribboncustomizer.com
OneNote 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/onenote
***
Subscribe to my Office 2007 blog: http://pschmid.net/blog/feed

My parents got a new computer with Office 2007. We are not happy with how
Word looks/works. What happened to the top menubar with "File, Edit, etc?"
How does one "select all" now?
Is there a way to get rid of all the huge blocks of formatting menus along
the top? It takes up too much room, we like the old look of the ruler and
one formatting toolbar and the file, edit, etc options across the top of the
screen. Also, the blue color makes it hard for them to read icons, they
don't stand out starkly. Is there a way to revert to a "classic" word look
so it looks like Word 2003? Or at least a way to change the blue color and
font of menu options? If not, can I install Word 2003 and use that easily or
would it revert to 2007?
Thank you.

 

[Patrick Schmid [MVP]]

No sorry, Word will always use Segoe UI.

Patrick Schmid [OneNote MVP]
--------------
http://pschmid.net
***
Outlook 2007 Performance Update: http://pschmid.net/blog/2007/04/13/105
Office 2007 RTM Issues: http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/11/13/80
***
Customize Office 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize
RibbonCustomizer Add-In: http://ribboncustomizer.com
OneNote 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/onenote
***
Subscribe to my Office 2007 blog: http://pschmid.net/blog/feed

Is there a way to change the fonts of the menu items in Word? I found a way
to change it in Outlook, but don't find it in Word. The fonts used in the
ribbon toolbars are too light, need to change it or make them bold. Thank
you.

In addition to the previous answers: You can change the color scheme by
clicking the Office button, Word Options, Popular, Color Scheme. You can
pick a blue, black or silver scheme there.

Patrick Schmid [OneNote MVP]
--------------
http://pschmid.net
***
Outlook 2007 Performance Update: http://pschmid.net/blog/2007/04/13/105
Office 2007 RTM Issues: http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/11/13/80
***
Customize Office 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize
RibbonCustomizer Add-In: http://ribboncustomizer.com
OneNote 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/onenote
***
Subscribe to my Office 2007 blog: http://pschmid.net/blog/feed

My parents got a new computer with Office 2007. We are not happy with how
Word looks/works. What happened to the top menubar with "File, Edit, etc?"
How does one "select all" now?
Is there a way to get rid of all the huge blocks of formatting menus along
the top? It takes up too much room, we like the old look of the ruler and
one formatting toolbar and the file, edit, etc options across the top of the
screen. Also, the blue color makes it hard for them to read icons, they
don't stand out starkly. Is there a way to revert to a "classic" word look
so it looks like Word 2003? Or at least a way to change the blue color and
font of menu options? If not, can I install Word 2003 and use that easily or
would it revert to 2007?
Thank you.

 

[Guest]

Thank you...and thank you for the Classic ribbon interface.

No sorry, Word will always use Segoe UI.

Patrick Schmid [OneNote MVP]
--------------
http://pschmid.net
***
Outlook 2007 Performance Update: http://pschmid.net/blog/2007/04/13/105
Office 2007 RTM Issues: http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/11/13/80
***
Customize Office 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize
RibbonCustomizer Add-In: http://ribboncustomizer.com
OneNote 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/onenote
***
Subscribe to my Office 2007 blog: http://pschmid.net/blog/feed

Is there a way to change the fonts of the menu items in Word? I found a way
to change it in Outlook, but don't find it in Word. The fonts used in the
ribbon toolbars are too light, need to change it or make them bold. Thank
you.

In addition to the previous answers: You can change the color scheme by
clicking the Office button, Word Options, Popular, Color Scheme. You can
pick a blue, black or silver scheme there.

Patrick Schmid [OneNote MVP]
--------------
http://pschmid.net
***
Outlook 2007 Performance Update: http://pschmid.net/blog/2007/04/13/105
Office 2007 RTM Issues: http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/11/13/80
***
Customize Office 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize
RibbonCustomizer Add-In: http://ribboncustomizer.com
OneNote 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/onenote
***
Subscribe to my Office 2007 blog: http://pschmid.net/blog/feed





My parents got a new computer with Office 2007. We are not happy with how
Word looks/works. What happened to the top menubar with "File, Edit, etc?"
How does one "select all" now?
Is there a way to get rid of all the huge blocks of formatting menus along
the top? It takes up too much room, we like the old look of the ruler and
one formatting toolbar and the file, edit, etc options across the top of the
screen. Also, the blue color makes it hard for them to read icons, they
don't stand out starkly. Is there a way to revert to a "classic" word look
so it looks like Word 2003? Or at least a way to change the blue color and
font of menu options? If not, can I install Word 2003 and use that easily or
would it revert to 2007?
Thank you.

 

[Guest]

How do I get rid of the ribbon and install my own custom toolbar like I have
on my machines at work? the new version is obviously not for frequent users
or touch typists.
Also, how do I make the tool bar icons larger? I have poor eyesight and
practically have to put my nose to the screen to make them out.

Debbie

 

[Graham Mayor]

It does not help you to post your questions in every similar thread. If you
have questions, create your own thread.

I think most of your questions have already been answered in other threads,
but:

1. The ribbon is an essential part of Office 2007 and cannot be removed. It
can be temporarily hidden, but you are stuck with it.
2. If you want Word to look like an earlier version , then you wil not be
successful. You need the earlier version.
3. Touch typists can benefit from the fact that the keyboard shortcuts have
been retained, and you can define your own.
4. The icons on the QAT are fixed and cannot be edited,
5. If you have poor eyesight you may find Windows accessibility tools
useful - particularly the magnifier.

The biggest loss of productivity is caused by having to relearn how to use
the program. Irritating though you may find that, there's not a lot you can
do about it.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[AuthorAnne]

At last I've found answers to my questions. I agree with everything the
previous questioner asks. Wish I could get larger toolbar icons and letters.

Thank you...and thank you for the Classic ribbon interface.

No sorry, Word will always use Segoe UI.

Patrick Schmid [OneNote MVP]
--------------
http://pschmid.net
***
Outlook 2007 Performance Update: http://pschmid.net/blog/2007/04/13/105
Office 2007 RTM Issues: http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/11/13/80
***
Customize Office 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize
RibbonCustomizer Add-In: http://ribboncustomizer.com
OneNote 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/onenote
***
Subscribe to my Office 2007 blog: http://pschmid.net/blog/feed

Is there a way to change the fonts of the menu items in Word? I found a way
to change it in Outlook, but don't find it in Word. The fonts used in the
ribbon toolbars are too light, need to change it or make them bold. Thank
you.

:

In addition to the previous answers: You can change the color scheme by
clicking the Office button, Word Options, Popular, Color Scheme. You can
pick a blue, black or silver scheme there.

Patrick Schmid [OneNote MVP]
--------------
http://pschmid.net
***
Outlook 2007 Performance Update: http://pschmid.net/blog/2007/04/13/105
Office 2007 RTM Issues: http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/11/13/80
***
Customize Office 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize
RibbonCustomizer Add-In: http://ribboncustomizer.com
OneNote 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/onenote
***
Subscribe to my Office 2007 blog: http://pschmid.net/blog/feed





My parents got a new computer with Office 2007. We are not happy with how
Word looks/works. What happened to the top menubar with "File, Edit, etc?"
How does one "select all" now?
Is there a way to get rid of all the huge blocks of formatting menus along
the top? It takes up too much room, we like the old look of the ruler and
one formatting toolbar and the file, edit, etc options across the top of the
screen. Also, the blue color makes it hard for them to read icons, they
don't stand out starkly. Is there a way to revert to a "classic" word look
so it looks like Word 2003? Or at least a way to change the blue color and
font of menu options? If not, can I install Word 2003 and use that easily or
would it revert to 2007?
Thank you.

 

[Jim Vaught]

Like so many good things in life, Word, with this new 2007 version, has been
"improved" to the point that it's practically worthless to people used to the
old versions of Word. 2007 is a MAJOR LEAGUE pain in the rear!!! It's like
they asked the developers to dream up ways to sabotage the usability of prior
versions!!!