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Office Casual: How to work with the ribbon

Did you know the interface used in Office programs before 2007 was designed way back in 1992? That's something I learned when researching the Office 2007 interface, the ribbon. Here's some cool tools to help you get the most out of it.

The interactive guides mentioned in this video are here for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook. Or find them all here.


Office Casual: How to work with the ribbon

More tools: Get Started with Office 2007 here including a free add-in to get quick information right in a program (as seen in the image to the right). Also, watch former Group Program Manager Jensen Harris give a much more eloquent (and longer) look at the why and how of the ribbon, for those who need The Story of the Ribbon. --Doug

Posted: Monday, April 06, 2009 3:04 PM by OfficeOnline

Comments

Matt Evans said:

Great video Doug. I love the desk cady analogy. I didn't know that's what that thing was called, either.

# April 8, 2009 12:55 PM

Judi Sikes said:

My friend created a sign up sheet with clip art on her Microsoft Office 2007.  She sent it to me in email for me to print off on my HP three-in-one color photo printer.  Here is the problem.  It will not open on my computer.  I am running office 2003 on my computer.  Is there anyway for her to send this document to me so I can open the clip art.  I can open the spsread sheet only.

Thank You

# June 1, 2009 12:13 PM

OfficeOnline said:

# June 1, 2009 2:08 PM

IMOSSAN said:

PLEASE SEND ME A REVISED EDITION OF ALL MICROSOFT PACKAGES. EMAIL alphalaxiz@yahoo.com

# July 21, 2009 9:34 AM

John Simmons said:

Would be great if the programme worked > it keeps breaking up amd it is imposible to hear the commentary

# August 5, 2009 8:04 AM

EDH said:

I hate the ribbon interface.  I have been working with it for months now and I think it is horrible.  Formatting photographs and objects is worse than the last 5 versions of Office.  Not only did the menus move, they have been subdivided so it takes more steps to get done what was previously merely tedious and fiddly.  I could at least resize, format, layout, edit brightness/contrast, and set text wrapping in one set of tabbed submenus.  Now it is divvied up into three different submenus with their own sub-submenus, tripling the number of clicks I have to do for every !!!!!!!! image or object I have to put into a document, which in some of my reports run into the hundreds.  In addition, the old problems of photos wandering around the document, or creating their own table cells, or edging out and superimposign themselves on already edited photos and objects have not only not been solved, there is an additional kink in the fact that now when I copy images and objects from photo software, excel or access, it can be pasted into the appendix but then pastes itself in the text section in a separate instance of Word on another monitor and of course, below the visible text so I'm in some Lucy skit trying to repaste the same image or object into the appendix while it is randomly locating itself in another document entirely.

How can I make the rotten thing go away and get my old menus back?  Or make the rotten ribbon thing act like Offices 97, XP, 2003?  If I wanted a Mac or a Fisher Price toy I would have bought one.

# August 18, 2009 3:23 PM

Eddie said:

Dear EDH,

Err... no ribbon on the Office for Mac. The toy seems to be the Windows version. Not trying to rub it in, though.

I have to suffer the Windows Office at work and I resent the fact that I have to manually add the functions and icons I would like to use. I am an intuitive person, but this ribbon thing has just defeated me and slowed me down.

In addition the the help is just plain rubbish. I don't need videos, I just need a quick demo of where can I find what.

# August 19, 2009 11:46 AM

cec said:

Great.  I need to learn the Ribbon fast (in one day at the outside), and all I can do is get an ActiveX block, and videos.  I can't download videos... takes too long!  Why don't you have an easy-to-access how-to?  Oh, Yeah.  I forgot this is Microsoft we're talking about.  Everything is PROPRIETARY.  Change for change's sake!  Get it together Microsoft.  you want MSPs and whatever else you call them, and yet you go OUT OF YOUR way to make it difficult to learn/use your products!  And I actually LIKED you products...

# August 23, 2009 10:57 AM

R. Carney said:

I cant stand the new "ribbon", Im using a 60 day trial of office, and I wont be buying it. I'll be reinstalling my office 2000 as soon as I get round to it!

# August 24, 2009 3:34 PM

Phupaa said:

Not sure if the following link can help those who has a problem with ribbon or those who cannot find the command. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx

# August 25, 2009 5:30 AM

bill said:

cannot get microsoft office to quit, so ican go back to the way i was using computor

# August 26, 2009 4:45 PM

jaws said:

SURE wish hotmail hadn't given my old laptop an infection AND/OR that my desktop hadn't crashed -- combination of both forced me to buy new computer ... Gee, ain't I the lucky one ... instead of working with XP and Office 2003, I get the 2 most unfriendly programs on earth -- Vista and Office 2007, whose customer service consists of:  go find the answers yourself because we don't care ... but, if you want to pay us to tell you that, too, we'll be happy to take more of your money.

# September 7, 2009 6:17 PM

imagonner said:

I'm with you EDH, someone please put me out of my misery. My office as just gone to this crap, I was the PowerPoint go to man. What used to take seconds now takes me minutes, and it only seems to be getting worse . . .

# September 9, 2009 5:16 PM

Eater Beneath said:

Been messing around with the ribbon for the last three days and it has done nothing but confuse and demotivate myself and co-workers.  As several people have stated before, is there a way to go back to the 03 style toolbars?

# September 10, 2009 10:47 AM

Grandma said:

Microsoft must realize there are LOTS of  us in our 80's who are retired from administrative positions  who can't figure how to do simple things, like make my document single space!!!!  HELP!

# September 10, 2009 3:46 PM

Grandma said:

I don't have a lot of time - or patience right now.

# September 10, 2009 3:47 PM

TP said:

I've given Office 2007 two months and I'm going to unload it and go back to Office 2003.  2007 is impossible to use, not in the least bit intuitive, and an absolutely botched design.  If the 2003 features I depend on are in the ribbon (or anywhere) I can't find them. I am not an idiot.  I'm a pretty advanced computer user.  If you are considering wasting money on 2007, don't.  Wait till Microsoft gets the message that they have designed a user-hostile hulk that must be replaced.  This is doorstop material.

# September 16, 2009 9:26 PM

SpaceCase said:

hey guys I found a great solution!!!

since microsucks opps sorry microsoft... seems to take the side of noone but themselves why not use "Open Office" its free does not have the "Ribbon Interface", and has all the easy to use classic style menus that that we have grown so fond of and are comforatble with. http://www.openoffice.org/

# September 20, 2009 2:22 AM

DAVE said:

DITTO ALL BEFIRE ME

SURPRISE OPEN OFFICE ANNOUNCED "THE RIBBON"

YOICKS!!!!

FOILED AGAIN!!!!!

# September 20, 2009 12:00 PM

Josie said:

Is there a way to download and save this video? Our server doesn't support prolonged streams.

# September 22, 2009 2:20 PM

OfficeOnline said:

Josie:

Our partner, Channel 10, has a download feature of this video: http://on10.net/blogs/tina/Office-Casual-How-to-work-with-the-ribbon/

--Doug

# September 23, 2009 11:54 AM

arlene said:

i need to change the ms word 2007 menu/ribbon language from thai to english. how can i do it? thanks?

# September 29, 2009 2:32 AM

OfficeOnline said:

Arlene: Here's how to change language:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/HA100910041033.aspx

# September 30, 2009 12:50 PM

Annedreya said:

Thank goodness for Open Office and WordPerfect. Productivity has slowed to a crawl for me using Office 2007. Too many clicks to get me where I need to be. Ridiculous.

# September 30, 2009 6:12 PM

mw2k said:

Its all come down to a bunch of stupid hieroglyphics now?  At least a pull down menu had, what's that...oh yeah...f'n "words" to let me know what I needed.  Now a bunch of stupid pictures that make no sense, and are in no particular order.  Just a garbled mess of icona all over the screen.

So what if everything up to Office 2003 was designed back in 1992, it still works.  Change for the sake of change is just retarted.  I hate that about microsoft more than anything else about them.  And this crap that the ribbon saves space (ie Real Estate) on the screen....what a load of crap, that ribbon is friggin huge

WIndows 7 start menu, classic mode gone.  Why?  That new start menu is so small and cluttered, but no, microsoft's way or the highway.  

Ribbon and no classic menus, microsofts way or the highway. I will continue to use 2003 and not give a single penny up for 2007+

# October 1, 2009 3:22 AM

Gail said:

What a bunch of cry babies.  I really like office 2007

I think it has a lot more creative options, not everyone can adapt to change, I know it is not easy but your old prgrams will go away some day, and besides this is good excecise for your brain, instead of same old thinking process, oh my God you have to think and search, that is the world we live in now.  Hey if I can adapt anyone can, I am over 60yrs old and have seen a lot of changes in the world I had to adapt, when most of you were born in a world that we Grandmas had to learn with no training.  Quit complaining and go find out what you need to know.

# October 1, 2009 9:36 PM

Andrew said:

The Office 2007 interface has to be the most un-intuitive piece of crap that I have ever had the misfortune to get stuck with.  I work in IT support so I need to stay up to date but as for the other 15 workstations in our office, there is no way in hell I would consider purchasing upgrades for current Office 2000 and 2003 installations. Nor switch any of the operating systems to Vista. Both have proven to be nothing more than a huge waste of time, in particular the Office 2007 suite. I have been working with Computers and Windows for over 15 years and have never before been so disappointed with a Microsoft product as I am with Office 2007.

Wake up Microsoft and LISTEN to the people who are keeping you in business!

# October 1, 2009 9:57 PM

Ricky_b said:

I got switched over to Office 2007 at work three weeks ago.  My productivity has dropped significantly because of the Ribbons.  This is one of the worse things Microsoft has ever pushed on consumers.  You can tell it was developed in a lab without real user input.

I have used Word & Excel for over 20 years.  I embraced all of the previous updates because for the most parts, the benefits of the upgrades outweighed the negatives.  Ribbons change that.  As stated before, Ribbons is THE most UN-intuitive function I have seen on a computer in a long time.

If Windows 7 and WindowsMobile 6.5 & 7 take this approach, then they're doomed.

# October 6, 2009 11:02 AM

Charlie_J said:

I loaded Office 2007 months ago.  I've tried to get used to it but it is far from intuitive. I rarely use it - I'll find another computer with 2003 on it.  It works great for the simplest of tasks, but at that point you should just be using WordPad? or how about Text Editor? or how about edlin!  I was a power-user on Office; now I can only do the simplest of tasks like the rest of the world I guess.  I am reloading 2003, especially since the office isn't going to 2007 anytime soon.  If MS had any sense, they would put a 2003 skin option on this thing quick before they lose much more market share.

# October 8, 2009 9:52 PM

oldpro said:

first of all, shove it, Gail!  some of us have made out own toolbars and have adjusted according to out own changing needs over the years

BUT THE 07 RIBBON HIDES THE COMMANDS WHERE YOU WOULDN'T THINK TO FIND THEM and will not allow any creativity at all.  I ALSO hate the soft-edged shapes and the gold-gold-gold selection.  can't this be adjusted to colors I can tolerate?  not blue, not silver, not black.  happy to make it up myself--just give me a chance!

# October 14, 2009 6:33 PM

SG said:

Try using the quick access toolbar. It will give you one click access to your favorite commands.

# October 18, 2009 9:09 AM

Cindy said:

well, people don't realize how hard it is too change or experience difference.  If ya quit complaining and except the ribbon, one does 'get used' to it just like ya got used to the old way. I'm am extremley visual and intuitive and I am getting used to it. Yes, it is different, open your mind and it'll be like second nature just like the old menus became, in a few years! ha ha, it's not that bad, didn't slow me down long....  it's all in your ATTITUDE and THOUGHTS not your intelligence.  and bet a 2 year will like it too, they don't have to read.... change is for the future generation.  

# October 28, 2009 11:11 AM

Cindy said:

and do you all realize the ribbon is the similair menu just displayed horizontally as opposed to vertically as in the old menu. same diff! the old way ya go down the menu, the new way ya go across the menu. actually kinda nice the menu doesn't hide the file when it goes down as opposed to across the file.

# October 28, 2009 11:19 AM

Robbie said:

After seeing what this f.king Ribbon is doing, I have switched finally to OpenOffice; more precisely GO-OO (http://go-oo.org/). Fortunately, I have not seen any announcements that GO-OO is going to use this ugly interface. I have nothing against or for Microsoft or Opensource or Novell or any sw company. I only need a tool for working, not a sh.t that forces me to do things in the way that I  do not like to do.

# October 30, 2009 8:08 AM

David said:

I like the ribbon. It's not so bad. It doesn't take too long to find your way around. I'm a Mac user, recently upgraded to Office 2008 and I'm disappointed it isn't more like Office 2007, including the ribbon. I'll probably run Office 2007 native in OS X using Crosswire, rather than use 2008.

I like the fact that on first use the ribbon looks completely insane and makes no sense whatsoever. As you get used to it, it works well I think. Like Cindy says, just open your mind.

My biggest gripe is that I haven't managed to find out how to display the icons only, without text.

# November 2, 2009 1:08 AM

Bri said:

I agree with most of the comments concerning this new Ribbon that MS has created - not user friendly, not intutive.

I have been working with computers since "DOS", yes, my age is showing, and this is the worst "upgrade" that MS has come out with. Since I started on computer's before the mouse, I am a keyboard person. As such I have found that MS has left most of the keyboard commands available.

While not the best work around, it may bring up your productivity.

# November 8, 2009 9:40 AM
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