Microsoft Word 2007 in one page

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Getting to grips with Word 2007

Word 2007: finding your way about

When you first run it, look for the following:

The 'Office' button

That's the round button at top left. Use it to reveal common tasks such as printing - and uncommon tasks, such as setting Word's options. It's a bit like the old 'File' menu.

The 'Ribbon'

This is the name for the extensive area beneath Word 2007's menu bar. It works as follows. Select a menu item and the 'Ribbon' displays a set of commands. The 'Home' menu displays the really useful ones.The ribbon contains 'Tabs' which we are going to call Palettes.

The 'Tabs' is the official name for the areas with grouped controls for specific tasks. This perhaps isn't the best name for them, as the menu text sits on what most people call 'Tabs'. I suggest thinking of the areas as 'Palettes', because they contain groups of related controls.

'Cut', 'copy' and 'paste' are grouped and partly visible in a 'Palette' in the 'Ribbon' screenshot.

Dialogue box launchers

Look on the ribbon for these - below many of the 'Palletes' is a small icon that launches a dialogue box familiar if you've used Word 2003. Resort to these if you need them.

The Quick Access Toolbar

Find this above and to the right of the 'Office' button at top left. Again, it contains just a few things you might need all the time. You can customise it for your own needs immediately - use its right hand icon to add a control for 'file/new' for starters because you won't find that elsewhere ...

Here's more info on Office 2007's interface (external link)

Getting going with all this

Try the following:

When you first start to use 'Word 2007', accept that learning the software will slow you down at first. Set aside a little time to learn things for yourself, and spread this over several days. Start by orientating yourself. Start Word, look to the top left for the coloured 'Office' button - inspect its contents. Follow that up with the menus - select menu items and see how that changes the 'Ribbon' - the area below the menus. Then try selecting text - you'll notice a faint toolbar appear, move the mouse over this 'Ghost' toolbar and it will become useable.

Don't attempt to memorise everything, just practice simple tasks such as formatting, cutting and pasting text at first. For more information on the ribbon, hover over items there too.

You can also make use of Microsoft's own online training course for Word 2007. Unfortunately, this sees fit to display animated advertisements alongside the training material - if those distract you, use the course from Firefox browser having installed the 'Adblock Plus' extension.

Word 2007's default fonts and template

Word 2007 sees fit to set an unfamilar default font - when you type, you'll see the font 'Calibra' and the document margins may not suit you. Here's how to change the default document settings by editing the template (Normal.dotm) used by Office 2007 at startup:

• Start 'Word 2007'
• Open the template as follows: use 'Open' from the menu behind the 'Office' button at top left.
• When you have the 'Open' dialogue up, look to its right hand side for 'Trusted templates'. In there you'll find 'Normal.dotm'
• When you've opened the template, you'll see it appears as a blank document
• Now set fonts, heading styles and margins to suit your needs
• Save the file - it will replace the default template and Word 2007 will now use your choice of fonts at startup
• To back up this file, while you have it open, also save it to a backup disk. Should the template be lost, you can then replace it

Word 2007 file format

Word 2007's default file format can't be read by previous versions of word - not until the user downloads a converter. To set Office 2007 to save files in the previous format by default:

• Start 'Word 2007'
• Select the 'Office' button at top left
• Select 'Word Options' button
• Select the 'Save' tab
• For 'Save files in this format' choose 'Word 97-2003 document'

Word 2007 will then save files by default in a format that's more easily shared for the time being.

Word 2007's default file locations

Set the default folder at startup as follows:

• Use the 'Office' button and then 'Word Options'
• In the 'Word Options' dialogue, use the 'Save' button on the left'
• You can now use the 'Browse' button to the right of the default location to change this setting.
• Other default file locations you'll find in the 'Advanced' tab, scroll to the bottom and use the 'File locations' button.

Word 2007 keyboard shortcuts

If you're used to Office 2003 keyboard shortcuts, they will still work in Office 2007 - and the basic ones are far quicker than dealing with mouse clicks.

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