WD98: How to Customize or Reset a Menu

This article includes detailed instructions about how to do the following:

• Create a Menu
• Change the Name of a Menu
• Add Commands to a Menu
• Remove a Command from a Menu
• Position a Menu
• Delete or Reset a Menu

For more information about customizing menus, click Contents And Index on the Help menu, click the Index button in Word, type the following text and then double-click the selected text to see a list of topics about customizing menus.

TIP: The standard menus that are predefined (built-in) for Word have been specifically created to contain the majority of the functions performed by users. They should not be modified heavily, but rather be supplemented by menus designed by the users for their particular work style.

Creating a Menu

To create a menu, follow these steps:

1. Start Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition by double-clicking the Microsoft Word icon in the Microsoft Office 98 folder.
2. On the Tools menu, click Customize.
3. Click the Toolbars tab.
4. Click to select Menu Bar in the Toolbars list.
   
   This displays a customizable copy of the menu bar.
   
   NOTE: This must be done each time the Customize dialog box is opened. The customizable copy of the menu bar is turned off each time the Customize dialog box is closed.
5. Click the Commands tab. Then, under Categories, click New Menu.
6. Under Commands, click New Menu, and drag it to the location on the menu bar or toolbar where you want it to appear.
   
   The Customize dialog box and the menu bar should both be visible. It may be necessary to move the Customize dialog box if it is covering the menu bar.

Changing the Name of the New Menu

NOTE: The Customize dialog box must remain open at all times while you modify menus.

1. While pressing and holding down the CONTROL key, click the new menu.
2. In the Name box, type the new name, replacing any other text. When you are finished, click Return.

Adding Commands to a Menu

1. In the Customize dialog box, click the Commands tab.
2. Under Categories, click File, and then under Commands, drag New to the new menu. When the mouse pointer is over the menu, it will open (drop down). Position the mouse pointer over the menu drop down. There will be an indication of where the command will display when you drop it. When positioned where you want it, drop the command on the menu drop down. After dropping the command, you can drag the commands around the menu to re-arrange them.
   
   Repeat this process, dragging several Commands from various Categories to the new menu.

Removing a Command from a Menu

WARNING: It is possible to remove or configure menus in such a way that you cannot get back to the commands you need to change them again. Renaming the Normal template (usually located in a folder named Templates in the Microsoft Office 98 folder on your hard disk) while Word is not running will cause a new Normal template to be created the next time Word is started. This new Normal will have all the default (original) menus. The Organizer can then be used to transfer items such as macros, styles, or toolbars from the old Normal to the new one.

Open the menu and click and drag the item you want to remove from the menu to the document area of Word and drop it there.

NOTE: The Customize dialog box must be open while you modify menus. Close the Customize dialog box only when you are finished.

Positioning a Menu

Although menus are typically placed on a special toolbar called the menu bar, whenever the customize dialog box is open, you can drag menus to any toolbar and to any legal position on that toolbar.

WARNING: If the menu is NOT in a legal position (the mouse pointer has an X beside it) when dropped, the menu will be deleted. There is no undo command for these actions.

Deleting or Resetting a Menu

While the Customize dialog is open and the Menu Bar is visible, press and hold down the CONTROL key and click the menu you want. Click Delete or Reset in the new dialog box.

For more information about menus, click the Office Assistant, type "Menu" in the query area of the Office Assistant and click Search.

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Word Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For information about this subject in other versions of Word, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: