This chapter describes a handful of things you can do to customize Office 2010 programs. Don't be afraid to make like a software developer and change a program to your liking. Many people are wary of retooling Office programs, but you can always reverse the changes you make if you don't like them, as I explain throughout this chapter.

This chapter shows how to put your favorite button commands on the Ribbon and Quick Access toolbar. Instead of fishing around for your favorite commands, you can assemble them on the Ribbon or Quick Access toolbar and locate them right away. You also discover how to change around the status bar, dress up an Office program in a new set of clothes, and designate your own keyboard shortcuts in Word.

Customizing the Ribbon

As you surely know by now, the Ribbon is the stretch of ground across the top of all Office programs. The Ribbon is composed of tabs. On each tab, commands are arranged by group. To undertake a task, you visit a tab on the Ribbon, find the group with the command you want, and choose the command. If you are so inclined, you can customize the Ribbon. You can place the tabs and commands you know and love where you want to find them on the Ribbon. And you can remove tabs and commands that aren't useful to you.

To customize the Ribbon, open the Customize Ribbon tab of the Options dialog box with one of these techniques:

File

* On the File tab, choose Options, and select the Customize Ribbon category in the Options dialog box.

* Right-click a tab or button and choose Customize the Ribbon.

You see commands for customizing the Ribbon, as shown in Figure 1-1. The right side of the dialog box ("Customize the Ribbon") lists the names of tabs, groups within tabs, and commands within groups that are currently on the Ribbon. To customize the Ribbon, you arrange the right side of the dialog box to your liking. You list the tabs, groups, and commands that you want for the Ribbon on the right side of the dialog box.

The left side of the dialog box ("Choose Commands From") presents every tab, group, and command in your Office program. To customize the Ribbon, you select a tab, group, or command on the left side of the dialog box and move it to the right side.

Keep reading to find out how to display tabs, groups, and commands in the Options dialog box and how to do all else that pertains to customizing the Ribbon. In case you make a hash of the Ribbon, you also find instructions for restoring the Ribbon to its original state.

Displaying and selecting tab, group, and command names

To customize the Ribbon, you need to display and select tab names, group names, and command names in the Options dialog box (refer to Figure 1-1). Start by opening the drop-down lists and choosing a display option:

* Choose Commands From: Choose an option to locate the tab, group, or command you want to add to the Ribbon. For example, choose All Commands to see an alphabetical list of all the commands in the Office program you're working in; choose Main Tabs to see a list of tabs.

* Customize the Ribbon: Choose an option to display the names of all tabs, main tabs, or tool tabs. Tool tabs are the context-sensitive tabs that appear after you insert or click something. For example, the Table Tools tabs appear when you construct tables.

After you choose display options on the drop-down lists, display the names of groups and commands (refer to Figure 1-1):

* Displaying group names: Click a plus sign icon next to a tab name to see the names of its groups. You can click the minus sign icon to fold group names back into a tab name.

* Displaying command names in groups: Click the plus sign icon next to a group name to see the names of its commands. You can click the minus sign icon to collapse command names.

After you display the tab, group, or command name, click to select it.

Moving tabs and groups on the Ribbon

To change the order of tabs on the Ribbon or groups on a tab, go to the Customize Ribbon category of the Options dialog box (refer to Figure 1-1) and select the name of a tab or group on the right side of the dialog box. Then click the Move Up or Move Down button. Click these buttons as necessary until tabs or groups are in the order that you see fit.

WARNING!

Be careful about moving groups by clicking the Move Up or Move Down button. Clicking these buttons too many times can move a group to a different tab on the Ribbon.

Adding, removing, and renaming tabs, groups, and commands

In the Options dialog box (refer to Figure 1-1), display and select the tab, group, or command you want to add, remove, or rename. Then proceed to add, remove, or rename it. (Earlier in this chapter, "Displaying and selecting tab, group, and command names" explains how to display items in the Options dialog box.)

Adding items to the Ribbon

Follow these steps to add a tab, group, or command to the Ribbon:

1. On the left side of the Customize Ribbon tab of the Options dialog box, select the tab, group, or command you want to add. For example, to add the Tables group to the Home tab, select the Tables group.

2. On the right side of the dialog box, select the tab or group where you want to place the item.

If you're adding a tab to the Ribbon, select a tab. The tab you add will go after the tab you select.

3. Click the Add button.

Removing items from the Ribbon

Follow these steps to remove a tab, group, or command from the Ribbon:

1. On the right side of the Customize Ribbon tab of the Options dialog box, select the tab, group, or command you want to remove.

2. Click the Remove button.

Except for tabs you create yourself, you can't remove tabs from the Ribbon. And you can't remove a command unless you remove it from a group you created yourself.

Renaming tabs and groups

Sorry, you can't rename a command. As for tabs and groups, you can rename them, but only if you created them yourself. Tabs and groups that came with Office can't be renamed. Follow these steps to rename a tab or group:

1. On the right side of the Customize Ribbon tab of the Options dialog box, select the tab or group you want to rename.

2. Click the Rename button.

You see the Rename dialog box.

3. Enter a new name and click OK.

Creating new tabs and groups

Create new tabs and groups on the Ribbon for commands that are especially useful to you. Follow these steps on the Customize Ribbon tab of the Options dialog box (refer to Figure 1-1) to create a new tab or group:

1. On the right side of the dialog box, display and select the name of a tab or group.

Earlier in this chapter, "Displaying and selecting tab, group, and command names" explains how to select items in the Options dialog...