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Ronald R. Tidd, Ph.D., CPA

Professor, Accounting, Master of Professional Accountancy
College of Business
 

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Word Computer Lab- Customization

| Objectives | Learning Tasks | References |

Objectives & Outcomes

The objectives of this customization workshop are to help you learn how to

  1. Configure MS Word to work faster,

  2. Customize your work space, and

  3. Automate your work processes

in Microsoft Word. This will help you make MS Word work faster, in accordance with your needs, habits, and preferences, and automate the tasks that your perform frequently.

At the end of this lab, you should be able to:

  1. Turn Word features off (on).

  2. Customize the Word toolbar.

  3. Create document templates for various tasks.

  4. Record macro commands to automate repetitive tasks.

  5. Install buttons on your customized toolbar and assign each to your macro commands.

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Learning Tasks

 
Task Procedures - (Useful Shortcut Keystrokes)
1. Turn Word features off (on)

  • (Refer to "59 Ways to Make Software Do More," PC World, Sept 2006, p. 86)
  1. On the Word menu bar, select Tools→Options.
  2. Under the following tabs, consider turning off (on) the following features:
    • View-
      • Animated text (off)
    • General-
      • Provide feedback with animation (off)
      • Recently used files list (increase?)
    • Spelling & Grammar-
      • Check grammar as you type (off)
      • Check spelling as you type (off)
    • Save-
      • Prompt for document properties (on)
    • Print-
      • Background printing (off)
 
2. Customize the Word toolbar.
  1. Right click on the Word menu bar and select the Customize option in the dropdown list.
  2. In the Customize dialog box, select the Toolbars tab, then New. Enter a meaningful name in the Toolbar Name text box and click Ok.
  3. Select the Commands tab (refer to the image to the left):
    • Under Categories, select View
    • Under Commands, select and drag the Show All icon to your customized toolbar
    • Under Categories, select Insert
    • Under Commands, select and drag the Comment and Footnote... icons to your customized toolbar.
    • Under Categories, select Format
    • Under Commands, select and drag the Highlight and Strikethrough icons to your customized toolbar.
  4. Select Close.
 
3. Create (modify) document templates

  • Click here to see the Word templates that are already available on the Microsoft web site.

 
  1. On the Word menu bar, select File→New.
  2. On the New Document panel, select Templates→On my computer.
  3. Notice the templates that are already available on your computer. Select the Blank document option (actually Normal.dot).
  4. Make any changes to the document's settings (text & fonts, margins, styles, graphics, orientation, etc.) that are useful to you.
  5. Save your document as a Word template:
    • On the menu bar, select File→Save as.
    • In the Save As dialog box, navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\user name \Application Data\Microsoft\Templates.
    • In the Save as type drop down list, select Document Template (*.dot).
    • In the File Name text box, enter a meaningful name.
    • Click on Save, then close the document.
  6. Repeat steps 1 through 3 to find your template and open up a document based on its settings.
 
4. Record and save Word macros.
(Refer to Professional Communications Grading Criteria.)
  1. Right click here and download the assigned Word file to your your network drive (or portable media).
  2. Open the document.
  3. Select the group of words that violate one of the grading criteria (e.g., "a Delaware corporation"0
  4. On the Word menu bar, click on ToolsÞMacroÞRecord Macro.
  5. In the Record Macro dialog box:
    -    enter a name (Concise)
    -select to store the macro in All Documents
    -add any description that you believe is necessary
    -click OK.
  6. Click on the strikethrough icon on your customized toolbar.
  7. Click on the highlight icon on your customize toolbar.
  8. Click on the insert footnote icon on your customized toolbar.
  9. In the footnote, type "Concise-  " without the quotation marks.
  10. On the Word menu bar, click on
    Tools    ÞMacroÞ    Stop Recording.
  11. Save your document.
  12. Repeat steps 3-10, but prepare a macro to record a violation of the Precise criteria.
 
5. Create buttons on a customized toolbar and assign them to the macros.

       

(Click on either thumbnail to see the full-sized graphic.)

 

 
  1. Right click on the Word menu bar and select the Customize option in the dropdown list.
  2. In the Customize dialog box, select the Commands tab, and under Categories, select Macros (refer to the image to the left):
    -under Commands, select and drag the Concise macro to your customized toolbar
    -click on the Modify Selection icon
    -in the Name text box, delete all of the text except the word "Concise"     (refer to the image to the left).
  3. Repeat step 2 with the Precise macro.
  4. Click on ok.
 
Bonus Lesson: 
Compare and Merge Documents		  

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References

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Ronald R. Tidd, Ph.D., CPA
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