If things aren’t working as expected with the Microsoft Office 2007 Ribbon, help is here!
This page addresses the most common questions about the ribbon bar.
This is the final part of the Ribbon Series:
- Intro : Getting Started
- Part 1: The Parts of the Ribbon
- Part 2: How to Use the Ribbon
- Part 3: Customize the Office Ribbon
- Part 4: Office 2007 Ribbon Help
Scan the list to find the answer to your question. If you have a question that should be included in this FAQ, please submit is using my contact form.
Note: Some answers contain links that take you away from this page.
Troubleshooting:
- The ribbon disappeared. How do I get it back?
If the ribbon suddenly disappears, you either pressed the key combination CTRL + F1, or double-clicked a tab. To restore it, press CTRL + F1 again or double-click the active tab.
Read more about using the Word 2007 interface.
- Why is the ribbon grayed-out and the buttons don’t work?
If a document is marked Read Only, or has other editing restrictions in place, the unusable groups appear grayed-out and the buttons don’t work. The only way to reactivate the buttons is to remove the password and editing restrictions from the document.
Another possible reason the buttons won’t work is that you are using the free-trial version and it has expired. You need to purchase Word 2007 to continue using it. You can download Microsoft Office, available at the Microsoft Store
. (affiliate link)
About:
- What is the ribbon?
It is the new fluid user interface for Office 2007 programs. It replaces the old menu system with a wide band across the top of the program window. It offers tabbed viewing and colorful button icons instead of text-based menus.
- What are the different parts of the Office 2007 interface?
The interface contains tabs, groups, the Office Button, the Quick Access Toolbar, and more. Go to the Parts of the Office 2007 Ribbon help page for an explanation of each part.
- What language is the Microsoft Office 2007 ribbon written in?
The programming language used to create and customize the ribbon is called RibbonX, an XML-based programming language. Programming is outside the scope of this website, but you can find books to help you learn how, such as RibbonX: Customizing the Office 2007 Ribbon
. (affiliate link)
Customizing:
- How can I make Word show the button names when I point to them?
These are called screentips and to make them show, they must be activated in the Office Menu. Full instructions are available in the Customize the Office Ribbon tutorial.
- How do I remove or disable the Microsoft Office 2007 interface and display classic view?
The Office 2007 interface cannot be removed, and there is no option within Word to display a classic menu view.
- How do I change the position of the interface in Microsoft Word 2007?
You cannot change the position of the Microsoft Word interface, but you can change the position of the Quick Access Toolbar to show either above or below the ribbon.
- How do I insert the developer tab?
This is an optional tab that must be added manually. Click here for instructions on how to show the developer tab
