How do I get the classic Excel menu back in Excel 2010

Thank you very much for your reply. I too, had to adapt. If I try to find something I used to know where it was but do not anymore, I try to llok it up on the web and try to learn its new place on the ribbon. Slowly and unwillingly :) I have adapted.

Thank you again for your effort in trying to guide me!!!

It's been a long time since I've seen this question, as evidenced by you tagging on to a question that was asked 7 years ago.

I totally sympathize with your feeling, I too loathe the ribbon "improvement", but we are stuck with it since "MS knows best" <heavy sarcasm>.  Personally, I've given up trying to run menu addons. I still don't like ribbon, but I've adapted.

Since you live in a corporate environment with enforced "upgrades" do you have the option to install addons?  Many places won't let you.

OK, to answer you question, starting days after 2007 was introduced with the "new and improved" Ribbon gooey <sic> UI addons recreating the menu started appearing. While I have not looked, I also have not read any reviews of new ones for 2013 or 2016.  So here is a list of addons I collected in the 2007 and 2010 eras. I have no idea if they are still being offered or if they work with 2016/365.

I have not recently checked these addins

MENU TAB ADDINS

http://www.addintools.com/english/menuword/default.htm - menu addin 2007 only, free trial

http://toolbartoggle.com/ - I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks good. It allows drag and drop customization of the menu and toolbars.

http://www.ubit.ch/software/ubitmenu-languages/ (free fro private use or 0.65 Eur per user & per language!!!)

http://news.office-watch.com/t/n.aspx?articleid=799&zoneid=12 – a review of UBitMenu

http://software.techrepublic.com.com/abstract.aspx?docid=862867&promo=100511 – Classic Menu for Office 2007 ($30)

http://www.addictivetips.com/microsoft-office/add-classic-menu-in-office-2010/

http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize/

http://download.cnet.com/Classic-Menu-for-Office-2007/3000-18483\_4-10637184.html

http://www.obutilities.com/classicmenu/ - a COM add-in that displays the classic menus and toolbars in Microsoft® Excel® ,Microsoft® Word and Microsoft® PowerPoint® (Office 2007 and 2010).

http://www.indelibleink.com/WordMenu.html - Indelible Ink Word Menu addin

http://software.techrepublic.com.com/abstract.aspx?docid=847883&promo=100511 – Ribbon Customizer for Office 2007 ($40)

http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CustomizeRibbon.htm Customizing the Office 2007 user interface. Info about 2 purchased addins, Ribbon Customizer™ and ToolbarToggle™ add-ins for Office 2007. They also have limited functionality trial versions

http://accmsoft.com/office-2007/classic-style-menus-toolbars/ - A powerful and easy-to-use add-in for showing the classic menus and toolbars of Microsoft Office 2003 on Ribbon of Microsoft Office 2007 and 2010.

http://www.indelibleink.com/WordMenu.html - Free version of 2003 menu addin. There are several different install options, quite cool. Installed cleanly on my admin ID, but not in my user ID. Installs a template in the C:usersUSERIDAppDataRoamingMicrosoftWordSTARTUP folder. WordMenus.dot is the 2003 menu alone. WordMenu.dot is the 2003 menu with the standard toolbar. WordMenusTB is the vertical orientated 2003 menu. It looks like this

http://software.techrepublic.com.com/abstract.aspx?docid=927295 - Saavvii for Microsoft Word 2000, free to try

http://www.toolbartoggle.com/Contact.aspx - ToolbarToggle ($20) - 2 modes, full toggle replacement for Ribbon or Adds new tab to ribbon. Allows customization of menu portion, adding macros using right click “customize togglebar” feature, not Word customize. I haven’t tried it, but if it lives up to propaganda it looks best yet. 5 day free trial.

Hint

If you can't find the links above on the web, try using the Waybackmachine: https://archive.org/web/ they often still have an "archived" copy of free downloads

Arrogant answer indeed! Lots of times we don't have a choice but to migrate to the new version as per company policy. Anyway the important thing now is to find the best classic view tool out there.

I am not sure I have to memorise that much with the ribbon, or that more or less.  I never experienced Office 2003, just 2000, and the WordPerfect equivalent. I also used Lotus 1-2-3, but that worked somewhat differently.

I find it quite handy to see quite a lot without needing to get the drop-down menus...I am wondering how new users, who were not brought up on extensive drop-down menus, would react if presented with them.