Sorry I bought Office 2013

Hi there,

Non-techie here who wants to get back to XP / Office 2000 if I only could..........  charting is my main activity in Excel. I haven't gone near Word with a 10-foot pole for quite a while now, and OneNote used to be useful to me, but I don't know what it is now.

Anyway, been using the above combo at employer and home for as long as they have been around. New laptop in April 2014, Windows 8.1 / Office 2013. Zero productivity since. Even employer was smart and kept their old stuff.......

Comfort level with Excel 2000 and XP was extremely high, but now running ClassicShell on Windows 8.1 just to get along. Excel 2013 is the problem; I'm completely lost, like I got dropped into an alternate universe.

-Chart templates that are never the same twice

• Popups that won't go away when trying to change chart configs. 
• Colours I cant seem to change or even differentiate between, therefore charts are unreadable.
• Combination charts are a complete pig, worse than older versions, if that's possible.

What to do? Walk away now and learn OpenOffice or something?

Microsoft language doesn't come across as English to me, and even since Windows 3.1, Microsoft help has never helped me an iota. Not yer average dummy, just frustrated with no productivity and doing endless fiddling and Googling instead.

I am a mere surface-scratcher on Excel and don't come close to many of the pivot / data functions. Just data entry and charting with formula messing and graphs is pretty much all I do, as in stock market trading etc. I repeatedly run into trouble just trying stuff that used to be so simple. I'm not interested in flowery nuances in the presentations and graphs, and that's what the charting function seems to have turned into - a mess of endless (mindless?) choices in chart colours and options to over-impress the boss at the next pointless meeting.

I barely use W8.1/XL2013, and have been using my old laptop with XP/XL2000. Actual progress and satisfaction achieved, but now have a newer laptop and OS that's basically useless to me. May try Lubuntu / LibreOffice on it, but using Kingsoft/WPS Spreadsheets helps a bit.

When I bought the old laptop new, I had it "downgraded" to XP from Vista as I had heard so many negative things about that OS. If this is progress for Microsoft in the last 7 or 8 years (the old laptop's age), then it's beyond my simple mind. The next "improvement" will probably be incomprehensible. Excel fans tell me to just "embrace Excel" and drink the Kool-Aid. I thanked them for their patience with me, but I'm past the 1-year anniversary with this puzzle, and I think I'm done with Mr. Gates.

Somebody give me a real alternative, please.

Ranter out.

Yes, switching to the ribbon for an experienced "Menu" user is a royal PITA.  MS says the Ribbon is "Better" for NEW USERS. It groups commands in ways that user tracking  (of the menu) has shown they were used.  MS has NEVER said that the ribbon was better for experienced users...

Yes, my original reply contains an overwhelming collection of links on learning the ribbon.  I provide them ALL because they cover a large range of subjects and ways of learning the ribbon. Not all of them are usable by everyone, so all I can suggest you do is look quickly at the various links and pick ones that "work" for you.

I'll summarize the links down to ones that are specific to "where the HE** did MS hide the commands in the new ribbon" ...

Stop Clicking booklet - how to get into a good frame of mind to survive the ribbon

This first booklet really helped me get into the right frame of mind for adapting to the ribbon:

Stop Clicking and Exploring Excel 2007 like a Newbie - http://www.scribd.com/doc/29093109/Stop-Clicking-Exploring-Excel-Ribbon-Like-Newbie

• applies to any Ribbonized app. This is an excellent booklet to get people into the right frame of mind to learn and use ANY ribbonized app.

As well as the "Stop Clicking ..." booklet you may want to invest a LOT of time reading this file:

"pdf version office07 ui bible v05i- Jensen Harris"  

(in my skydrive download section, at bottom of this reply)

contains a collection of blog entries by Jensen Harris, one of the managers on the Office 2007 development team. In these blogs he describes some of the reasons for design choices that were made, if you are willing to believe them ... <grin>. They won't really make the ribbon more palatable, but at least you may understand why they did various "stupid" things ... <grin>

MS Search Command Addin

The "Search Command" tool created by the MS "Lab" group did a good job of telling you where to find commands in those versions.  I think (haven't tested recently) that the 2010 version did carry over into a 2013 installation:

Search Commands 2010/2007 –

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=28559

Office Watch Command Finder Page

The Office Watch newsletter/web site provided web pages where you can search for Word (and Excel) 2007 and 2010 commands to see a description of the command and where to find them on the ribbon.  You can create a macro, and put that macro on your QAT (Quick Access Tab) in Word so that you can quickly access the Office Watch search page:

http://office-watch.com/commandlist/Word_2010.aspx  Word 2010 Command Finder

http://office-watch.com/t/n.aspx?a=1558 - Word 2010 Command Finder Description

http://office-watch.com/t/n.aspx?a=1569&z=0 - 2010 Command Finder improvements

http://office-watch.com/commandlist/Word_2007.aspx  Word 2007 Command Finder

http://office-watch.com/commandlist/Excel_2007.aspx - Excel 2007 Command Finder

Office Watch Word Command List 

• http://new.office-watch.com/2011/word-2010-command-finder-from-office-watch-com/

Public Sub command_finder()

' Ed Weber

' Call the Office Watch Command List applet

' Equivalent to the Search Tab addon

'

    ActiveDocument.FollowHyperlink _

    Address:=" http://office-watch.com/commandlist/Word\_2010.aspx", _

    NewWindow:=True, AddHistory:=False

End Sub

This is the macro you need for Excel

Private Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "ShellExecuteA" _

    (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpOperation As String, ByVal lpFile As String, ByVal _

    lpParameters As String, ByVal lpDirectory As String, ByVal nShowCmd As Long) As Long

Sub command_finder_2007()

' Launches a webpage.

'

    Dim strURL As String

    strURL = "http://office-watch.com/commandlist/Excel_2007.aspx"

     'Navigate to the address...

    On Error Resume Next

    ShellExecute 0&, vbNullString, strURL, vbNullString, vbNullString, 3 'SW_SHOWNORMAL

End Sub

MS "Upgrading to" 2007/2010 Resources

When Office 2007 and 2010 were released, MS created resources that helped users "upgrade from 2003 to ....".  Unfortunately they did not bother doing this for 2013 <sigh>.  The 2007 resource pages don't appear to be available, but the 2010 resources are still there ...

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/search.aspx?q=interactive+menu+to+ribbon+guide

You can install the "Interactive menu to ribbon" guides. They are small applications that allow you to click on a 2003 menu and the application shows you the command on the 2010 ribbon.  Most of the 2013 commands are in the same place as in 2010 so it is reasonable to use these 2010 guides

(Note: I've included these resources and several others in the link to my skydrive)

*********************

2003 to 2007 Training Manuals

This page has links to free training manuals for going from 2003 to 2007

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/free-training-manuals-ms-office.htm

******************

Download free MS menu to Ribbon Resources

Finally, here is a link to my skydrive where I've uploaded various free MS resources for the migration from 2003 to 20?? since it so hard to find them on the web:  http://1drv.ms/1JctyQh

BTW, you may notice the AutoText and Building Blocks tab on the Word 2013 screenshot. That is from another of Greg's Add-ins and I forgot to disable it before taking the shot. That is one that I liked so well that I sent him a donation about it.

I have been trying to adapt to Office 2013 and the incredulous "Ribbon Menu". Frankly I am as infuriated now as I was when I first tried to use it. What is infuriating me even more is responses from Rohn007 that basically say what Microsoft is saying, bend over and accept it because there is nothing you can do about it. What I don't need or have time for is a plethora of tutorials and "helpful links" to show me how I can take more time using this new Ribbon then the far more efficient classic menu. I can't tell you how much time I have already spent searching for where MS decided to hide a particular function in the Ribbon, which BTW is how I ended up on this forum, looking for an answer to a question I already knew how to do with the classic menu.

I read one post, sorry don't remember who, that said how he struggled to adjust from 2003 but now thinks this new system is better. Then he closes his post stating that he still keeps a copy of 2003 for some things. HOW IS THAT BETTER?

"2010 and 2013 added a lot of functionality to allow "collaboration", things like controlled "work flows" and allowing more than one person to edit a file, even at the same time." I'll bet 99% of us don't care and for the 1% that does, sell them this version.

Bottom line is I know I'll have to "get use to it", but i'm never going to like it. What I don't understand is how all these supposedly smart programmers think for one minute that taking more time to do the same tasks is better. I can only surmise that since their life is working with computers 24/7 that anything that keeps them attached to a computer for whatever reason must be better.

This is an old thread. I was the one who struggled to adjust from 2003 and still uses it for some things.

It is better because it gives the user more power and choices over their documents. It is better because Content Controls are way better than form fields for most purposes. The change in the UI is a very big jolt to anyone used to working in Word 2003 or earlier. I don't think there is any excuse for that.

Rohn provides lots of links. I suspect that this is because it is easier to give someone access to everything you've compiled about a topic than it is to parse what it is someone really needs to know now. That way, if someone is motivated, Rohn's work saves that person a lot of trouble. It allows him to help more people with a limited amount of volunteer time. He resented the new interface, as did I, and so sought to learn as much as he could about why it was done and how to make it work. He shared that with us. It can be overwhelming.

Rohn may have provided a link to Greg Maxey's site which has a free download that gives access, through the Ribbon, to the old menus from Word 2003. If not, here it is:

Link The page, like many on the web, is lengthy; search the page for "Classic UI."

It will give you a Ribbon Tab something like this one:


As I mentioned in that earlier post, one of the most efficient ways of handling any version of Word, and which transcends MS's changes, is to learn and use the keyboard shortcuts.

Here is Greg's Add-In as it looks in Word 2013. I dropped the Format menu.

Note, Greg did this largely as an exercise to demonstrate how the interface in Word 2007 can be modified dramatically and powerfully.

Note, AFAIK, few, if any, of the programmers who design Word actually use it. That information is dated and may be incorrect. Word is a huge program and I doubt anyone truly understands it. I suspect those who come close carry the initials on this forum of MVP.

I have been trying to adapt to Office 2013 and the incredulous "Ribbon Menu". Frankly I am as infuriated now as I was when I first tried to use it. What is infuriating me even more is responses from Rohn007 that basically say what Microsoft is saying, bend over and accept it because there is nothing you can do about it. What I don't need or have time for is a plethora of tutorials and "helpful links" to show me how I can take more time using this new Ribbon then the far more efficient classic menu. I can't tell you how much time I have already spent searching for where MS decided to hide a particular function in the Ribbon, which BTW is how I ended up on this forum, looking for an answer to a question I already knew how to do with the classic menu.

I read one post, sorry don't remember who, that said how he struggled to adjust from 2003 but now thinks this new system is better. Then he closes his post stating that he still keeps a copy of 2003 for some things. HOW IS THAT BETTER?

"2010 and 2013 added a lot of functionality to allow "collaboration", things like controlled "work flows" and allowing more than one person to edit a file, even at the same time." I'll bet 99% of us don't care and for the 1% that does, sell them this version.

Bottom line is I know I'll have to "get use to it", but i'm never going to like it. What I don't understand is how all these supposedly smart programmers think for one minute that taking more time to do the same tasks is better. I can only surmise that since their life is working with computers 24/7 that anything that keeps them attached to a computer for whatever reason must be better.