Word 2016 and Excel 2016 - Customize the File > Open menu

Anonymous

Hello,

How can I customize the File > Open menu in Word 2016 and Excel 2016, please?

Add a Place works only for the cloud.

As for This PC, it shows me a list of folders I am not interested in, and that apparently I cannot remove.

On the contrary, I'd like to add different folders, which are not even in the C drive but on a D drive.

The only customization I found is in Options > Advanced > File Locations, in there I changed the location for Documents to my D drive, but it does not affect the File > Open menu at all.

And in Excel 2016, this command is not even there under Options.

Thanks and regards,

Marco

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Answer accepted by question author

Suzanne S Barnhill 279.2K MVP Volunteer Moderator

You can bypass this entirely by checking the box for "Don't show the Backstage when opening or saving files" at File | Options | Save. You can then use Ctrl+O or an Open button on the Quick Access Toolbar to go directly to the classic Open dialog, which is an Explorer window in which you can add Favorites to the Navigation pane. When you start Word, the Open dialog will default to the folder you have specified as the default location for your documents; if you open a file from a subfolder, it will become the default for the next open operation.

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Answer accepted by question author

Jay Freedman 208.2K Volunteer Moderator

When you "add Favorites to the Navigation pane" (renamed as Quick Access in Windows 10) and pin them there, they show up in the Open and Save dialogs of Office programs. That is equivalent to pinning them on the File > Open page of the Backstage, the thing that has been (unfortunately) removed. That's one of the reasons to avoid the Backstage as Suzanne suggested.

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84 additional answers

Anonymous

2017-02-09T21:18:11+00:00

You can bypass this entirely by checking the box for "Don't show the Backstage when opening or saving files" at File | Options | Save. You can then use Ctrl+O or an Open button on the QAT to go directly to the classic Open dialog, which is an Explorer window in which you can add Favorites to the Navigation pane. When you start Word, the Open dialog will default to the folder you have specified as the default location for your documents; if you open a file from a subfolder, it will become the default for the next open operation.

I went to File/Options?save and unchecked the background stage box. I don't understand this part: You can then use Ctrl+O or an Open button on the QAT to go directly to the classic Open dialog.

What is a QAT?

When I open files, it looks the same under Quick Access with folders beneath.
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Suzanne S Barnhill 279.2K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2016-12-08T22:43:32+00:00

The QAT is the Quick Access Toolbar.
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Anonymous

2016-12-08T16:11:56+00:00
1. I get the unwanted multiple page menu, and cannot delete "look for templates" from the search box
2. I open a blank document, then select File, Optioms, Save and check "Don't show the Backstage when opening or saving files" and click OK, then cose Word, but when I open Word, it is still there
3. What, please is QAT?
I am a long time Word user and reluctantly switched from nice intuitive Word 2003 which worked perfectly for me and was set up just the way i want, to Word 2016 and this recalcitrance is making me very frustrated. FOR GOODNESS' SAKE HOW CAN I GET RID OF THE BLASTED CUMBERSOME OPENING MENU WITH WINDOWS PLASTERED ALL OVER MY SCREEN? i want to open to a new blank document and make my choices from there, as in the happy past ....
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