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

Anonymous
2015-09-28T09:13:42+00:00

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

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Suzanne S Barnhill 279.2K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2015-09-28T13:49:12+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 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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Jay Freedman 208.2K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2017-06-13T19:32:24+00:00

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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  1. Anonymous
    2017-06-13T13:45:42+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 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.

    Thank you. This solved my issue. Found this post now because my company just updated us to Office 16.

    Hoping you might be able to tell me if it's possible to get rid of the annoying "Today", "Last Week" and "Older" headers in the RECENT menu. I find it annoying that I can't seem to delete them. I don't need their help like this.

    Appreciate any assistance.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-06-01T16:15:09+00:00

    I agree with so many others.  There was a tool that allowed one to move quickly among file folders that you use constantly and now it is gone.  A big disappointment when tools are supposed to evolve and improve, and not eliminate a valuable/useful feature. 

    It used to be in the old days, that if a new program version came out, they provided a toolset that could be retrofitted for use, so that if you were used to an approach you could use the old versions menus.  I am okay with being forced to learn new tricks, but when you don't have a convenient way to use the program like you used to use it, even with a new approach, then this is just poor programming and poor user support.

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  3. Charles Kenyon 170.8K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2017-02-09T22:43:03+00:00

    ***

    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. 

    These may help:

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