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
    2015-12-10T12:20:48+00:00

    Hi MIMike63MMJ,

    (Not sure if this was in reply to me, it is not clear from the forum)

    I followed your instructions, but I do get another Open icon and it brings me exactly to the same position as the File menu.

    Thank you,

    Marco

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-12-10T11:33:24+00:00

    Office 2016 Windows10

    Not sure if this helps, but for quick access to "File Explorer" from within the Office program try;

    adding the "Open" file icon to the "Quick access Toolbar" and use it. This will open "File Explorer" instead of opening "Backstage" first.

    Go to File, Options, Customize Toolbar and move "Open" to the rhside and save. Move it to the top to keep it above existing "File"

    Regards,

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-12-01T00:31:58+00:00

    Worked. you rock!

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