XL97: How to Delete, Restore, and Edit Menu Items Manually

ID: Q157769

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SUMMARY

Microsoft Excel 97 uses a different method to edit, delete and restore menus and menu items than earlier versions of Microsoft Excel.

This article explains the difference between a toolbar, a menu bar and a command bar in Microsoft Excel 97. It also explains in detail how to perform the following actions in Microsoft Excel 97:

  • How to delete an entire menu


  • How to delete a single menu item


  • How to restore an entire menu


  • How to restore a single menu item


  • How to change settings for a specific menu item


  • How to reset a menu item to its original settings



MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel versions 5.0 and 7.0, there are toolbars and menu bars:

Toolbars

  • Contain toolbar buttons


  • Can be docked and can float


  • Click Toolbars on the View menu to edit


Menu Bars

  • Contain menus and menu items


  • Can only be docked (at the top of the screen)


  • Click Menu Editor on the Tools menu in a Visual Basic module sheet to edit


In Microsoft Excel 97, toolbars and menu bars are not separate entities, but have been replaced by command bars. Command bars include all of the functionality of toolbars and menu bars as well as new functionality:

Command Bars

  • Contain toolbar buttons, menus, AND menu items


  • Can be docked on any edge of the screen, and can float


  • Click Toolbars on the View menu to edit


Even though toolbars and menu bars no longer exist in Microsoft Excel 97, most Visual Basic macro commands designed to work with these items still function, and some elements of the user interface still use the older terminology. For example, there is still a Toolbars menu item on the View menu.

In Microsoft Excel 97, you edit command bars through the Customize dialog box. To display this dialog box, click Customize on the Tools menu.

The Customize dialog box is a special dialog box: while it is displayed, you can still click menus, menu items, and toolbar buttons contained within your command bars.

NOTE: In the following steps, when you are instructed to click a menu or menu item, don't click inside the Customize dialog box. Instead, click the actual menu or menu item.

How to Delete an Entire Menu

In Microsoft Excel 97, use the following steps to delete an entire menu from a command bar:

  1. On the Tools menu, click Customize.


  2. Right-click the menu that you want to delete (for example, the Format menu). Do NOT click in the Customize dialog box; click the actual menu.


  3. On the shortcut menu, click Delete.


The entire menu is deleted. When you are done making changes, click Close.

How to Delete a Single Menu Item

Use the following steps to delete a single menu item:

  1. On the Tools menu, click Customize.


  2. Click the menu that contains the item you want to delete. Then, right- click the specific menu item. Do NOT click in the Customize dialog box; click the actual menu and menu item.


  3. On the shortcut menu, click Delete.


The menu item is deleted. When you are done making changes, click Close.

How to Restore an Entire Menu

Use the following steps to restore an entire menu that was previously deleted:

  1. On the Tools menu, click Customize.


  2. Click the Commands tab.


  3. In the list of Categories, click Built-in Menus.


  4. In the Commands list, click the name of the menu that you want to restore (Format, for example). Then use the mouse to drag the menu item to the correct location on the appropriate command bar, and release the mouse button.


The menu reappears on the command bar. When you are done making changes, click Close.

How to Restore a Single Menu Item

Use the following steps to restore a single menu item that was previously deleted:

  1. On the Tools menu, click Customize.


  2. Click the Commands tab.


  3. In the list of Categories, click the name of the menu that contains the menu item you want to restore.


  4. In the Command list, click the name of the menu item that you want to restore. Then use the mouse to drag the menu item onto the appropriate menu, move it to the correct location within the menu, and release the mouse button.


The menu item reappears on the menu. When you are done making changes, click Close.

How to Change Settings for a Specific Menu Item

Use the following steps to change a specific menu item, so that it refers to a macro, for instance:

  1. On the Tools menu, click Customize.


  2. Click the Commands tab.


  3. Click the menu that contains the menu item that you want to change. Then, right-click the specific menu item.


  4. On the shortcut menu, click one of the following:

    • To change the button image of the menu, click "Edit Button Image" or "Change Button Image".


    • To assign the menu item to a macro, click "Assign Macro".




    5. When you are done making changes, click Close.

How to Reset a Menu Item to its Original Settings

Use the following steps to reset a menu item that has been modified:

  1. On the Tools menu, click Customize.


  2. Click the Commands tab.


  3. Click the appropriate menu. Then, right-click the menu item that you want to reset.


  4. On the shortcut menu, click Reset.


The menu item is reset to its original settings. When you are done making changes, click Close.

Additional query words: XL97 8.00

Keywords : xlui
Version : WINDOWS:97
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb


Last Reviewed: November 4, 1999
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