Microsoft Excel Help

[Peter]

Hi, I have two questions as below
1. In Office 2003, how do I have the Microsoft Excel Help dialog shows up with contents tab and index tab
2. Is this is the right user group to ask this questio
Please advise. Thanks
Peter Ka

 

[Frank Kabel]

Hi Peter
1. AFAIK you can't. Microsoft changed (again) the look&feel of the help
functionality
2. This is the right NG to ask though Excel.misc might be better for
non worksheet function related questions

Frank

 

[Peter]

Hi Frank
Thanks for your answer for one of my question. Please advise more precise regarding what precise group path under MSDN Newsgroup? Based on my common sense, Microsoft must provide a arena to duscuss how to use Excel. I simply can not locate it Thanks
Peter

 

[Frank Kabel]

Hi Frank,
Thanks for your answer for one of my question. Please advise
more precise regarding what precise group path under MSDN Newsgroup?
Based on my common sense, Microsoft must provide a arena to duscuss
how to use Excel. I simply can not locate it Thanks. Peter

Hi Peter
where are some newsgroups which are good to discuss Excel related
questions:
1. Excel.Worksheet.functions (-> the newsgroup you're currently using)
2. Excel.Misc
3. Excel.Newusers
4. Excel.Programming

Have alook at the following link for more information:
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/xlnews.htm

Frank

 

[Gord Dibben]

Frank

Excel 2002 has a "show/hide" button. Have they changed this in 2003?

Gord

 

[Frank Kabel]

Hi Gord
I've never used Excel 2002. But as far as I looked at my Excel 2003
help, there is no Show/Hide Button. The help is incorporated in the
right hand pane. And there is no Index (or I'm just too blind to find
it). Personally I don't like this look and feel and I really miss the
Index functionality

Frank

 

[Peo Sjoblom]

I know, it is really crappy, the help in the new Office really sucks! It
takes forever and you
have to go back and make another search if for instance you look up
different functions,
the old one with clear and just type in a few letters was far superior

 

[Frank Kabel]

In addition
- the new version seems to have less information (or at least the my
localized has).
- Sometimes you have to search for the English function name, sometimes
for the German one.
- And the help constantly tries to connect to the Internet.

Frank

 

[Ron de Bruin]

Use a shortcut on your desktop to the CHM file

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\1033\XLMAIN11.CHM"

 

[Frank Kabel]

Use a shortcut on your desktop to the CHM file

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\1033\XLMAIN11.CHM"

Hi Ron
thanks for this tip.
Frank

 

[Gord Dibben]

Frank/Peo

Thanks for the heads-up.

Took me 6 years to upgrade from from 97 to 2002. Mayhaps 2003 can wait just
as long.

Gord

 

[Ken Wright]

You are certainly not in a minority on this

You can however turn off the internet search by going to Tools / Options /
general Tab / Service Options / Untick the 'Search online when connected'

 

[Frank Kabel]

You are certainly not in a minority on this

You can however turn off the internet search by going to Tools /
Options / general Tab / Service Options / Untick the 'Search online
when connected'

Hi Ken
of course I did this though my personal firewall still ocassionally
reports Excel / Help trying to connect to the Internet...
Frank

 

[Peo Sjoblom]

It's nevertheless much slower and I am so fed up with it that I am going
back to an earlier version

 

[Harlan Grove]

I know, it is really crappy, the help in the new Office really sucks! It
takes forever and you
have to go back and make another search if for instance you look up
different functions,
the old one with clear and just type in a few letters was far superior

....

A good reason to keep an older (much older) version of Excel on your
computer along with the latest & greatest (perhaps only in the disk storage
sense): the older version has the more usable online help system. I know
I'll never discard my Excel 5 hardcopy manuals.

 

[Harlan Grove]

Thanks for the heads-up.

Took me 6 years to upgrade from from 97 to 2002. Mayhaps 2003 can wait just
as long.

....

Dunno if you'd want to. Do you suppose Microsoft capable of exponential slow
down in online help, or only linear slow down?

 

[Dave Peterson]

Might be worth it to save the .hlp's and .chm's from various versions, too.

Just run them from shortcuts outside of excel.