While the Ribbon UI is a remarkable development, most have liked it. Some always prefer the ‘good ole’ classic look. Those of you, who would like to get back the Classic Menu & Toolbars back in Microsoft Office and Office 365, may want to check out these two freeware apps.
Classic Menu & Toolbars for Office
UBitMenu will add classic Office 2003 type toolbars and menus to Office 2016:
- Classic menu and toolbars for Excel 2007 and Excel 2010
- Classic menu and toolbars for Word 2007 and Word 2010
- Classic menu and toolbars for PowerPoint 2007 and PowerPoint 2010
You can download it from here.
Classic Menu for Office is free for personal use.
The software brings the classic menus and toolbars of Microsoft Office 2003 to the Ribbon of Microsoft Office 2016/13/10 and Office 365. It allows you to work with Microsoft Office as if it were Office 2003. It adds the classic menu to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Get it here.
How Do you Collapse the Office Ribbon or expand it again?
If you need to see more of your document, you can double-click any of the ribbon tabs or press CTRL+F1 to collapse the ribbon. Press CTRL+F1 or double-click any ribbon tab to see the ribbon again.
How do I customize my Microsoft Office?
To change the Office theme, select Preferences > General from the menu for your Office application (Word, Excel, etc.). You can configure your theme in the Personalize section.
“the Ribbon UI is an awesome development and most have liked it”
Including yourself – who exactly has liked it? I haven’t found a single person. It’s the main reason to stay with 2003. I appreciate the tip on how to change it over though. :D
i like the ribbon ui but im stuck with open office cos i cant afford 2010 ive tried the beta tho
does any one know an addon or hack to open office thatl give me a ribbon toolbar
I agree with Brian, the Ribbon UI (User Infuriator)is visually way too busy, utterly confusing, and inelegant to the point of actually making your eyes hurt and your head throb! Not to mention that it has some utterly stupid features like at least two ways to get to “About” one of which does not tell you if it is 32 bit or 64 bit version and one that does! An obvious artifact of programming by committee!
Look, the bottom line is that Office 2010 may be an improvment, or it may not be.
However, the basic premise is that it is such a different product that it is difficult to transition to, without detailed instruction.
I have wasted so much time getting trying to find out where things are. There was nothing wrong with the old way of doing it. This is just different, not necessarily better or worse. Different for difference sake.
Give us an option to revert to classi, just like XP had
In my opinion, the UI is just a way for Microsoft to make Money on
training people on how to find everything in Office 2010. I was on a Tech Support call at a big law firm in Chicago and the people were being trained on how to use the UI and find everything. How many other companies are out there that had to do the same thing. I also agree that Microsoft should allow users to revert back to the classic menu (which I prefer). But then they wouldn’t make any money on training.
Brian, you nailed it….I haven’t met a single person who likes the ribbon or the confusion Microsoft caused us users. I gave away my MSO 2007 and downloaded Open Office…easier to use than MSOffice 2007/2010 with the stupid ribbon.
I know another software by Addintools can bring back classic menus and toolbars into Ribbon. The Home and Student edition is free and its functions is enought for me.
I don’t think so.
The commecial version is much powerful, it includes classic view for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, Access, InfoPath, Visio and Project 2010.
The free edition of Addintools and UBitMenu only includes classic menus for Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
I have used Office now since the first one came out.
This ribbon is a development like going from a square wheel to a triangular on because they think it gives one bump less. Can´t think of any version more stupid.
The 2 “solutions” are not solutions. Hard to blame the third partiers, because the damage Microsoft did to the interface in 2007 is essentially “un-overcomeable;” but I condemn those like Woody’s who proclaim that they are “solutions.” UBitMenu seems to be a step even further over the cliff.
Microsoft simply do not understand that we browse menu lists in making choices. Those stupid, clueless, futher muckers do NOT UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE USE COMPUTERS. Jensen Harris is the dumbest futher mucker in the history of science.
That said, since 2003 was quite workable, dual install 2003 (Excel, Access, Word will dual; you’ll have to use the 2007 or 2010 Outlook in the dual setup). And HANG ON TO YOUR 2003 INSTALL DISKS! You’ve been warned.
I’d love to see an unbiased poll (if such a thing exists) from the existing 2003 user base determining who prefers the 2003 UI, who prefers 2007/2010, and who’s neutral.
My own feeling is that it’s now harder to access functionality that previously was an alt-click combination away, one’s hands increasingly have to leave the home row (yes, I’m a keyboard bigot), and the exceptionally useful visual lists/reminders provided by the File menu are gone. And, generally, it’s harder to find EVERYTHING.
In my opinion, MS took a working UI, and broke it.
it would not be so bad if the old keystrokes still worked. I had memorized all of the keyboard shortcuts. Not only has teh look and menu changed, but so have the shortcuts. I do NOT want to use the mouse – it slows me down.
Do either of these products ALSO restore the keyboard shortcuts, or only the drop-down menus? Thanks guys.
I don’t mind paying for it if it also restores the keystroke shortcuts as well as the menus. do you know if it does that?
i can do that at home, but here at work I am stuck with 2010 Office.
I see a lot of idiots here. The Ribbon streamlined the mess that the toolbars caused and made Word more efficient. Once people in our office got over the changes they had no issues except maybe setting up macro security.
Joe: What mess? WTH are you talking about?
And if by “idiots” you refer to hypersonically fast workers, then great, just call them that; for ye haveth no clue of what working fast is about.
“Do either of these products ALSO restore the keyboard shortcuts”
No, they do not, as I described “below” here.
We are still victim to the galactically stupid 2007+ interface that *REDUCES PRODUCTIVITY.* Microsoft, you clueless turds.
I’ll put my speed and productivity on 2003 against ANY HUMAN on 2007+. Yes – that audacious claim demonstrates just how off-the-scale mentally retarded was the decision to change the 2003 interface to 2007’s.
BRING IT BACK, AS A CONFIGURATION OPTION. Or a 3rd party tool that works.
The follows is described on http://www.AddinTools.com:
“Users can browse the entire menu with keyboard shortcuts. Simply insert Q into the original shortcuts of Office 2003. For example, since you press Alt + T to open the “Tools” menu in Office 2003, you just need to press Alt, Q, T to open the “Tools” menu in Office 2010 and 2013).”
Why Access is not in the list for the classic Tool Bars as in 2003 ???
The Classic Menu for Access is included in the Classic Menu for Office 2010 (professional plus) on http://www.addintools.com. But not included in the free version.
Is there any product out there that brings back the “Ctrl” visible shortcuts in the menus? For example, (if my recollection servers me correctly) Copy had “Ctrl X” in the menu drop down in addition to the siscors and the word “Copy”. It would be helpful to have this because I do pick up the commands over time. I do like that the underlines are still under the menu with the Alt commands.
You’re darn right! I’ve never seen such a stupid version as Office 2007 and up. The only smart things that were working 100% fine were the tool bars and the list menu that we could personnalize to oneself. Now we’re stucked with stupid fixed idiot icon menus were we have to look for everything messed around. They left many unresolved issues, but they decided to change the only thing that was intelligent and 100% flexible : the personnalized tool bars! What a bunch of fucking idiots!
I think that Office 365 is a massive disgrace. Outlook 2013 is a complete mess and the fact that you have to use third party software just to have the menu bar is a complete joke. Microsoft is pushing out one failure after another. Its blindingly frustrating to use to say the least.
I LOVE IT!! Quick to install, then you can customize it. Very, very nice. Thank you
P.S. I tried downloading the classic Windows 8 start menu first, and it was very sterile looking in dark, stark gray–depressing. I uninstalled it, then found out about this, and it is just perfect. Yay!