With the exception of Outlook, you can create new files whenever you want to add new data to an Office program. Depending on the program you are working with, you can create different types of new files. When you create a new file in Word, it is called a document. In Excel, a new file is called a workbook. In Access, it is called a database. In PowerPoint, it is called a presentation, while in Publisher it is called a publication.
In Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, you use the New dialog box to start a new file. In Publisher and Access, you use the Getting Started screen to start new files. Whenever you start a new file in Office 2007, you can choose to create a blank document, or base the file on a template.
Start a New File
START A NEW FILE IN WORD, EXCEL, OR POWERPOINT
The New dialog box appears.
Depending on which Office program you are using, the New dialog box has different names. For example, in Word, it is called the New Document dialog box.
The new file opens, and you can start adding your own data.
START A NEW FILE IN PUBLISHER OR ACCESS
Note
In Publisher, you can click the File menu and then click New.
The Welcome screen appears, displaying the Getting Started window.
The new file opens, and you can start adding your own data.
Tip
How do I create a new file based on a template?
Many Office programs allow you to create a new file from a template. For example, in Word, you can choose from letters, faxes, memos, reports, and more. Templates are simply preformatted layouts that you can use to create files, substituting your own text for the placeholder text in the template. You can choose from a library of templates that install with Office. Simply click the template that you want to apply in the New dialog box or on the Welcome screen. You can also turn an existing file into a template by saving it in the program's template format.
Where else can I find more templates to use with my Microsoft Office programs?
Using your Internet connection, you can find more Office templates on the Microsoft Web site. Click the Templates link in the New dialog box or on the Welcome screen to access the site, and download any templates that you like. By default, Office is set up to store your downloaded templates in a default folder so that you can easily access them again using the New dialog box or the Welcome screen.
You can save your data to reuse it or share it with others. You should also frequently save any file that you are working on in case of a power failure or computer crash. When you save a file, you can give it a unique filename, and store it in a particular folder or drive.
Each Office program saves to a default file type. For example, an Excel workbook uses the XLSX file format. If you want to save the file in a format compatible with previous versions of Office, you must save it in the appropriate format, such as Excel 97-2003 Workbook (*.xls) for previous versions of Excel.
Save a File
You can open a file that you previously worked on to continue adding or editing data. Regardless of whether you store a file in a folder on your computer's hard drive, on a floppy disk, or on a CD, you can easily access files using the Open dialog box.
With the exception of Outlook, each Office program automatically lists your most recent files to the right of the File menu or in the Getting Started screen.
Open an Existing File
The Open dialog box appears.
The file opens in the program window.
You can close a file that you are no longer using without closing the entire program window. When you close unnecessary files, you free up processing power on your computer.
Close a File
The file closes.
Note
To learn how to close the program entirely, see Chapter 1.
If you have a printer connected to your computer, you can print your Microsoft Office files. You can send a file directly to the printer using the default printer settings, or you can open the Print dialog box and make changes to the printer settings. These settings may vary slightly among Office programs.
Print a File
If your Quick Access toolbar displays the Quick Print button, you can click it to print a file without adjusting any printer settings.
The Print dialog box appears.
The Office program sends the file to the printer for printing.
You can use the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands to copy data within a program, or move and share data among Office programs. For example, you might copy a graphic from Word and place it in a PowerPoint slide, or copy data from Excel to display in a Publisher publication. You can also drag and drop data to move and copy it within a file.
The Copy command makes a duplicate of the selected data, while the Cut command removes the data from the original file entirely. When you copy or paste data, the Windows Clipboard stores it until you are ready to paste it into place.
Cut, Copy, and Paste Data
CUT AND COPY DATA
Note
You can also use keyboard shortcuts to cut and copy. Press
The data is stored in the Windows Clipboard.
You can also open another file to which you can copy the data.
Note
You can also press
The
To copy the data as you drag it, you can press and hold the
The data appears in the new location.
Tip
When I cut or copy data, an icon appears. What is it?
The Paste Options smart tag (
Can I cut or copy multiple pieces of data?
Yes. You can cut or copy multiple pieces of data, and open the Office Clipboard task pane to paste the data. The Office Clipboard holds up to 24 items. You can paste them in whatever order you choose, or you can opt to paste them all at the same time. To display the task pane, click the Clipboard button in the Clipboard tools group on the Ribbon's Home tab. The Office Clipboard is just one of many task panes that are available in the Office programs.
You can use the Office View tools to display different views of your documents. You can view multiple files in your Office programs to compare data or formatting between files. For example, you might want to view two open Word documents side by side to check notes, or view two Excel workbooks to compare similar data. You can choose to view files horizontally or vertically.
When working with a particularly long document, you can choose to view different portions of the same document by splitting it into two scrollable panes.
View Multiple Files
Note
In Excel, the Arrange Windows dialog box opens, and you can select how you want to display multiple files.
Note
To return the page to a full document again, click the Remove Split button.
Tip
What does the Switch Windows button do?
If you open two or more documents, you can click the Switch Windows button on the View tab, and then click the document that you want to view. The Switch Windows button displays a menu that lists every open Word document. You can use this feature to quickly display the document that you want to edit. In previous versions of Word, the list of open files appeared in the Window menu.
How do I redisplay full windows again?
If you use the Arrange All command to display several open documents at once, you can click the Maximize button (
