Customise Shortcut menus in Word


Word's right-click Shortcut menus can save you lots of time by instantly displaying often-used commands for a specific task. Still, many Shortcut menus lack the exact commands you may need. For example, if you right-click a word in a document, the Thesaurus command doesn't pop up. You can add it, however, by using a method that isn't very well documented.

Word 97:
1. Select Tools-Customize; then click the Toolbars tab in the Customize dialogue box.
2. In the Toolbars list, check the box beside Shortcut Menus to display the toolbar for Shortcut Menus.
3. Click the appropriate category within the Shortcut Menus toolbar to display a list of menus; then select the particular menu you want to modify.
4. In the Customize dialogue box, click the Commands tab. Select the appropriate item from the Categories list. For example, the Thesaurus command is in the Tools category, corresponding to its location in Word's menus. Click the command you want to add to the menu; then drag and drop it onto the displayed Shortcut menu. The new command will be on the displayed Shortcut menu when you release the mouse button. Click Close.
Note: you can remove any command from the Shortcut menu by dragging it off the menu and dropping it anywhere in the document window during this process.

Word 6 and 7:
1. Select Tools-Customize; then click the Menus tab in the Customize dialogue box.
2. In the Change What Menu list, locate and choose the menu you want to customise.
3. You'll obtain a list of categories with names like File and Format. Select the category for the command you want to add. If you can't find the one you want, select All Commands.
4. In the Commands list, find and select the command that you want to add. If you want to place the command in a particular position on the Shortcut menu, open the Position on Menu list and choose one of the first three position options. Click Add and then click Close.
Note: to remove an item from the selected Shortcut menu, select the command from the Position on Menu list, and then click Remove.

- George Campbell


Category:word processing
Issue: April 1999

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