Customizing and Securing Microsoft Word 2010

In this section:

• Customizing the Ribbon

• Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar

• Customizing the Work Area

• Creating Macros

• Safeguarding a Document

• Recovering Unsaved Versions of a File

• Restricting Access and Changes to a Document

• Digitally Signing a Document

• Protecting a Document with a Password

One of the great things about Microsoft Word 2010 is that not only does it pack a lot of power into the various features and tools at your fingertips, but it also allows you to customize those tools so you have just what you want nearby when you want it. You can easily customize the ribbon by adding tabs, tab groups, and tools; you can customize the Quick Access Toolbar by changing the tools it displays and changing where in the document window it appears. What’s more, you can change other preferences, such as the way the screen looks, the way your files are saved, and much more.

Another important story in Word 2010 is the enhanced security that occurs largely without your even noticing it. Behind the scenes, Word 2010 is working to ensure that the files you receive and open have been checked—thoroughly—for any possible risk. You can set the types of files you want to be blocked in your version of Word and tell the program when you want Protected View to intervene and safeguard your files and when it’s okay to open them directly. These security features—and more—are the topic of this section.

Customizing the Ribbon

You probably remember all the excitement around the introduction of the ribbon, which was offered for the first time with Office 2007. Some people were thrilled, others were dismayed, and most Word users simply figured out how to master the interface and gradually grew to like it. Word 2010 includes a new feature that is huge to Word users who want to have within clicking distance the tools they use most often. Now you can customize the ribbon to include tabs you create. And you can add your own groups and tools to those tabs in whatever order makes sense to you.

Create and Rename a New Tab

1. Click the File tab to display Backstage view.

2. Click Options.

   

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   By default a new group is created when you add a new tab. You can add additional groups to the tab by clicking New Group at the bottom of the Customize The Ribbon list.

3. Click Customize Ribbon.

4. Click New Tab.

   

5. Click the new tab.

6. Click Rename.

7. Type a new name for the tab and click OK.

   

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You can move the group you create up or down through the tabs shown by clicking the Move Down or Move Up buttons.

Rename and Add Tools to the Group

1. Click the new group that was created automatically.

2. Click Rename.

3. Type a name for the group and click OK.

   

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   If you don’t see the tools you want in the Popular Commands list, click the Choose Commands From arrow, and choose All Commands. Scroll through the list to find the tool you want, click it, and click Add.

4. In the Choose Commands From list, click the tool you want to add to the group.

5. Click Add.

6. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 as needed until you have added all the tools you want.

7. Click OK.

   

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If you use more than one computer and want to use your customized ribbon on another machine, click the Import/Export button in the lower-right corner of the Customize Ribbon dialog box. Choose Export All Customizations to create a file you can add to other computers. When you move the file to the new computer, use Import Customization File to import your changed ribbon settings.