OFF: How to Find Technical Information About Office ProductsID: Q141778
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When you use Microsoft Office products, you may have questions regarding
how to perform a task or how to troubleshoot a problem. This article
discusses resources that you can use to find answers to your questions.
The following resources contain useful product information:
THE KNOWLEDGE BASE
==================
When to Use the Knowledge Base
------------------------------
The Microsoft Knowledge Base includes thousands of articles that answer
common questions about using any Microsoft product. The articles contain
technical information regarding a wide variety of basic- and advanced-
level product issues and problems. The variety of content available makes
the Knowledge Base an excellent resource for topics of any level of
complexity.
How to Access the Knowledge Base
--------------------------------
The Knowledge Base is available on the World Wide Web and on The Microsoft
Network. You can also access the Knowledge Base if you purchase a
Microsoft TechNet subscription.
Microsoft Knowledge Base on the World Wide Web
----------------------------------------------
To access the Microsoft Knowledge Base on the World Wide Web:
1. Connect to Support Online at the following Internet address:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/default.asp
NOTE: If you've never visited this site before, you will
be required to register.
2. In the My Question Is About box, select All Products.
3. Type your question in the question box.
4. Click Find (next to the My Question Is box).
This search will return from one to several article titles. The
Article ID appears in the upper-left corner of the article. You can see
the Article ID only after you click to view the article.
6. Click the title of the article to view it.
NOTE: Because the Microsoft web site is constantly updated, the site
address may change without notice. If this occurs, link to the Microsoft
home page at the following address:
http://www.microsoft.com
For additional information, please see the following articles in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q139887
TITLE : Office Product Articles on Internet, FastTips
ARTICLE-ID: Q129725
TITLE : Obtaining Knowledge Base Articles on the World Wide Web
How to Find Information in the Knowledge Base
---------------------------------------------
There are thousands of articles in the Knowledge Base. To find
information without looking at every article, you can search for a list
of articles that are related to your topic. To query for articles, decide
on the search criteria, type the search words in the appropriate text box
and then initiate the search.
You can use the following search criteria:
- Keywords
- Boolean operators such as NOT, AND or OR
- Descriptive words you think may be in the article
- The Q number (identification number) of the article
Using Keywords to Search for Information in the Knowledge Base
--------------------------------------------------------------
Keywords are used to categorize all articles in the Microsoft Knowledge
Base and to make information easier to find. Microsoft Office, Microsoft
Excel, Microsoft Access, and Word articles contain some additional
product- specific keywords. The product keywords are called KBSubcategory
keywords.
For additional information regarding how to use keywords, please search
for the Q number of the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge
Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q123516
TITLE : How to Search for Office Product Articles by
KBSubcategory
Listed below are several useful words to use when performing searches for
information regarding Office.
Keywords:
kbtool For articles discussing Microsoft Query, add-ins, ToolPak
functions, spelling checker, function wizard, chart wizard
kbprg For articles discussing programming issues (macros or
Visual Basic procedures)
kbcode For articles that contain sample Visual Basic code
kbmacro For articles that contain Microsoft Excel version 4.0
macro code
kbbuglist For articles that contain the program's official
kbfixlist published bug/fix list or are listed in the program's
bug/fix list
kbsetup Setup and installation
kbusage Description of product features or functionality
KBSubcategory Keywords:
Major Topic Minor Topic KBSubcategory
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Office
Font Assistant fontasst
Article applies only to Office for
the Macintosh offmac
Article applies only to Office for
Windows offwin
Disk contents/directory for Microsoft
Office offdir
Interoperability between Office
products officeinterop
Office Assistant offasst
Microsoft Office for Windows setup offwinsetup
Microsoft Office for the Macintosh
setup offmacsetup
Microsoft Binder offbinder
Internet offweb
Interoperability offinterop
Help offhelp
Microsoft Office Resource Kit offork
Network Install Wizard offniw
Web Find Fast offwebfind
Microsoft Office Personal Web Server offpws
Microsoft Office Service Pack offsrvpak
Microsoft Office Value Pack offvalpak
Microsoft Office Small Business Pack offbundle
Microsoft Office Shortcut Bar offosb
Microsoft Excel:
For information about KBSubcategory keywords for Microsoft Excel,
please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q123516
TITLE : How To Search for Office Product Articles by
KBSubcategory
Microsoft Access:
For information about KBSubcategory keywords for Microsoft Access,
please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q119526
TITLE : How To Search for Microsoft Access Articles by
Subcategory
Microsoft PowerPoint:
At this time, Microsoft PowerPoint articles do not contain
product-specific keywords.
Performing a Query on the Microsoft World Wide Web Site
-------------------------------------------------------
1. Connect to the Knowledge Base.
2. To jump to the Knowledge Base interface that is specific to a product,
select a Microsoft product or technology in the list and click Next.
NOTE: The Query interface on the Web is subject to change. For
example, the name of the button to click may be changed.
3. Type the search words in the appropriate text box.
4. Click Begin Search.
Using Boolean Operators to Search for Information in the Knowledge Base
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Boolean is an adjective that describes a symbolic relationship, as in
that implied by the logical operators AND, OR, and NOT. Use the following
Boolean operators to qualify your search:
- AND (logical conjunction)
- OR (logical inclusion)
- XOR (exclusive or)
- NOT (logical negation)
MICROSOFT HELP FILES
====================
Help allows you to search for a usage topic, to browse through a list of
topics, or to search for specific words and phrases instead of topics.
When to Use Help
----------------
Use Help to find more information regarding a specific topic or to browse
the topics and get a better idea of what information is available. You
can also use context-sensitive Help to view information that pertains to
the task at hand.
How to Access Help
------------------
The Help files must be installed in order for you to access them. If Help
is not installed on the system, run the Setup program again and click
Add/Remove to install the files.
Microsoft Office 97 Programs:
To access Help, click "Contents and Index" on the Help menu.
Microsoft Office 7.0 Programs:
To access help, double-click Help on the Standard toolbar, or click
Microsoft <Product> Help Topics on the Help menu, where <product> is
the name of the program you are using.
Another component of Help is the TipWizard. While you are working, the
TipWizard gives you tips about more efficient ways to accomplish the
tasks you are doing, and it suggests related and new features. The
TipWizard also gives you a Tip of the Day each time you start a Microsoft
Office program. To access TipWizard, click the TipWizard button on the
Standard toolbar.
If you are switching from Lotus 1-2-3 to Microsoft Excel, click Lotus 1-
2- 3 Help on the Help menu for commands that provide information to make
it easier for you to switch to Microsoft Excel.
How to Find Information in Help
-------------------------------
To search for information regarding a specific topic, start Help, click
Index, type the description of the Help topic, click Display, and double-
click the topic you want to display.
To browse through a list of Help topics, start Help, click the Contents
tab, select an item to view and click Open.
To get context-sensitive Help, press the F1 key or click Help in the
dialog box while the dialog box is open.
THE OFFICE ASSISTANT
====================
The Office Assistant, which is available in all Microsoft Office 97
programs, can answer your questions, offer tips, and provide help for a
variety of features that pertain to the Office program you are using. The
Office Assistant is shared by all of the Office programs. Any options you
change, such as the type of tips that appear in the Office Assistant,
affect the Office Assistant in all the Office programs.
How to Access the Office Assistant
----------------------------------
To access the Office Assistant, click Microsoft <product> Help on the
Help menu, where <product> is the name of the Office 97 program you are
using, click Office Assistant on the Standard toolbar, or press F1.
THE ANSWER WIZARD (available only in Office 7.0)
================================================
The Answer Wizard allows you to type, in your own words, a description of
the task at hand. When you type a question or a topic, the Answer Wizard
lists Help topics that can assist you with your task. For example if you
type "Tell me how to print more than one document at a time" and click
Search, the Answer Wizard will display several Help topics including a
topic that explains how to print several files at once.
When to Use the Answer Wizard
-----------------------------
The Answer Wizard is especially useful if you are a new user and you do
not know what the exact names of certain commands or tasks are. The
Answer Wizard is also useful if you need to go directly to information
that helps you to complete the task at hand.
How to Access the Answer Wizard
-------------------------------
The Help files must be installed in order for you to access the Answer
Wizard. If Help is not installed, run the Setup program again and click
Add/Remove to install the files.
To access the Answer Wizard, double-click the Help button, or click
Answer Wizard on the Help menu.
How to Find Information in the Answer Wizard
--------------------------------------------
First, in Help, click the Answer Wizard tab, then type a question in your
own words, and click Search. Answer Wizard then lists Help topics that
can assist you in your task.
To go directly to information that helps you to complete the specific
task, double-click a topic listed under "How Do I."
To understand the task better, double-click a topic listed under "Tell Me
About."
To type in a new question once you have searched for a topic, click Help
Topics.
SAMPLE FILES
============
Sample files for Microsoft Office are examples that you can use to help
you create and enhance your own work. The sample files must be installed
in order for you to access them. If they are not installed, run the Setup
program again and click Add/Remove to install the files.
Where the Sample Files Are Located
----------------------------------
The sample files are installed to the default locations listed in this
section. Note that the folder names will be different if you did not pick
the default locations during Setup.
Access sample file:
\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Samples folder
Northwind.mdb
Orders.mdb
Solutions.mdb
Microsoft Excel sample files:
\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Examples folder
Samples.xls
\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Examples\Solver folder
Solvsamp.xls
THE OFFICE MANUAL
=================
The "Getting Results with Microsoft Office for Windows 95" manual has
been redesigned to help you find the information you need to complete
your tasks quickly.
How to Find Information in the Manual
-------------------------------------
The easiest way to find information in the manual is to look in the
Contents at the front of the book for the title that pertains to the task
at hand. The Contents lists broad categories that describe functional
uses of Office programs.
If you do not find a topic in the Contents, flip to the back of the book
and look in the Index. If you are not sure what the task is called, take
a guess as to the name of the task or feature, find the word, and turn to
the page referenced in the Index.
If you are unable to find any pertinent information, broaden your
criteria and look for words in the index that relate to the broader
topic. Additional query words: 3.00 4.00 4.2.1 4.20 4.30 7.00 8.00 97 off97
Keywords : offhelp offweb
Version : MACINTOSH:3.0,4.0,4.2.1,98; WINDOWS:3.0,4.0,4.2,4.3,7.0,97
Platform : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto Last Reviewed: April 26, 1999