OFF95: Office Shortcut Bar Covers Open With/Properties Dialog

ID: Q131562

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you display the Properties dialog box for a button on the Microsoft Office Shortcut Bar, whether the button opens a toolbar, application, file, or folder, the Properties dialog box for that button opens under the Shortcut Bar. Similarly, if you display the Open With dialog box for a button (if the button is assigned to a file that is not registered in Windows), the Open With dialog box is displayed under the Shortcut Bar. That is, the Shortcut Bar is displayed on top of the Properties dialog box or the Open With dialog box, preventing you from viewing information in the dialog box.


CAUSE

This behavior occurs when you have selected the Always On Top option in the Office Shortcut Bar Customize dialog box.

When you select the Always On Top check box on the View tab in the Customize dialog box, the Shortcut Bar is displayed on top of all open windows. This behavior occurs even when you want to view the properties for an icon on the Shortcut Bar.

This behavior occurs with these dialog boxes, even though they are available for items on the Shortcut Bar itself, because the Shortcut Bar does not have control over these dialog boxes. The Shortcut Bar does not know whether a given command on a toolbar button shortcut menu will display a dialog box; therefore, the Shortcut Bar remains on top in this case.

Note, however, that the Shortcut Bar Customize dialog box appears on top of the Shortcut Bar, even with the Always On Top check box selected for the Shortcut Bar. This behavior is by design so that you can view the modifications that you make to the Shortcut Bar.


RESOLUTION

To work around this behavior, use any of the following methods:

Method 1: Dock the Office Shortcut bar by dragging the Shortcut Bar to one of the edges on your computer screen. When the Shortcut Bar is docked along one of the edges of your screen, it is not displayed on top of open dialog boxes because dialog boxes are normally displayed near the center of your screen. You can also drag the Shortcut Bar to a location on the screen where it will not overlap any open windows or dialog boxes.

Method 2: Clear the Shortcut Bar "Always On Top" option by doing the following:

  1. Click the right mouse button on the Shortcut Bar, and then click Customize.


  2. Click the View tab. Under Options, clear the Always On Top check box, and click OK.


When you open a dialog box, the dialog box now appears on top of the Shortcut bar, even if the shortcut bar is floating (not docked).

Additional query words: OSB 


Keywords          : offwin 
Version           : 7.00
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        :

Last Reviewed: June 18, 1999