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TopAlt EnableDisable Makes Office Add-On Management a Snap [Downloads]

Posted on May 11, 2009
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Windows: There are a lot of great add-ons for Microsoft’s premier productivity product, but there’s no central spot to turn them on or off. TopAlt EnableDisable controls Microsoft Office add-ons with simple check-boxes.

In a way, that’s all there is to it. Install the program, load it up, and you’ll see all the Office programs you’ve installed with plug-ins active on separate tabs. My freshly-installed Office copy doesn’t have a lot going on in the screenshot, but most any well-used copy will have Access, Excel, Outlook, and Word options to dig through.

EnableDisable shows you what’s being loaded into your programs at startup or on-demand, and offers a description if one’s embedded in the add-on. It catches both third-party plug-ins and Microsoft’s own functionality extenders. The Get More Add-ins link takes you, not surprisingly, to TopAlt.com‘s products, but the program itself does what it promises in a seemingly safe way. TopAlt EnableDisable is a free download for Windows systems only.





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SaveAllAttachments Archives and Deletes Outlook File Attachments [Downloads]

Posted on April 14, 2009
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Windows only: Microsoft Outlook add-in SaveAllAttachments does just what its name implies; it saves all the attachments from selected messages to a folder of your choosing, optionally deleting them from the message.

Once you've installed SaveAllAttachments and restarted Outlook, you can use the add-in by simply selecting some messages and clicking the button. You'll be prompted for a folder, asked if you want to delete the original attachments, and the files will be swiftly saved into a folder—a very useful solution for quickly reducing the size of your PST file.

SaveAllAttachments is a free download, Windows and Outlook 2007 only. For another solution that lets you search through attachments before saving them, check out previously mentioned OutlookAttachView. While you’re beefing up Outlook, take a look through our top 10 Outlook boosters.





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UBitMenu Brings the Microsoft Office 2003 Menu Back to Office 2007 [Downloads]

Posted on March 9, 2009
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Windows only: We love Office 2007′s ribbon for its impressive keyboard shortcut integration, but for those of you who miss the Microsoft Office 2003 menu that’s entrenched in your muscle memory, UBitMenu can help.

This plug-in adds a new Menu entry to the Office 2007 ribbon (specifically in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). When clicked, your ribbon displays the classic Office 2003 menu, complete with the buttons and file menus you're used to from your old Office 2003 install. As Samer from FreewareGenius points out, not every single bit of functionality remains in the UBitMenu toolbar as is available in Office 2003—due mostly to changes in Office—but most of the features you're used to remain in all their glory.

Even if you’re keen on the Office 2007 ribbon, UBitMenu is a nice tool to ease the transition from 2003 to 2007 while you’re polishing your new Office mojo. UBitMenu is a free download for non-commercial use.





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Turn Microsoft Word Into a Distraction-Free Editor [Microsoft Word]

Posted on March 4, 2009
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The Microsoft Office Word Team blog details a number of options to streamline the Word 2007 interface, from hiding toolbars to turning Word into a full-blown distraction-free writing environment.

If you're just looking for a bit of extra space on the screen, the guide advises you to minimize the Ribbon by double-clicking on the tabs, set the Windows taskbar to auto-hide, and switch to Web Layout to let the writing area fill the screen. If you are looking for the full distraction-free effect, you can change the page colors and add the Full Screen button to the quick access toolbar—hit the link for the full walk-through.

For more distraction-free writing, check out the previously mentioned Writeroom for Mac, Darkroom for Windows, or do your writing online with Writer.





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