Word 2007 for Starters: The Missing Manual

Appendix A. WORD HELP AND BEYOND

HELP WITH WORD 2007 IS NEVER FAR AWAY. The first place to look is in the program itself. Word’s built-in Help system includes information panels and tutorials stored both on your computer and online. In fact, to support its products, Microsoft has a whole sprawling network of Web sites where you’ll find tips, updates, discussion groups, and downloads for templates, themes, and other Word tools.

There’s lots of community support out there, too. About 11 years ago, Microsoft developed an MVP program to recognize the folks who freely give their time to help others with Windows, Word, and other Microsoft programs. MVPs aren’t Microsoft employees, but they’re very good at what they do. On the Internet, you can easily find Word MVPs from around the world—if you know where to look. This Appendix helps you explore all your help options, starting right there on your computer.

Using Word’s Built-in Help

When you’re working in Word, the most convenient place to look for help is Word’s built-in Help system. Press the F1 key, or click the little round button with the question mark in the upper-right corner of most Word windows to open Word Help, as shown in Figure A-1. The Word Help box conveniently opens in its own window, so it’s not hard to drag it out of the way when you want to look at your work.

Figure A-1. Think of Word Help as a Web browser dedicated to articles ...